If you ever wondered what a lighting strike does to a fishing rod.....

Started by steelhead_killer, July 23, 2017, 03:01:54 PM

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Sulla


cwillis85

Chris

Tiddlerbasher


PacRat

I knew a young woman who was killed while holding a rod at a lake in New Mexico. It's very dangerous to fish in the rain. I would like to hear more about this incident and if people were injured even though the rod was in a holder. That's just too close and you can just as easily be killed or injured from a close-proximity strike. At the very least you might need to change your drawers! I wonder if the reel required servicing?? I'm in the lightning protection industry and can tell you from experience that lightning damage is very unpredictable it what it destroys and what it spares. Notice how the adjacent rod with a senator appears to be unscathed. I would love to see inside that reel.
Mike

steelhead_killer

From what I read on Facebook, two passengers were not impacted, boats electronics etc were fried and had to be towed in...
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oldmanjoe

 Wow that is truly amazing.     Makes me rethink about hanging out and waiting it out.    joe
Grandpa`s words of wisdom......Joey that thing between your shoulders is not a hat rack.....    use it.....
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The power of Observation   , It`s all about the Details ..
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nelz

I have experienced static shocking holding a rod while fishing as T-storm was approaching. The rods started making crackling sounds and I though lightning would strike at any second. You've never seen a guy pack up and leave so fast in your life!!! I seriously considered leaving my precious gear behind!

PacRat

I've heard of sparks between fishing rods and aluminum hulls. This means the field (potential) is way too high and you are in serous danger of participating in an event. Now days it's very easy to monitor lightning risk with all the smartphone weather apps. I use Weather Bug because I can know where and when the most recent lightning strikes were detected. The best precaution is always to avoid lightning but if you are caught in open water in a small boat make certain your rods are laying flat and lower your antennas, outriggers, etc. and get to shelter pronto! In a larger boat (cabin cruiser) you are better off but still at risk. Avoid contact with metal objects if possible. On a party boat your bunk or the galley is the place to be (avoid metal contact also). REMEMER THIS...you don't need to be struck directly to be injured. Close proximity can get you hurt also. There are a lot of variables but 'Electrostatic Potential' and conductivity is the key. A lightning event is a balancing act where the earth and atmosphere want to be balanced (equal potential) and they will but you (and anything you care about) do not want to become a link in the chain of events which transpire in microseconds. Even body chemistry (electrolytes)  can play a role in the energy path.
STAY SAFE MY BROTHERS!
Mike

Steve-O

I got lightning struck at 14. Probably why I am this way today. It made me fly several feet and knocked me out for a few seconds. No exit wounds or otherwise. Quite painful like croquet mallet pounding all the major joints.

Gfish

Wow!
Got rained on 3 times this AM. Before I went out there were some flashes way off south, to far away to even hear though. Get rained on alla time(tropics thing). Was the remnants a hurricane Gregg passen by, this time. Usually don't see lightning or hear thunder. My first namesake storm! Darn, one more thing to worry about; lightning.
Gfish
Fishing tackle is an art form and all fish caught on the right tackle are"Gfish"!

philaroman

Quote from: Gfish on July 23, 2017, 11:12:32 PM
Wow!
Got rained on 3 times this AM. Before I went out there were some flashes way off south, to far away to even hear though. Get rained on alla time(tropics thing). Darn one more thing to worry about.
Gfish

put away the graphite & bring out the glass -- carbon fiber is a mighty fine conductor (some lightning rods are made from it), while fiberglass is an insulator...  pretty sure all those post-lightning "black wig" internet photos are of graphite rods -- not, glass

even with glass, though, if fishing in the rain -- you don't want to be (or be near) the tallest thing around

oc1

That's wild.  Looks like the epoxy was vaporized leaving just the carbon fiber behind.
-steve

Cor

At least the Shimano Tranx is still in 100% condition, bomb proof!
Cornelis