Boating and Lightning Storms

[bloocrab]

Whether I'm perched on a rock, standing waist high in water....or on the deck of my boat....the Krrrack of Lighting and Rummble of thunder always gets me nervous. Unless it's clearly miles away, I wrap up and go home.....

What do you BOAT guys do when there's lightning around, but your rods are still bending?

[Sea Dangles]

Avoid at all costs, I have seriously never been so scared as a storm hit us in the kisser on the way back to Castle Hill many years ago. Watching the lightning strike the water within a few hundred yards was one of the few times I was interested in religion.
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[Guppy]

Way back in the day on an old wooden hull , storm approaching the bow rail had a blue light glow to it and all aboard had hair standing up back of the neck...... Cracked another beer kept fishing..... :-)
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[wdmso]

I dont do Lighting ... was on an open beach in the Marines during a storm with a weapon and Alice pack . waiting to get an a landing craft back to the ship not fun

But people in Fla at Disney Sky black visible lighting pushing their kids in strollers and carrying umbrellas walking along the lake .. unaware of the risk

[Clammer]

when bullraking if its near .when you lift the aluminum pole up out of the water there is a humming sound ..........Amazing Grace << I do believe

[piemma]

Back in the 90s my surf partner RJ and I were fishing the mouth of Narrow River. Huge lightning and instant thunder. We're standing in 4 feet of water with graphite rods. Scampered up on shore real quick. That night on the news, 2 guys were hit by the lightening we saw and thunder and KILLED. They were on the West Wall so maybe 2 miles away as the crow flies.
Been in my boat several times with lightening. I immediately head for a shore line where I will NOT be the highest object.

[Clammer]

ets hope Denis doesn,t read this thread ><><>

[Raven]

you can do the count down thing
after the flash
until the bolt strikes ....
but in reality lightening can
come from as many as 40 miles away

[Zeal]

I actually went through this right after Memorial day with a friend going for scup. He's been anchored up offshore many times in his life and if there is lightning or even the thought of it, he takes the outriggers down and in the cabin he goes and waits if it's isolated and moving. If not, he heads back.

Of course that's only if you're unlucky to be caught in it, if it has been in the forecast you won't catch him out there to begin with.

[Got Stripers]

I've been caught a few times, once on Mashpee-Wakebye pond in a bass tournament and another off Cohasset; both fast movers giving you no time to beat feet. I remember making a long cast during that bass tourney and watching in disbelief as my line suddenly arched up probably 15 feet above parallel and right after there was a massive crack of thunder. I was close to an island in the back with a large oak tree I could tuck my bow under to be lower.

That cohasset storm was unreal, we were drifting eels and catching some nice 20-30lbers on ever drift and the conditions were pretty flat and in minutes it was raining sideways and waves built to nasty in no time. We tucked in behind a ledge to wait it out and of course after the tide and the bite had died.

Don't like to be out golfing in it either.

[bassballer]

We were out last year and saw one of the nastiest storms Ive seen in a while off in the distance. With a plan to out manuever it, we kept fishing. Radar saw it moving towards us but we had a bit of time. As we kept fishing eyeing the gnarly storm coming towards us I hook up. Instantly i know im on a big fish. As i battle it on light tackle, my buddy looks at me and says "you better put the screws to that thing". I ripit to the boat, get it in and we haul ass to the cove around the corner. Hunker down and watch lighting strike all around the boat, and winds up to 30-40 kick up. I was #^&#^&#^&#^&ing myself. Didnt really get to enjoy the fact i had just bagged a high 40# fish. Got a pic after though.

storm.jpg