I Paid Retail (And I’m Glad I Did) – No Assault, Just Good Batteries

There seem to be two schools of thought at the opposite ends of the bass boat battery spectrum – either buy the latest and greatest lithium deals to save weight and last forever, or else buy the cheapest boxes of lead you can find, with the expectation that they’ll go bad but be replaced for free at any Wally World. 

I fall somewhere in the middle of those two poles. I’ve historically bought AGM batteries. Unlike the lithiums, they’re super-heavy, and unlike the cheapos, they cost a few bucks, but overall I’ve been pleased. I’ve had Dekas, mostly, and they’ve been good to me. 

On Saturday, my outboard crapped out on me around 10am. These things happen and the motor is under warranty. It’s the first issue I’ve had with this one in just over three seasons of use and I hope to be up and running again soon, but that left me with a conundrum – I was about 6 miles from the ramp where I’d launched and where my tow vehicle sat. Furthermore, I was on a semi-private lake where all of the boat ramps have locked gates. I couldn’t just leave my boat at a distant ramp, hitch a ride back to my Suburban, and then drive around to reload it.  

As it happened, Hanna was on the lake fishing with her friend Christie Bradley, but I didn’t want to ruin their day of fun, so after calling my marine technician and confirming that I could not get the motor running, I hopped on the trolling motor and started the long haul back. About a third of the way, Hanna called to check in and they offered me a tow but I told them to keep fishing and to keep her phone out – I’d call back if my batteries ran low. About halfway back I sensed that I was losing a little bit of speed, but the GPS said otherwise. I was cranking along at about 2 mph, a little more or less depending on wind and boat wakes. Even at the three-quarter mark, I was still hauling the mail so I actually stopped and fished a bit, because I knew I’d be back at the ramp before Hanna and Christie. I managed to capture a few more and fill out my limit and was back at the ramp at our appointed time. I used the Minn Kota to get me on the trailer. 

Obviously, I’m disappointed that I’ll be off the water for some period of time, but I am simply amazed by the Pro Guide AGM batteries that Bass Cat put in this boat. After over three years of use, I made it six miles on them with ease, without experiencing any loss of power. I don’t know anyone at the company, and I certainly don’t get them for free. I pay whatever Bass Cat charges and I see on the Pro Guide website that the MSRP is $289.95. Your mileage may vary, but based on my experience, this is one product that you can depend on. If you can afford the lithiums and want them, go for it, but as far as I’m concerned, these Pro Guides are one of the best bargains in fishing. 

P.S. The Minn Kota autopilot feature was a lifesaver.