Lightning and Lakes

[gunflint]

Does anyone know anyone who has been hit by lightning while fishing in a boat? Or where I can find reliable statistics on this subject? Thanks.

[redhooks]

Hey Gunflint- I have a few stories, thankfully none of them mine personally.

1)An older gentleman from Florida last week and he told me that when he was a kid, he a friend were motoring back to shore from redfishing brackish water in an old wooden boat and lightning had struck the metal motor. He said the motor got melted and both guys lost there hearing for several days. I think they were both very lucky.

2)I grew up in Crosby and sometime in the 80's lightning struck a boat and one of the fisherman had the bolts blast holes in his hands and feet, not sure what happened to the other guy. I had all but forgot about this until another guy from Crosby said he heard the same story and named the lake.

I did a quick search and found a site lightning and boating from the National Ag Safety Database (NASD) at the University of Florida. Came up on Google pretty easily and had some intersting info.

While fishing in Ely last a week I talked to a guy that saw a waterspout touch down briefly on farm lake. We were on a different lake but ended up going to shore twice when we saw lightning in nearby isolated cells. Better safe than sorry...Good fishing,

redhooks

[gunflint]

Thanks redhooks, that's exactly what I was looking for. Twice this past week the bite was slow until the thunder started then it picked up. I began debating with myself on heading in or not. After all a hot walleye bite may be worth a few risks.

[picksbigwagon]

in the late 80's, might have been the summer of 88, a kid from my hometown was on the mississippi with his family when lightening struck their boat as they were trying to get on an island. Jeff was killed and his brother was thrown from the boat if I remember correctly. Mom and dad were on the island already. This was in NE IA, I believe they were near Lansing, but it could have been near Harpers Ferry too. Ever since then I get off the lake as soon as I hear or see lightening or when the skies get ugly

[MinnesotaMongo]

I wouldn't take ANY chances. I remember several years ago - I was fishing on Big Lake in Sherburne County - listening to the Twins on my headphones. There was a Thunderstorm brewing to the North West, but I thought I was OK. But everytime I cast, I would hear this "zzztttttt" through my headphones. So I slowly lifted my graphite rod, and through my headphones, the sound increased - "zzzzztttt - ZZZZZTTTTTTT". It got louder as I raised the rod.

Knowing very little about the physics of lightning - I assumed that this wasn't a GOOD sound - and beat a hasty retreat.

From what I understand, as the atmophere ionizes (sp) it works it way to the ground - thus producing a lightning strike (somewhere). I didn't want my 6 foot 602 Cabela graphite rod be the lightning rod.

[chickeywing]

About 15 years ago, a couple of guys hot hit on Independence. They say the storm coming and parked on shore to let it pass. They went back out after they thought it was safe and got struck. Someone figured the storm was about 4 miles away and they still got hit. It's not worth it.