I know marine batteries are combination batteries (starting and deep cycle) but I'm thinking about replacing my starting battery with a larger deep cycle battery since its also powering my lights, livewell pumps, and electronics. Will that work? Anyone else do that?

As long as the deep cycle battery meets the minimum cranking needs (cca/mca) of your motor, it should be fine.

If may not be the fastest charging option or the lowest weight option.

I use a 2 battery setup having a true deep cycle house battery for my boat and an efficient cranking battery for my motor. That way I can stay out much longer between charges and always fully charge overnite. My motor has dual charging outputs. In an emergency, I have a combine switch wired in for use to crank a motor or power a NAV light should one battery ever fail.

Over the years, a two battery setup should prove cheaper to run than a one battery setup as each battery gets a full life tasked doing what it is best for.

My setup though does not seem to catch bass as big as in your sig's.

Done it for years.

Cool, thanks

I wouldn't recommend it - a cranking battery is designed to stay fully charged and have brief cycles of intense use (ie starting the big motor). Deep cycle batteries on the other hand, are designed to be drained all the way down to empty and then recharged. IMO a dual purpose battery is pointless because it is not good at either of those. If you have a small(er) engine, you could get away with it probably, but if you are running one of the bigger outboards I would stay with a cranking battery. Your electronics/pumps don't draw that many amps, so as long as you are moving around some the cranking battery should stay charged just fine.

I use the Optima blue top for cranking and it's great.

I had the same question , thanks for the info

I've done it for years.

The reason I asked is because I had a tournament on Saturday and after running the lights in the morning, the livewell pumps all day, and the electronics all day...the big motor wouldn't start. My battery was dead. Fortunately I was close enough to the weigh in that I was able to use the trolling motor to get back on time. If I hadn't been fishing the marina right next to the ramp I would've been screwed.

I noticed that in the Walmart MAXX line of batteries, the deep cycle has MORE cranking amps than the regular marine series. So I think I'm going to get the big deep cycle.

May want to also buy some jumper cables too when you go buy the new battery. Just in case you find yourself in that situation again.

Used one for 3 years and no problem.

[quote=EastTexasBassin]The reason I asked is because I had a tournament on Saturday and after running the lights in the morning, the livewell pumps all day, and the electronics all day...the big motor wouldn't start. My battery was dead. Fortunately I was close enough to the weigh in that I was able to use the trolling motor to get back on time. If I hadn't been fishing the marina right next to the ramp I would've been screwed."

If you put your battery voltage as a overlay on your electronics, it will tell you when you need to start the big motor, and put a little juice back in it ...I usually do it at about 10.8 to 11.0 volts

Might want to consider one of these.

http://www.geniuschargers.com/boost/

Get a Sears PM1 and forget about it! I had one for almost 3 years in my old boat and just bought one for my new boat. 1150 cranking amps and 177 reserved capacity for the electronics. It will do it all for about $300. That's the downfall.

+1
My Sears PM1 is 1150CCA & 205RC.