Why You Should Stop Fishing During A Storm.

[jdmidwest]

I just run across this article in Field and Stream and it reminded me why we should stop fishing when a thunderstorm rolls thru. A few weeks ago, I sit around all morning waiting for a break in the storms to get in a little fishing. With all of the tech available today, you can ALMOST predict when you can get in a few hours fishing in a storm. I found a break coming and headed for the lake. Just got started when a popup storm hit that did not show on radar before I left and everyone was headed back to the dock. I had raingear on so I was good, till the lightening started popping. I too went back and tied off to the dock and waited it out under a pavillion. Like most, the thunderstorm blew thru fast and I was back out on the water in 30 minutes catching fish. There were just sprinkles and showers, but it did not bother the bass and panfish I was after.

Note how the rod looks in the photos.

Close Call, Teen Struck By Lightening.

[denjac]

Been caught in way too many storms. I always gotta get one more cast in. Last year up around 19 the wind started howling and I tied up out of the wind in a pocket ( I thought) The wind blew the tree over that I was tied too. It hit me in the head. I saw stars my P laughed so hard I thought he would pee his pants. I am always good for comedy relief.

[troutfiend1985]

Yeah, I saw that article. Lightning is scary and shouldn't be messed with. I know of guys who play golf and thunder doesn't scare them, they're crazy and they are lucky to have never been hit by lightning.

[ozark trout fisher]

I had a pretty frightening experience with lighting a couple weeks ago. I heard the thunder rolling in and didn't leave soon enough. The lighting got close and I knew I had no business waving a 9 foot graphite fly rod in the air. There was too much open ground to run across to get to the truck and it was on a relatively exposed ridge line, so I instead hunkered down on some low ground and hoped for the best- until there was a break in the storm. Kinda scary, but I learned my lesson.

My biggest problem is that I know from experience that the fishing is often wild just before a strong storm. The temptation is pretty real to stay out there until the last possible moment. I have to stop that though-if I don't it'll catch up with me some time.

[fishinwrench]

I've had several really close calls. I've seen mono hover in the air after a cast and had it strike so close I could taste the ozone on my tongue. Still I dare the devil from time to time and push my luck for the sake of catching a stupid fish. And I'll do it again I'm sure. Not smart I know, but I figure if it's my time then that would be one of the most desirable ways to go. Beats helping spoil some wealthy quacks family while rotting away slowly in a stupid hospital.

Harsh statement I know, but that's how I truly feel.

Reminds me of that song: Everybody wants to go to heaven....but nobody wants to go NOW. LOL

[Gavin]

Sometimes you cant get back to the shelter of a structure or a vehicle. I've been fishing/canoeing/camping in many a T storm..its not fun, but its a risk you run.

If its getting close, less than 30 seconds between thunderclaps...Get of the water, out of the open, and away from isolated tall objects. A patch of small scrubby trees is much better than tall timber. If you can feel it, crouch down on the balls of your feet with feet together, tuck your head & cover your ears. A narrow river valley offers some protection, but thats about all you can do sometimes. Cheers.

[fly2fish]

Sunday night I was fishing below Table Rock, started right at midnight when they shut the water off, could see lightening and hear thunder in the distance. Fish were hitting white pretty good but when the wind would pick up so did the fishing, about 1:30 there was a bolt that hit just over the dam somewhere around state park I would guess, had a fish on and told my fishing partner I'm out of here and shook the fish off right before reaching the bank. I saw the picture of the graphite rod that was struck on another website a couple weeks ago and that was still in my mind, I didn't want to ruin a good flyrod.

F2F

[BredMan]

Learned my lesson years ago on Mark Twain Lake. My daughter and I decided to go fishing after some t-storms had finally passed our area. Unfortunately there were more storms still headed through the lake area. All seemed OK when we arrived but later we got caught in a cove as the storms rolled in and they never let up. I decided to head for the dock area and tried to stay as close to shore as I could. We just got out of the cove and high winds and high waves hit us. I was scared to death for her and had her put a larger life jacket on over the one she was wearing. We somehow made it to the dock through high waves that I barely could see over. A couple other boats had just made it in as well. Everyone was visibly shaken except my daughter! She had no idea of the danger we just dodged. She turned to me and said, "Hey dad, I'm going up to the truck and eat a sandwich. Do you want one?" Needless to say I had no appetite.

[jdmidwest]

While floating the St. Francois one summer, it popped up a bad storm. Dime size hail was pelting us so bad we dived out of the canoes and floated along side of them in the water to keep from getting hammered. Our heads took a beating. Actually, lightening was the least of our worries.

[Al Agnew]

The last really bad storm I was caught in was on the Big Piney. I was floating from Mason Bridge to Slabtown by myself. About noonish, I noticed a bank of clouds to the EAST. I figured that was no problem, storms always come from the west. However, the bank of clouds kept getting bigger and closer and soon I could hear thunder. About an hour after I first noticed the clouds, I got pounded. Lightning everywhere, hail, torrential rain. As Gavin suggested, I pulled into a gravelly bank covered with small trees, but when the hail started I quickly flipped the canoe over, dumping everything out of it on the bank, propped it up against a big driftwood log, and got under it. Of course, you can do this reasonably safely with a Royalex canoe with plastic gunwales...I don't think doing it in an aluminum canoe would be a good idea! The storm seemed to last forever, with two bolts of lightning hitting in the big trees on the opposite bank. When it finally ended, I threw off the canoe and emerged into a trash heap--there were twigs and leaves and small limbs on the ground and in the water everywhere.

I couldn't figure out why that storm came from the east until I got home that night and watched the weather report on TV. They played back the radar images during the day, and that storm simply formed right over Licking and spread in all directions while not moving until it reached me.