Lightning while fishing?

[pondbassin101]

6 hours ago, ClackerBuzz said:

 

Was that a rod at one point, I can't seem to get my head around that

[scaleface]

On 7/19/2017 at 8:07 PM, BuzzHudson19c said:

Last week I got caught in a storm that rolled in quickly. I paddled to shore and took shelter in a broken wall of an old mill. I know better than to be out there in lightning.

I was canoeing solo down a river when a storm blew up . I paddled to the hilly side of the river and squeezed up tight  against a boulder and watched trees get blown over across  the river .

[Bankbeater]

About 5 or 6 years ago were driving to the boat ramp through a lightning storm. By the time we got there the storm had passed, but there were paramedics at the ramp. Lightning had struck a van that was parked at the ramp. The people inside were alive and awake, but they needed medical attention.

[Bulletman20XD]

I've had 3 near misses on or near the water over the years--I have never been struck directly but could feel the effects every time. The worst was while fishing a tourney on Belton lake (Near Belton/Temple Texas) in 1993. It was raining so hard you could barely see the trees on the bank 75 yard away. Lightning hit near the bank and I guess electrified the water. It came up my left leg and out my left arm. My arm hurt for a few hours but was not too bad. Another time I was on Kentucky lake when a really bad storm hit. We beached the boat to run for cover at the campground we were staying. Water was pouring down the bank right where we beached the boat so hard the boat started floating away. I went back down and into the water to retrieve it when lightning hit nearby. It was like being electrocuted by household current. When I got back to the bank, there were 2 guys laying on the ground at the camp ground. They apparently were holding the awning poles of there pop-up camper and both took a direct hit. They were both taken by ambulance to the hospital. Since that last time, I head for cover long "BEFORE" lightning gets close.

[pondbassin101]

4 hours ago, Bulletman20XD said:

I've had 3 near misses on or near the water over the years--I have never been struck directly but could feel the effects every time. The worst was while fishing a tourney on Belton lake (Near Belton/Temple Texas) in 1993. It was raining so hard you could barely see the trees on the bank 75 yard away. Lightning hit near the bank and I guess electrified the water. It came up my left leg and out my left arm. My arm hurt for a few hours but was not too bad. Another time I was on Kentucky lake when a really bad storm hit. We beached the boat to run for cover at the campground we were staying. Water was pouring down the bank right where we beached the boat so hard the boat started floating away. I went back down and into the water to retrieve it when lightning hit nearby. It was like being electrocuted by household current. When I got back to the bank, there were 2 guys laying on the ground at the camp ground. They apparently were holding the awning poles of there pop-up camper and both took a direct hit. They were both taken by ambulance to the hospital. Since that last time, I head for cover long "BEFORE" lightning gets close.

 

Some close calls indeed. You can never be too relaxed outdoors, especially with things like storms and lightning.

[Hez]

On 7/20/2017 at 7:12 AM, Mike L said:

Last summer some time I posted what happened to a boater and co angler on Okeechobee during a tournament. To make a long and sad story short.....

 

They were fishing under blue sky's but kept watching a building thunderstorm that didn't seem like it was moving. After fishing hard for a while one of them happened to look back and  saw that it was bigger, darker and moving faster. 

 

They packed up and started to head back when a lightening bolt struck the co angler and knocked them both out. When the boater finally regained consciousness he tried to revive him but being disoriented himself he couldn't. He screamed and tryed to get the attention of other passing boat's.

When they got to weigh-in the co angler had died..

 

Weird fact...The fish in the co angler's live well were dead, but the fish in the boater's well were not. 

 

ALL prize money awarded that day was donated back to the co anglers family. 

 

Iv'e said before..Leave, it's just fishing

 

 

 

Mike

 

 

The supporting article: https://www.bassmaster.com/news/nation-angler-killed-lightning 

[Jaderose]

If I see lightning or hear thunder..no matter how far away.....I get off and away from the water ASAP.  Just fishing.......

[Mike L]

3 hours ago, Hez said:

 

The supporting article: https://www.bassmaster.com/news/nation-angler-killed-lightning 

 

Thanks 

I was looking for it. 

 

 

 

Mike

[N Florida Mike]

Ive been out many times with lightning all around but never had the line rise or heard cracking sounds.One of the worst storms I was ever in while fishing was at Palestine lake in N. central Fl. There were 4-5 of us in 2 boats. The lake is around 3 miles long and about a mile wide. We were fishing the north end and a storm popped up suddenly from the northwest coming our way. We ran down to the south end and the storm looked like it would miss us .We were right by the boatramp but one of my best friends thought we could go to the southwest side of the lake and keep fishing. But another storm had slipped up on us from the south and before we knew it we were caught. We ran up into the Cypress trees ( dont know if that was a good idea or not )and laid down in the boats.It was a toad strangler rain , I mean. Lightning all around us every few seconds. ? We had a prayer meeting right there!

We were all pretty shook up, soaking wet, nerves shot and half deaf after it all. I dont remember us fishing any more that day after the storm.We just quietly loaded up the boats and went home .