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Random Quote: I know I fish too much so from now on I will only fish on days ending with Y
Check to make sure the chokes are working. You can do this by turning the switch on (but don't engage the starter) and push the key in ,listen for the little actuator to pull the carb butterfly (CHOKE FLAP) closed.
A 2001 year model Johnson is a good engine, but today it is a dumb engine. This engine has no way of knowing what it needs nor of giving itself what it needs. Some of today's engines are different than that. The EFI and DFI engines have sensors which are designed to know what the engine needs to run, or start in this case. They give the engine exactly what it needs exactly when it needs it in the form of enrichened fuel mix when it's cold, or lean mix when it's hot.
In a dumb engine the operator has to give the engine what it needs, when it needs it. That mid range temperature is one of the toughest things to figure out. Does it need choke, or not? How about a little throttle advance? Maybe you need to squeeze the primer bulb. Maybe you need to raise the warm up lever or choke it just a little and squeezing the primer bulb can't hurt ever unless there is something wrong with the carbs.
There are several things that can be happening. The first scenario that comes to mind is heat soak. In this scenario the fuel in the carbs begins to heat when an engine is shut down. Heat from the combustion area of the engine migrates into the carbs warming the fuel sufficiently to bring it to boil. This boiling fuel temporarily floods the engine while at the same time starving it for fuel because the carbs are less than fuel. Heat soak can happen without the operator having a clue, and it can happen with perfectly good fuel. Remember, fuel is formulated for automobiles, not outboards, and outboards have different requirements.
In the absence of heat soak, there are still other things to go wrong, but most of them are operator error. Simply turning the key on an engine that needs just a little extra fuel in the form of choke doesn't work. It might fire a few times and die, but it needs something it's not getting; a little more fuel. Holding the choke in may give it too much fuel and drown it out before it has a chance to crank. What to do?
Here's my solution. Advancing the throttle never hurts a conventional engine with carbs. Squeezing the bulb to assure the carbs are full never hurts either. When in doubt, do both. Now turn the key to start. If the engine spins more than a few seconds without starting, it needs something it's not getting, probably fuel. While the engine is spinning, give it a shot of fuel by hitting the choke for a second or two. If it rumbles to life you just figured out what it needed. It'll be easier next time around. Give it a shot. There is always a possibility that the engines have a problem, but that is probably not the case here; two engines with the same problem? Not likely.
Tom Marlowe, sales at Summerville Marine. Past Master Tech.
One note, once this scenario does happen, ie not starting, two things happen. ( the in between hot and cold start )
1. If you get it going for a couple of seconds, it won't take any throttle advance to keep it going, it just dies.
2. There seems to be plenty of fuel........
Recently the motors were ran at 4000 rpm for an hour straight, perfectly! came to a wreck, anchored up, and fished for a little over an hour, and one started ok, the other took 40 minutes to start. pulled the cowling, checked the plugs, cleaned them anyway, pulled the fuel filter, checked all that stuff. finally we got lucky, ran flawlessly home, i don't think it is a motor problem. sometimes it's the port, sometimes it's the starboard.
I don't turn mine off until is fully warmed up. Everytime it has happened to me, a little throttle advance does the trick. Once its warm, it will start before I fully turn the key.
BTW, mine is '98 200 'rude and bro' in laws is 2001 150 Johnson.
One time we had both boats out and his act out for a long time. Changed his plugs with an old set I had and fired right up.
Sometimes if an engine gets flooded a little it may be necessary to advance the throttle. I own a 2002 Johnson 175 and its the best starting motor I ever owned.I owned a 200 Yamaha before this and it it was a little tricky starting sometimes after running it and letting it sit.The solution was to advance the throttle.Another thing i do after running is I let the motor idle 5 minutes before I shut it off.With the Johnson I have not had to advance the throttle.Either hit the primmer button or just turn key.
I had the same problem with my Merc's It would start fine cold (with choke) but were a bear to start between warm and cold. What I learned was to find the sweet spot on my throttle (in my case about 60% throttle setting)now she always starts very quickly (she may not continue to run the first time after I pull the throttle back but she starts right up) I never start at high idle or regular idle unless using choke...
When I start at 60% I have my hands on the throttles and start to pull back when she catches right away the rpm will surge to 3k or so. I will pull it right back to 1200-1500 rpm. I have to admit at first I was afraid I would brake somthing but I have been doing it for 4 years now with no problems. I will ussually high idle it at whatever the engine seem to like usually 1200-1300rpm. Hope this helps I know it worked for me!!
2001 Johnson 150's HP hard starting........ 
