How do you hook up a transom trolling motor to the battery?

[FishingRebel]

Hey guys,

I am new to boating. I just picked up a boat and I want to add a transom mount trolling motor to my boat. Do I just buy a 12 Volt Marine trolling battery and hook the trolling motor wires to the battery and it will work?

Is it that simple or do I need fuses etc too?

Thanks.

[Cheers]

If it where me I would not bother with a fuse if nothing other than the trolling motor is involved and all the wireing is exposed and visible . Get a battery that is deep cycle , bigger is better and get a good automatic charger .

[delcecchi]

If it were me, I would buy a 60 amp breaker made for trolling motors. Looks like this...

Minnkota 60 amp breaker. 29.99 at amazon .

it fastens to the plus of the battery and the red wire from the TM fastens to the other terminal of the breaker.

Keeps boat from burning up if something, perish the thought, should go wrong.

[SledNeck]

Red +

Black -

[gunner55]

We have waterproof in-line fuse holders on ours,which would work for you also.If you thimk you'll be adding more electronics I would suggest putting a fuse in to start.Many who have a good chunk of change wrapped up in their TM's & graph/gps are going Del's route.

[delcecchi]

I did it that way because it was really easy, and you don't need to carry spare fuses. But a fuse thing might be a little less money.

[h8go4s]

http://www.minnkotamotors.com/Support/Battery-Selection---Rigging/

[RuddyDuck]

I've been using smaller 30-40lb thrust transom trolling motors for years and just hook them to a deep cell battery. If I put a graph on that battery, I made sure it had a fuse on it. Mostly fishing out of small boats without anything else hooked up to the battery.

[delcecchi]

If something shorts out in the trolling motor it could get bad without a fuse. The fuse is to protect the rest of the boat from a problem in the device.

[h8go4s]

I try to avoid having fires in my boat. Maybe I'm paranoid, but nothing good can happen. Put a fuse or circuit breaker on it.

[Bobby Bass]

For years transom trolling motors were simply hooked up to a deep cycle battery with alligator clips and ran just fine. Nothing wrong doing it that way still. When tolling motors started getting mounted on the bow and wires were buried out of the way the breakers were added. Also you went to two and three batteries systems which draw more. Only reason to put a breaker on a rear trolling motor is if you think you might wrap up the prop in enough stuff to stop the prop and over heat the motor. For peace of mind buy a breaker, but I would not bother.