The Lithium Revolution

They last twice as long and weigh half as much as a lead-acid battery. LiFePO4 for the win.

Marine batteries aboard today's saltwater fishing boats are more critical than ever before. They are relied upon to power an ever-growing number of onboard systems, including marine electronics, pumps, lights, electric trolling motors, air conditioning, electric reels, microwaves, gyrostabilizers, windlasses, thrusters and more. And then there's the basic, albeit crucial, function of cranking over the main engines.

While marine batteries have morphed into a wide range of types, sizes and applications, most still rely on the same lead-acid chemistry invented more than 160 years ago. Today, however, a new battery technology based on lithium-iron-phosphate (LiFePO4) chemistry is poised to revolutionize electrical power delivery aboard saltwater fishing machines.

Marine lithium batteries offer amazing advantages over conventional lead-acid batteries, but there are also major caveats for boating anglers to keep in mind. Lithium technology requires new thinking when it comes to cost, installation, applications and charging. Let's look at how these fit into the world of saltwater fishing.

Deep-Cycle Superiority

Almost all marine lithium batteries are designed to serve in deep-cycle applications, but not as starting batteries, says Matthew Campbell, director of marketing at Solv4Ex, parent company of Discover Battery, which offers a full spectrum of marine batteries, from lead-acid to Lithium Blue LiFePO4 batteries.

"Marine starting batteries are purpose-built to crank engines, for the most part using lead-acid technology, which is good for short bursts of high energy," Campbell explains. But most lithium batteries are not designed to produce these kinds of high-energy electrical bursts.