Just curious how many of you store your boats with electronics and batteries still connected in cold storage for the winter. And I mean COLD storage (Minnesota, not Texas!) I have taken in my batteries and electronics to the house previously, but am feeling lazy this year, and wondering if anyone knows if it makes a difference or has more knowledge on the topic than me.
Electronics yes.
Batteries no.
I pull the electronics out, not the batteries. And I’ve heard that extreme cold isn’t good for the permanent magnets in trolling motors. I have no idea whether that’s true or not, so I bring the motor inside too.
Ughh, winter 
SR
If it’s not bolted down (and a few things that are) come out of the boat before it gets put away. Batteries, sonars, trolling motor, all lures and gear, poles, life vests, etc. Both sonars I use in the winter, I’ve made a portable box and bought the ice duecer for my 788 so I can use it ice fishing and I also have a spare power cord for the 1199 so I can ‘browse’ lakes on the lakemaster chip in the house and save waypoints for summer. But also because my boat is stored at a friend’s in his pole shed, so if it were to get stolen or something along those lines at least I didn’t loose everything.
Batteries stay in. Electronics out. I plug in the onboard charger once a month. Anything a mouse could chew comes out just in case.(Knock on wood I’ve never had a problem.) Then I load it with fabric softener sheets and cover till Ice out.
who stores a boat?
Electronics yes.
Batteries no.
Me too.
Read the owner’s manual for your graph. Best off taking them in when not in use in the cold weather months.
I’m not sure about all on board chargers but the Minnkota’s watch the charge level of your batteries. I and most people leave them on all winter.
Change the lower end grease and add some fuel stabilizer. Scented dryer sheets won’t hurt either.
Mine is stored shrink wrapped outdoors in International Falls. So that should count as cold. 
Electronics are taken out but batteries and trolling motor stays with the boat. I have AGM batteries and they are fully charged before storage. I’ve been doing this for years and have not had an issue.
Electronics come out and go inside, batteries stay and have a battery tender hooked to them all winter.
I used to cover my boat when I put it in the barn for winter and always had mouse dropping in it. For the last 10 plus year I don’t cover it and I open every storage compartment, not a single mouse dropping in all those years. The cover creates a shelter for the little buggers.
Electronics come out and go inside, batteries stay and have a battery tender hooked to them all winter.
I used to cover my boat when I put it in the barn for winter and always had mouse dropping in it. For the last 10 plus year I don’t cover it and I open every storage compartment, not a single mouse dropping in all those years. The cover creates a shelter for the little buggers.
Stored boats in the pole barn for 14 years uncovered, no problems.
If the boat is in a heated pole shed (~40-45 degrees), would you bother with taking the batteries out? If not, I’d plan to have the on-board minnkota plugged in.
Also, do any of you leave your rods right in your boat? I’m debating leaving mine in the in-floor storage (Again the shed stays North of 40 degrees all winter)
Thoughts?
If the boat is in a heated pole shed (~40-45 degrees), would you bother with taking the batteries out? If not, I’d plan to have the on-board minnkota plugged in.
Also, do any of you leave your rods right in your boat? I’m debating leaving mine in the in-floor storage (Again the shed stays North of 40 degrees all winter)
Thoughts?
Just one thought on the reels, might want to back off the drags on all of them to take some pressure off the drag washers.
Dido for me troller in the basement along with electronics in addition I unhook the red wires from the batteries. Just in case a mouse would get in and chew the wiring it will not short out or stat a fire also I pull the portable gas tank. Use what’s left in snow blower. Happy winter
Dido for me troller in the basement along with electronics in addition I unhook the red wires from the batteries. Just in case a mouse would get in and chew the wiring it will not short out or stat a fire also I pull the portable gas tank. Use what’s left in snow blower. Happy winter
While that works, technically you want to disconnect the negative lead. Electrons are repelled from the negative side and attracted to the positive terminal, so the flow of electrons out of a battery flow from the negative to the positive.
The second reason doesn’t really apply to boats but on vehicles with a ground, you want to disconnect the lead matching the ground first, usually negative. This is mainly for safety reasons so that the first lead removed cannot ground out creating a closed circuit for the electrons to travel freely, ie sparks and cables trying to weld themselves to stuff.
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