Troy Stokes
Fishing has always been a family tradition for Troy - he grew up fishing off of his grandparents’ dock and watching his dad compete in tournaments, and eventually he was competing in them himself. While at Central Michigan University, he founded the first bass fishing team and competed in Major League Fishing’s (MLF) College Tour. Over the course of his now 21-year career, Troy has competed in 58 tournaments and achieved 11 top-ten finishes. He has participated in tournaments all over the country, from California to South Carolina, and everywhere in between.
Last year, Troy decided that in order to stay competitive in these tournaments, he needed to upgrade his system. He had noticed that fellow fishermen were able to stay out on the water longer and carry less weight. He started to become curious about the lithium batteries they were using, and has since revamped his system to include RELiON’s dependable and long-lasting lithium batteries for his boat too.
Troy’s power system includes:
Troy’s Ranger Z21 boat uses three long-lasting RELiON 12V 100 Ah RB100 batteries to power his 36V trolling motor. He also has two RELiON 12V 100Ah RB100-HP to power his outboard engine during tournaments, five electronic fish finders, additional transducer boxes, two power poles and two live wells.
Why Troy loves fishing:
“I grew up around fishing - everyone in my family loved it. It was a major way that we connected with each other. Once I started competing myself, I was able to experience the comradery that comes with working alongside good friends. Even though we are all competing and trying to get an edge on each other, that’s part of the fun. The best thing about fishing is that you never know what the day is going to bring. You never know when you’re going to discover something new, something that sets you apart and steps up your game. That’s why, to me, fishing will never get old.”
Why Troy switched to lithium:
“When I was using the lead-acid batteries, I found that they weighed my boat down, they took too long to charge, and I wasn’t able to stay out on the water as long as I wanted. I also had to keep replacing them every one to two years because they couldn’t handle demands of the tournament schedule. I was talking to buddies who told me how long they were able to stay out with their lithium batteries and it really piqued my interest. I need my attention to be fully on the tournament when I’m out there, and I didn’t want to keep being distracted thinking about how much juice I had left. I decided to just go for it and make the investment in batteries that I knew would be able to take my fishing game to the next level.”
Why Troy chose RELiON:
“I kept coming across RELiON when talking to other anglers about their systems. The people I talked to about these batteries couldn’t get enough. I started doing some research on my own and discovered their high-performance series, which I was really impressed by. Now, I use two of the RB100-HPs during tournaments. Overall, between their reputation, their competitive price-point, and the enhanced performance they deliver, my decision was easy.”
How has RELiON helped Troy challenge his own limits:
“I have had first-hand experience that proves RELiON batteries give customers an edge. There have been times when other anglers have had to go in for the day, or they have their batteries die on them during a long day on the water, but my RB100s are always good to go. Since switching, I haven’t had to worry once about needing to recharge my batteries while I’m out. Whether I’m practicing or competing, I am confident in my power system and that allows me the freedom I need to stay on the water longer.”