Fishing during thunderstorms

[NittyGrittyBoy]

^^^^ what he said

[DogBone_384]

I fish in the rain but not if there’s any threat of lightning.

[MassYak85]

I fish from a kayak a lot and monitor the weather fairly closely. But I've watched storms pop-up faster than I would be able to paddle back to the ramp.

 

A few summers ago I was on a pond a couple towns over from where I live, fishing the northern shore. From that spot it usually takes about 20 minutes to get back to the ramp. I watched a huge thunderhead build right over the town I live and watched the lightning. It was about 15-20 miles away and moving away from me so I wasn't worried. I checked my radar app and that was the only nearby storm I saw. About 15-20 minutes goes by with me fishing that shoreline and I start to see pretty dark clouds start to pop over the trees of the shoreline I'm on, and distant rumbles of thunder. I check my radar app again and it's pretty clear this time a storm is coming directly at me from the north. I paddled out from shore to get a better look at what was heading my way and had to make a pretty quick decision to haul a** back to the ramp, or ditch my kayak on shore (the entire shoreline is uninhabited and woodlands). I decided there was no way I could get back to the ramp quick enough so I laid down all my rods and got out on shore. Almost immediately it starts to rain and lightning starts to hit within a mile around me. It was pretty scary to stand there in the woods while this thunderstorm just raged around me but 10-15 minutes go by and it passes. I get back in my kayak and watch it move off towards the town I live in. Luckily the center of the storm passed about a mile west of my location and that's where most of the lightning was striking. Moral of the story: monitor the weather on sketchy days and always know what your plan of action is going to be.

[Angry John]

Big set of thunder storms here in Memphis.  Fished until I saw lighting headed my way then bailed.  If you know it's going to be where your at in a half hour or less it's time to bail.

[WRB]

You will not hear the bolt that kills you.

Tom

[Koz]

I have the Weather Channel app on my phone and turn the lightning alert on. As soon as I hear that alert I pack it in, no questions asked.

[Angry John]

3 minutes ago, Koz said:

I have the Weather Channel app on my phone and turn the lightning alert on. As soon as I hear that alert I pack it in, no questions asked.

Thinking I should get that.  Does it use location and give a range warning.

[Koz]

Just now, Angry John said:

Thinking I should get that.  Does it use location and give a range warning.

 

It uses my current location. It doesn't say what the alert distance is in the app, but I'm pretty sure it goes off when lightning is within 5 miles of my current location.

[Angry John]

12 minutes ago, Koz said:

 

It uses my current location. It doesn't say what the alert distance is in the app, but I'm pretty sure it goes off when lightning is within 5 miles of my current location.

Not one to leave my location on is the only downside I see.

[Koz]

1 minute ago, Angry John said:

Not one to leave my location on is the only downside I see.

 

You can set location services for specific apps only and turn it on or off from them as needed. Even then, Google, Apple, and your phone company know where you are at all times. Privacy is dead. And if you think that's scary, do a search for "Google’s Selfish Ledger".

[Angry John]

7 minutes ago, Koz said:

 

You can set location services for specific apps only and turn it on or off from them as needed. Even then, Google, Apple, and your phone company know where you are at all times. Privacy is dead. And if you think that's scary, do a search for "Google’s Selfish Ledger".

I just don't want to broadcast to everyone where I am and let them pattern me.  Personal security and all.

[Koz]

9 minutes ago, Angry John said:

I just don't want to broadcast to everyone where I am and let them pattern me.  Personal security and all.

 

The Weather Channel app uses your location for alerts but does not plot it on a map within the app. Personally, I disable location tracking in all other apps - even the ones I wrote myself!

[iiTzChunky]

I'd personally head out to fish until I see the first flash of lightning and pack it up and call it a day or wait it out if it's not gonna be to long. But I enjoy fishing in the rain, top water bite has been good to be during rain. 

[Angry John]

18 hours ago, Koz said:

 

The Weather Channel app uses your location for alerts but does not plot it on a map within the app. Personally, I disable location tracking in all other apps - even the ones I wrote myself!

