Yamaha Pro, Chris Cenci of Jacksonville Beach, FL has competed at the highest levels of professional redfish fishing for three decades. Here’s how he powers his tournament rig and why, after testing five brands over ten years, the search for superior lithium power is finally over.

Meet Chris Cenci

If you’ve followed professional inshore fishing along the southeastern United States over the past three decades, chances are you’ve come across the name Chris Cenci. A native of northeast Florida fishing out of Jacksonville Beach, Cenci has been competing in both inshore and offshore tournaments since the early 1990s, building a résumé that places him among the most accomplished redfish anglers in the country.

Cenci has recorded more than 40 professional top-10 finishes in redfish competition, along with seven tournament victories throughout his career. He has qualified for the prestigious Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship four out of the five years it has been held. In 2022, Cenci and longtime partner Chris Kennedy captured Power-Pole Pro Redfish Tour Team of the Year honors and earned a berth in the Yamaha Bassmaster Redfish Cup Championship. 

In 2012, Cenci co-founded the Power-Pole Pro Redfish Series, serving as its East Coast Division Director for four years. His passion for tackle development also led him to found Slayer Inc. Lures in 2006, a brand built from real experience on the water.

It’s this blend of competitive drive and engineering curiosity that makes Cenci’s gear choices worth paying attention to. When someone who has run five different battery brands over ten years of tournament fishing tells you he found the best one, it’s not marketing, it’s hard-won experience.

The Rig

For inshore fishing, Cenci runs a 21′ Egret Carbon Fiber skiff powered by a Yamaha VMAX SHO 250, paired with a Bob’s 8” Setback Jack Plate, a setup built for one purpose: getting to fish fast and holding position precisely when it counts. Two eight-foot Power Pole Blades anchor him on the flat the moment he finds feeding fish. “It’s a must-have when you’re fishing shallow water,” he says. For graphs, he runs a Simrad Evo 3S 16-inch unit behind the console and a Simarad Evo3S12-inch alongside a Garmin 1222 livescope display up front.

Every system on the boat is built around consistent, reliable power, from aerators and navigation lights to cockpit lighting, bilge pump, live wells, a stereo, and a full-time GoPro setup running through a waterproof USB-C port. On a rig this dialed, electrical reliability isn’t optional, it’s foundational.

▶️ Watch: Chris Cenci –  Pro Rig Rundown – Boat Walkthrough 

Four Batteries, Three Jobs

Cenci runs four dedicated Norsk Lithium batteries across his skiff, each assigned to a specific role for maximum efficiency and reliability.

Starting and house power is handled by a heated Norsk Lithium 12V 180Ah Starting Battery. This unit provides dependable cranking power for the outboard and supports key onboard systems including the Power Pole Blades, trim tabs, jack plate, navigation lights, cockpit lighting, bilge pump, live wells, and a 400W JL Audio stereo. Built for saltwater conditions where failure isn’t an option, it serves as the central power backbone for the vessel’s essential functions. 

The Norsk 180Ah Starting Battery also features Emergency Start Reserve [ESR], an advanced safety feature that preserves 25% of the battery’s capacity as protected backup starting power. In the rare event onboard electronics or accessories drain the battery while on the water, ESR can be activated instantly using the Power Management button located on top of the battery or remotely through the Norsk Guardian^® App, giving anglers the ability to start their outboard and get back safely.

The electronics battery is a standout in his setup. Running a space-saving Group 27 Norsk Lithium 16V 75Ah LiFePO4 battery paired with a Norsk Lithium EVO-TEC™ Single Bank 16V On-Board Charger, Cenci gets the higher voltage today’s advanced electronics crave, whether he’s running his in-dash Simrad unit or Garmin LiveScope / Simrad combo up front. The 16V platform not only delivers stronger, more consistent power to demanding marine electronics, it also provides up to 20% more runtime compared to a traditional 12V setup. The system delivers three full days of runtime on both graphs with power to spare. For a tournament angler putting in long days across multi-day events, that kind of reserve capacity becomes a serious competitive advantage.

