Since its release to the public earlier this year, the Power-Pole CHARGE Marine Power Management Station has become one of the most talked about marine accessories to hit the market.
As evident by the 16 competitors who used the CHARGE during this year’s Bassmaster Classic in Alabama, the CHARGE system is quickly becoming an essential tool for anglers on the Bassmaster Elite Series. We talked to some of the biggest names on the tour currently using the CHARGE to find out why the power management station is a must have for every hardcore angler.
CHARGE is an all-in-one solution
Top level anglers tend to have a lot of accessories on their boats and there is only so much room in those hatches. The CHARGE effectively replaces three different accessories on your boat so that means it will take up a lot less space freeing up room for more tackle and other essential gear.
“The CHARGE is very convenient because you just plug in to the one cord and it’s done,” John Crews said. “In the past I’ve had to use add-on chargers because the onboard chargers weren’t made to stay in boats. The CHARGE is a totally different deal.”
CHARGE gives you your power status in real time
CHARGE automatically monitors your power usage and battery levels to ensure you have the right amount of energy for every accessory on your boat. Whether you are plugged in directly to a 120V power outlet at the dock or using it to charge from your primary motor while on the run, the CHARGE system balances power as it replenishes your entire battery bank simultaneously — including the 12V cranking battery and up to three 24 or 36V trolling batteries.
Using the C-Monster app on your smart phone, tablet or Gateway-equipped MFD, you are able to see this process in real time, including each individual battery’s state of charge.
“It’s really made me kind of lazy,” Drew Cook joked. “I used to always be worried about having power for everything. Now I just look at my app and I’m like, ‘It’s charging. I’m good. No Problem.’ Now sometimes I don’t even plug it in because it charges when you are running down the lake. In practice we do a lot more running than actually fishing so I haven’t charged my battery all week. I haven’t needed to.”
CHARGE lets you fish how you want with no limitations
The C-Monster app also lets you customize which batteries to prioritize during the charging process.
CHARGE was designed as the first bi-directional power management system with the ability to move power back-and-forth between batteries. For anglers and guides that rely heavily on their trolling motors while fishing, the CHARGE will make sure you can focus on fishing and not your power supply.
“Once we get into some bedfish tournaments when you’ve got your trolling motor on 100 and you are going down the bank for hours and hours, that CHARGE pumping juice back into your trolling motor batteries is going to be a game changer,” Cory Johnston said. “It’ll let you stay on the water a lot longer and find more fish by the end of the day and make more money.”
CHARGE provides piece of mind
External jumpstart devices can take up valuable space on a boat, which is why the CHARGE also has a built-in Emergency Power Transfer. This feature uses the remaining power stored in your trolling motor battery bank to recharge your main engine, eliminating the need for an external device. Just engage the feature using the C-Monster app or Gateway-equipped MFD and CHARGE will automatically move enough power from the trolling motor batteries to the cranking battery to fire up your motor, even after a long day on the water.
“I had a dead battery issue in practice,” Caleb Sumrall said. “For three days I was fighting a dead battery before I even started my practice day. The Power-Pole CHARGE system took energy from my 36 volt Lithium Pro batteries and converted to my 12 volt (cranking battery) and was jumping me over and starting. I didn’t lose any practice time. I was able to fish daylight to dark with a dead battery for three days and the Power-Pole CHARGE made that happen. I would have lost a half day of practice if I had to go swap out a battery and get back out on the water.”
CHARGE is the ideal system for lithium batteries
Most conventional charging systems are not suited for lithium batteries, which are quickly becoming the norm on the boats of high-level anglers. Not only is the CHARGE engineered to work with the latest in lithium technology, it can also accommodate a variety of battery types including lead acid, AGM, GEL, and TPPL, and integrate those batteries into a single battery bank to maximize their efficiency.
“I’ve tried to kill my batteries but I can’t do it because the CHARGE is constantly putting power into my starting battery. If my trolling motor battery gets low it switches and goes to those batteries,” Chris Johnston said. “It’s groundbreaking technology and I’m glad I’ve been able to run it this year.”
