Batteries nearer the bow or in the stern??

[1000yards]

Finishing work on 274V Stratos w/ a 150 Evinrude.......added new deck up front.....
Will moving trolling motor batteries (100 lbs or so) towards the front (just in front of the consoles) hurt speed too much?
I have the motor on a 8" manual plate running almost all the way up.....
With the current set up both batteries are in the passenger side of the stern....Ok for just me, boat rides passenger side down with anyone along....not a lot of freeboard around the motorwell either.
Appreciate advice.

[WATERWINGS]

99.9% of the time towards the rear!

Balance, balance, balance!!!

With most weight to the back!

Weight in the front makes the boat drag in the water more.

The more of the boat you can get out of the water, the faster you can go, less wetted surface, less drag.

[gaineso]

If you can move one battery so that it is more centered left to right it would probably help. I don't think you want to put 100+lbs of batteries to far forward. Major center of gravity change, balamce change, running angle change. Plus, you've now got some very heavy items in a potentially weaker portion of the hull and they are going to be subject to a lot more bounce up forward than all the way aft.

Keep 'em in the back if at all possible.