Running Bass-Style on the Trolling Motor

One of the more interesting details in Cenci’s setup is how he wires his trolling motor batteries. Most saltwater anglers running a 36-volt trolling motor use three standard 12-volt batteries in series. Cenci does something different: he runs two Norsk Lithium 36V 60Ah batteries in parallel, giving him 120 amp hours at 36 volts. The setup not only delivers massive runtime, it also cuts down on weight and saves valuable space, a major advantage in skiffs where every inch of storage and deck layout matters.

Cenci says “Most guys, if they want 36V, they’re using three 12Vs to make 36, run in series, which 99% of saltwater guys are doing. I’m running mine bass style, the way the bass guys are doing it.” The result is a system with substantially more runtime than a conventional three-battery setup, powering a 60-inch titanium shaft Power Pole Move trolling motor he calls “the absolute quietest, best-efficient trolling motor on the market.” 

What Makes Norsk Lithium Different

Cenci’s praise for Norsk Lithium goes beyond runtime. After testing five brands over a decade, three things stand out: the build quality, the advanced feature set, and the free Norsk Guardian^® App which allows anglers to connect via Bluetooth^® to multiple batteries and monitor critical battery info.

Most marine lithium batteries on the market are cells sandwiched and taped together inside a sealed case, commonly used to reduce manufacturing costs at the expense of long-term durability and structural integrity. Norsk takes a fundamentally different approach. Every battery uses a proprietary internal rack design that securely positions each cell with deliberate spacing between them before the entire assembly is encapsulated, with thermally conductive epoxy, into a rigid solid-core structure. That serves two critical functions: it allows heat to distribute evenly across every cell during charging, not just the outer cells nearest to a temperature probe, and it dramatically reduces the effects of vibration and mechanical shock. Pick up a Norsk Lithium battery and shake it, and nothing moves. That matters on the water, where constant chop and hard wakes can shift cells and stress connections in cheap lithium batteries over time, wearing down spot welds and shortening the battery’s lifespan well before it should.

Equally important is what sits behind the power delivery: Norsk’s advanced Battery Management System. A BMS is the brain of any lithium battery, but not all BMS designs are created equal. Norsk actively monitors and protects against overcharging, over-discharging, crossed terminals, short circuits, high-temperature shutoff, and cell balancing across every charge and discharge cycle. For an inshore tournament angler running multiple battery systems simultaneously; trolling motor, livescope, house electronics, having a BMS that continuously watches over each system isn’t just a safety feature, it’s the difference between a battery that performs at its peak for years and one that quietly degrades without warning.

Norsk Lithium batteries are heated with Norsk’s exclusive Thermal-Core Heating Technology™, 

a proprietary system that actively warms the battery to its optimal operating temperature before and during the charging cycle, so you’re getting a safe, complete charge even on the coldest nights. Most anglers know lithium batteries don’t like charging in freezing temperatures, at best you get an inefficient charge, at worst you’re doing real damage to cells. Norsk’s Thermal-Core Heating eliminates that problem entirely. While the average angler in Florida may not give cold weather a second thought, tournament anglers like Chris know better. Tournament days don’t move for the weather. When a cold front drops temperatures thirty degrees overnight and you’re on the water at first light with a big check on the line, having batteries that perform reliably in the cold isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity.

Five Brands, One Winner

Cenci has been evaluating lithium battery options for ten years and has run five different brands across that time. His verdict on Norsk Lithium is clear.

“I’ve run five different brands over the last ten years, and this is by far the best,” said Cenci. “The app, the construction, the overall build quality, it’s incredible.”

For an angler at Cenci’s level, someone who is on the Yamaha Pro Fishing team, co-founded a professional redfish tour, built his own lure company, and has spent thirty years dialing in equipment at the highest levels of competition, those aren’t casual words. They’re the result of a long, methodical comparison made across thousands of hours on the water.

If you’re ready to upgrade your boat to the same Superior Lithium Power™ system trusted by one of the most accomplished inshore anglers in the country, visit NorskLithium.com to explore the full lineup.

👉Shop Chris Cenci’s Battery Setup