I fished with Kevin Johnson and he told me the issue was with some of the chargers. Supposedly it's been addressed. He had nothing but great things to say about his experience with them and raved about how long they last.

He showed me his set up..... Two of the 36V batteries and one 12V. Supposedly they last a very long time but at $3,500 they better. As mentioned, I wouldn't spring for them unless I had gotten rid of every bit of weight I could and needed a few more mph. Trading a few hundred pounds for fifty in front of the transom would be huge if you had long runs at high speeds. I just don't go anywhere that fast anymore.

My issue with them is when they lose their juice that's it..... no warning. From charged to zippo in an instant. I think you almost have to have two of them just in case.

I bought an Optima blue top for $300 because I believed the hype. In less than 6 months, it already loses it's charge if I leave my graph on. Pretty much just like my Wally World specials. No more Optimas for me.

You are now the third person that I know of that has had problems with Optima blue tops. My theory on batteries is simple. Buy the lead acid batteries and plan to replace them every two years.

Lithiums

You nailed it Ken. I like fresh ones so just plan on swapping the lot every two or three years and never be stranded or frustrated. I think a few old timers tried to tell me this years ago and I didn't listen.

Batteries are a necessary evil like insurance. You don't generally think about them until you have a problem.
At that point it's usually a major hassle. If I got 2 years out of the normal marine battery I would have been surprised. 18-24 months max. would be the average life. With Lithiums I would talk to Lithium Pros. They are a very stand up company that knows what is required for bass boats. If you choose not to go that route I would get the heaviest lead battery.

I don't know about the old-timer part but I tried to tell you�

Internal combustion engines and you are right about a thing of the past. Nothing to do with entertainment systems.

You would really want a boat repaired and use it after any type of fire? Not me. Anything can burn but the blanket knee-jerk statements about Li batteries show how little people really know other than the sensationalized news. Same thing was said when DI came out because of the high fuel pressure. Now it is everywhere. I have first hand experience and am very pleased. Well worth the investment. Save time,money,maintenance,weight,consistent power output.

The Lithionics batteries shut off at 80% discharge to LYK their state of charge. Push the rest button and you can use the other 20%.
I don't think others have this feature but they do offer gauges. Just like the big motor.

I helped a guy put one out that caught on fire on his motorcycle. I put about 3/4 of a 30lb fire extinguisher on it. It never did quit burning inside. THats my only experience with one

I have 5 SmartBattery Li-Ion batteries on my boat and couldn't be happier with them. 3 are used for the 36V trolling motor, 1 for house/starting, and 1 for house/starting backup. I also have Victron Amp-Hour meters on each bank so I know exactly how much charge remains on each battery. By switching to Li-Ion I've removed 200 pounds from the boat which makes for a significant difference in speed, handling, and draft. Also makes room for another fisherman. The other thing I've noticed is that by knowing how much charge remains on the trolling motor batteries and how much I normally use it during a typical fishing trip, I frequently don't bother recharging them every day unless I know it's necessary.

BTW, without getting into details, the Li-Ion batteries used for transportation are not the same as the ones that are catching fire in Samsung phones. They're far more stable and safe because of the risk of physical damage.

I was fortunate to find my batteries heavily discounted in like-new condition from a business that got them to try for an application before realizing they needed larger ones.

Maybe a coincidence and the real cause may never make print since he is sponsored by a Lithium battery company.

Remember Chris Lane's boat.

https://www.bassmaster.com/slideshow/chris-lanes-boat-destroyed-fire

There could be any number of causes of a boat fire. I suspect the vast majority of boats have some sort of improper and unsafe wiring. Heck, I've seen expensive boats on the showroom floor with wiring issues.