Dowloaded and installed the app as I was surprised again by a pop up storm.  Not again I hope

[FishDewd]

I went bank fishing today and timed it, apparently, badly. I could hear thunder the whole time I was fishing and just kept watching the dark clouds and lightning getting closer and closer. So I started speed fishing covering as much water as possible. Didn't get so much as a nibble though on my moving baits, so I ended up packing it up about an hour sooner than I wanted to. Just didn't feel like gambling with that lightning. Plus the wind was picking up and the water was getting really choppy, I don't like fishing in those conditions to begin with.

[Oregon Native]

It's interesting reading everyone's responses.  Having moved to the southern part of the US for the last eight years I have seen a ton more than I did when I lived in Oregon that is for sure.  I've always had a great passion for the great outdoors and have walked in storms on the Oregon coast looking for glass balls with my grandma.  Rode with fellow competitors down lakes and rivers at some ridiculous speeds and fished in waves on the Columbia that send most people home to mention of few. Have even drivin to lakes when I'm thankful to get there due to some of the #@$! on the road...but then that's everyday just about on the road.  But then these are things a lot of us have done.  Lightening is amazing....truly amazing and powerful.  If I'm on the lake I do not run down the lake when it starts.  As far as I know I'm a better target running then I am hunkered up close to the bank.  Have I caught fish during a storm....yes...but after is usually better.  I may or may not be one you read about getting hit someday...I hope not for sure.  But I do know lightening can hit a running target too.  

[BassNJake]

On 5/19/2018 at 2:04 PM, Catt said:

Summary!  ?

 

 

 

I've got a tin boat too, everytime I hear thunder in the distance I think of this and pack it up.

[J Francho]

Lightning?  See ya.

[Ratherbfishing]

As a front begins to move through, you can have some of the best fishing.  HOWEVER, having said that, don't make that opportunity cost you your life.  Lightning trumps everything.  My suggestion: if it looks at all like it MIGHT becoming threatening, hover near the ramp where you can quickly get off the boat and into a vehicle.  If you hear thunder, it means there is lightning.  If it's clearly moving AWAY from you (and is already some distance from you), you're probably okay but remember that lightning can travel a long distance.  Rain? You won't melt.

[Catt]

2 hours ago, BassNJake said:

I've got a tin boat too, everytime I hear thunder in the distance I think of this and pack it up.

 

I had pictures of a Champion bass boat that was hit by lightning, it looked worse than the tin boat!

[WRB]

Water is conductive, you and your wet boat.

Tom

[All about da bass]

I tell you what, y'all let me know how that goes for ya. I'll be at the house watching tv instead of fishing in the lightning.

[geo g]

In south Florida you would seldom fish a summer day if you did not venture out on days when the weatherman predicted afternoon storms.,  The secret is, as soon as you see lightning, get to safe shelter.  Don;t wait until the storm is on top of you.   Luckily most of these summer storms don't last long.  We are by far the lightning capital of America.

[Rahlow]

My horror story.

Fishing in a jon boat, thunderstorm rolling in. Me, at the time I was 10' tall and bullet proof.

As the storm got real close, every time I'd cast, I'd hear this strange clicking sound. Finally figured it out, static electricity popping the end of my graphite rod as I cast, all this was happening behind and over my head. I realized what was happening, cranked up and hauled ass back the ramp, tied the boat to the dock and sat it out in the truck...

[Troy85]

 

1 hour ago, geo g said:

In south Florida you would seldom fish a summer day if you did not venture out on days when the weatherman predicted afternoon storms.,  The secret is, as soon as you see lightning, get to safe shelter.  Don;t wait until the storm is on top of you.   Luckily most of these summer storms don't last long.  We are by far the lightning capital of America.

Same here. I'd still go, but I'd take cover or head to the launch if a T-Storm is coming thru, I don't mess with lightning.  At the same time, a 50% chance of rain wouldn't keep me from going out at all.