As a professional kayak angler, Justin competes in the Hobie Bass Open Series, Bassmaster Kayak Series, and the Tennessee Bass Nation Series. After experiencing the struggle of lead-acid batteries, he made the switch to Battle Born’s LiFePO4 batteries. With the power of a 12V 100Ah and Group 24 Battle Born Batteries, he’s experienced the game-changing power of kayak angling powered by lithium.

Meet Professional Kayak Angler Justin Patrick

Tennessee native Justin Patrick loves fishing, hunting, and spending time with his wife and daughter. He’s been fishing for as long as he can remember and developed a passion for it at an early age. Most of his childhood was spent fishing from the bank until he discovered kayak fishing. It was a much easier transition than fishing from a bass boat, and he quickly fell in love with it.

Over the years, Justin found his way into multiple kayak angling circuits and has been fishing professionally for the last 8 years. He currently competes in three major circuits, including the Bassmaster Kayak Series, the Hobie Bass Open Series, and the Tennessee Bass Nation Series.

Throughout his time as a professional kayak angler, Justin has learned many tricks of the trade that have contributed to his success. From new skills to new technology and even new places to fish, he’s always searching for ways to home in on his craft.

In recent years, many professional anglers have made the switch to power their bass boat and kayak electronics with LiFePO4 batteries. When the opportunity arose, Justin immediately upgraded to the gamechanging power of Battle Born Batteries and never looked back. Below he shares his experiences.

Professional Kayak Anglers Need a Light, Reliable Power Source

Kayak fishing has exploded in the industry over the past 7 years. Of course, this sport has been around longer, but its appeal has grown tremendously. The tournament scene has heated up and presented anglers with numerous options to get involved and compete. With growth in any industry, the parallel is always the development of new products to support the demands of consumers. We are going to look at how lithium batteries have changed the game for anglers like me, fishing out of a 150 lb. kayak.

The number one consideration for kayak anglers adding any accessories to their boats is weight. Most kayaks are rated with lower maximum weight capacities than larger aluminum and fiberglass boats, so extra attention must be put on keeping the weight low and evenly distributed. The accessories that you add to kayaks include motors, depth finders, lights, and more.

Motors are one of the most important accessories for a kayak angler. They provide the means to move around the lake more quickly and efficiently than paddling. These kayak motors are all electric and are typically powered by their own independent power source. This power primarily comes from 12V and 24V batteries, with some 36V options.

Regardless of which option an angler may choose, they are adding quite a bit of weight to their kayak. For example, a bow-mounted MotorGuide Xi3 will add roughly 45lb, and a Newport Vessels Nk180 stern-mounted motor will add around 20lb of additional weight.

Choosing Between Lead Acid and LiFePO4 Batteries

The most important decision kayak anglers have to make is lead acid or lithium. While lead acid batteries weigh between 60-80 pounds, the Battle Born Batteries 12V 100Ah (BB10012) only weighs 31 pounds. This is one of the immediate benefits of choosing LiFePO4 batteries over lead acid. Cutting the battery weight in half allows you to distribute the weight more evenly and even lends to keeping your vessel safer.

Generally, in aluminum or fiberglass boats, the boater will have a gas-powered outboard motor to power the angler to its desired destination. Once there, they will deploy and use their trolling motor for boat position management. For kayak anglers, the motor serves more than one purpose. The single electric motor will provide a power source to get the angler to their desired destination more quickly and then provide boat position management once there.

With lead acid, the user is likely to have access to 70-80% of the batteries’ available power. As the lead acid battery is used, it will push out fewer amps, ultimately reducing the power output of the motor throughout the single charge. On the other hand, with Battle Born LiFePO4 Batteries, the user will gain consistent power output up until the total depletion of the battery.

The user will also appreciate access to the batteries’ full capacity, giving them the ability to go the extra distance. Having twenty percent less power may sound like a reasonable sacrifice to save some money going with lead acid, but in my experience, my success in fishing has come down to that last twenty percent.

Are LiFePO4 Batteries Worth the Investment for Professional Kayak Anglers?

While most people understand the value of lithium over lead acid, the decision typically boils down to cost. Now, kayak anglers have a little leg up against big boat users simply because we only need one battery instead of two or three. This lowers our financial investment drastically. Throw in the estimated 3000-5000 cycles on a single lithium battery, like the BB10012; you won’t be replacing a battery for a very long time, making your investment well worth it and really a no-brainer.

As a professional kayak angler competing in the big tournament circuits, I use both 12V and 24V motors for different purposes. For my 12V MotorGuide Xi3, I am using the BB10012 option. I have logged over 12 miles on a single charge in a single day, and trust me, I’m not going light on the throttle. This motor has anchor mode, which uses GPS location positioning to hold my spot in current and wind, which also adds to the power consumption. I primarily use this motor when I am fishing offshore.

For shallow water fishing or making long runs, I reach for the 24V Newport Vessel NK180. This brushless motor is more efficient than the MotorGuide and excels in powering through vegetation. It also hosts a kick-up feature that will kick up over stumps, rock, and any other obstacles I may encounter in the shallows. For this motor, I use Battle Born’s 24V 50Ah battery. I have logged over 15 miles on a single charge over the course of two days in practice for a tournament.

Justin Patrick Recommends Upgrading to Battle Born Batteries

I have been involved in this sport long enough to see the trends come and go. Lead acid was initially a means of saving a few dollars, but ultimately, we’ve determined that it has no place in kayak fishing. We need the most power out of a single battery with as little weight added as possible.

The Battle Born Batteries LiFePo4 options have served me very well over the years and, in fact, have been a staple for me in locating and finding fish to land major successes out on the trail. If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact the talented sales team at Battle Born. They will point you in the right direction for your needs. You can reach them at (855) 292-2831 (M-F 8:00 am – 4:30 pm (PST)) or by emailing [email protected].

Stay safe. Get Out There and Stay Out There. Most importantly, have fun.