Downrigger Installtion Advice

I am setting up some electric downriggers(Canon Magnum STX 10) this spring and am wondering if I should try to set them up on the starter, or if I should get a dedicated Deep Cycle.

I have a 9.9 Yamaha kicker that would be charging the starter. I would also have a Garmin 7612 running off that battery, but that would be it. I have the ability to set an alarm for low voltage, and could start an F300 Yahmaha if needed to help charge faster while trolling.

I am leaning towards hooking up to the starter.

Thoughts and recommendations?

I have ran 4 electric canons off my starter battery for the last 5-6 yrs while trolling with a yammy T8. Never once had an issue. The kicker more than keeps up with the current demand.

I run 2 STX 10s on my group 31 AGM starter and have never run mine down. My kicker does not charge my battery either.

Get yourself the biggest AGM or deep cycle you can for your starter and you’ll be fine. Just keep an eye on your voltage at all times.

I run out to Isle Royale regularly for multiple days without the ability to hookup to a charger. The long runs likely recharge my battery though.

I’ve done it both ways, and also tried hooking up the DR’s to one of my trolling motor batteries. I’ve never had an issue with any of these options, so now I just run them off the starting battery. We typically have 2 sonar’s, marine band radio, DR’s, and Fish hawk all running off the starting battery and the kicker seems to keep the starting battery charged just fine. We often do this 6-7 days in a row without plugging in the onboard charger.

This is great news, glad to hear no issues with hooking to the starter! Thanks for the replys.

Downriggers equal trolling and trolling equals a motor running, Kicker or main motor, and recharging as you go if it is an electric charging type motor. Big AGM would be my advice if the kicker does not charge the single battery. I had 4 Big Jons on my rig and they do draw a lot of juice if you are fishing deep and catching or changing lures often. Do set that low voltage alarm and make sure you fire up and run the big motor long before the juice to start it is gone.

Just to make sure I always have a way back to the dock; I do always have a set of jumper cables in the boat so I could jump from a trolling motor battery to the starter in the event the starter ever wears down to much. Haven’t had a need to ever use it yet though…….

I figure you will probably already be doing this but adding a Blue Sea fuse block is the way to go for hooking up the downriggers. I run a 12 spade fuse block off the starter battery and almost all my accessories go to the fuse block. My motors, auto bilge and onboard charger run direct to the motor.

Attachment is an example of one I set up for a friend of mine.

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