elwestb
Well-known member
... any port in a storm!
Fishing during a thunderstorm
- Thread starter Fastwin
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TheFisherman
Well-known member
I too have experienced the rod buzz right after a thunderstorm and some farily close calls. I've always at the very least got away from the middle of the lake and snuggled up to the bank, or got under a bridge, or pulled into someome's empty slip (even got shooed out of someone's slip when the cruiser that lived there arrived right in the middle of the storm - not fun). Best - see it coming and get the boat on the trailer before it arrives. Most of the time they don't last long and you can go back out. Scariest thing of all to me is to be in a thunderstorm in rough water at night. I stay home!!!
Liveliner
Well-known member
I experienced the same thing at Weiss Lake. Using crappie jigs, when you cast, the jig would not hit the water. The light line lifted and suspended the lure above the water. Crazy ... You could feel the charge in the air by the way your hair lifted. </p>
I have been struck, Indirectly thank goodness. A bolt hit near to me and my young son. In a split second I saw the lightening flash across a small pond from the rocks and run around the walkway to us. My son fell and went limp. My knees buckled and hurt as if I had no control on my muscles. I lifted my child and struggled to the truck. I had to sit for a while to regain strength in my legs to push the clutch. The next day I hurt all over as if I had been beaten. </p>
Lightening is No fun!</p>
"I'm gonna run" </p>
What I have to say, </p>
"I'll fish another day"</p>
When lightening is near, I'm done.</p>
LOL</p>
I have been struck, Indirectly thank goodness. A bolt hit near to me and my young son. In a split second I saw the lightening flash across a small pond from the rocks and run around the walkway to us. My son fell and went limp. My knees buckled and hurt as if I had no control on my muscles. I lifted my child and struggled to the truck. I had to sit for a while to regain strength in my legs to push the clutch. The next day I hurt all over as if I had been beaten. </p>
Lightening is No fun!</p>
"I'm gonna run" </p>
What I have to say, </p>
"I'll fish another day"</p>
When lightening is near, I'm done.</p>
LOL</p>
Nickajack Angler
Well-known member
Some of you may recall about 12 or more years ago, at the US Open at Hazeltine in MN, lightening struck on the back 9 - #16 and about 6 people stood under a tree and were struck - one died. I was standing in the gallery across the fairway. I rushed to aid on one of the fallen until the paramedics could arrive. That man died... and not very far from where I was standing. As a golfer and a fisherman - and THIS experience, I started reading on the topic when I experienced this event, which was fairly traumatic for all of us there when people are lying all about the ground around you... I still cringe from that memory... Doghouse and I were up river from Harrison a couple of years ago... we were caught out in a boomer storm, and pulled up on an island where we walked up into the forest to get away from the water. Didn't bother me to get wet, but I felt a bit safer in the forest than I did standing on the water.
There are article on the topic of how to survive - and a number of you have shared experiences that share you were as close to being struck as anyone on the planet... when you feel the tingle on your skin - the back of your neck is usually mentioned from survivors, hair standing on end, buzzing in your ears or your line... you are about to get your butt struck. On the course I recall a tip that shared you are to get as low to the ground as possible and kneel down, curl into the fetal position - leanging forward to bring your chest down to your knees. And by all means, get off the water and indoors.
There are article on the topic of how to survive - and a number of you have shared experiences that share you were as close to being struck as anyone on the planet... when you feel the tingle on your skin - the back of your neck is usually mentioned from survivors, hair standing on end, buzzing in your ears or your line... you are about to get your butt struck. On the course I recall a tip that shared you are to get as low to the ground as possible and kneel down, curl into the fetal position - leanging forward to bring your chest down to your knees. And by all means, get off the water and indoors.
TNKillers
Well-known member
We had the same thing happen to us a few years back up here on Tellico we were both throwing C rigs and a storm was brewing a few miles from us. In a matter of minutes our hair stood straight up and our line lifted up with a huge bow and there wasnt even any wind blowing. Needless to say we got the heck out of there.
brushhog
Well-known member
there was a post on here a while back with a pic of a graphite rod that was struck by lighting,,maybe someone can post that pic,, i read a article of 2 guys in canada fishing in a boat,they where struck by lighting from a storm that was 10 miles away from there position,,we got caught in storm with a funnel cloud a few years back in the midwest,the hail broke both windsheilds on the boat on the way back to the ramp,we beached the boat and headed for safety in the truck,that was too close for comfort! emoBang
b.lee
Active member
b.lee
Active member
Seems to be a lot of disrespect for lightening out there.
Your hair standing up, rods buzzing, the smell of ozone in the air...very bad signs, you don't realize how close to death you are at that point. In most instances, you could experience all of these and not be struck, but what odds are you willing to BET YOUR LIFE on? 20%? 10%? 2%? At 2 percent, 2 out of 100 people will be killed by lightening given all the same circumstances above. Are you comfortable being one of those 2 to just catch a couple fish that you'll turn around and release?
All the fish in all the lakes in TN aren't worth that risk to me, or any small percentage of that risk. And that's just me. Who else is in the boat with you at that point who has no idea what's a very real risk to their life?
Bottom line, bad weather and I'm headed for the hill, or will stay home in the first place. Call me soft, scared, whatever, I try my best to reduce my risk of DEATH whenever possible.
Your hair standing up, rods buzzing, the smell of ozone in the air...very bad signs, you don't realize how close to death you are at that point. In most instances, you could experience all of these and not be struck, but what odds are you willing to BET YOUR LIFE on? 20%? 10%? 2%? At 2 percent, 2 out of 100 people will be killed by lightening given all the same circumstances above. Are you comfortable being one of those 2 to just catch a couple fish that you'll turn around and release?
All the fish in all the lakes in TN aren't worth that risk to me, or any small percentage of that risk. And that's just me. Who else is in the boat with you at that point who has no idea what's a very real risk to their life?
Bottom line, bad weather and I'm headed for the hill, or will stay home in the first place. Call me soft, scared, whatever, I try my best to reduce my risk of DEATH whenever possible.
b.lee
Active member
And we're talking about such high power here, it doesn't matter about aluminum vs. fiberglass hulls, being lower than your partner, etc. This is serious power!
A negative polarity lightning strike can average 30,000 amps, a positive strike 10 times that, 300,000 amps.
The average power of a single lightning strike is one trillion watts (1,000,000,000W). Compare that to the power to running through a 100W bulb in your garage.
During a lightning strike, the air surrounding the current is instantly heated to 36,000 degrees F. If you're in that airspace, how would that feel?
Still a small chance of that happening to anyone in general, but hugely increased when you remain the the danger zone mentioned above.
Stay safe. Respect mother nature.
A negative polarity lightning strike can average 30,000 amps, a positive strike 10 times that, 300,000 amps.
The average power of a single lightning strike is one trillion watts (1,000,000,000W). Compare that to the power to running through a 100W bulb in your garage.
During a lightning strike, the air surrounding the current is instantly heated to 36,000 degrees F. If you're in that airspace, how would that feel?
Still a small chance of that happening to anyone in general, but hugely increased when you remain the the danger zone mentioned above.
Stay safe. Respect mother nature.
Fastwin
Well-known member
It's ok to have lightning strike your boat if you have a flux capacitor installed.
brushhog
Well-known member
b.lee thats the one!
