Something To Think About

[oneshot]

Got this off another site.Think about this when your out on the Lake and a little strom comes up as they have for the last week.This is one of this persons Rods that got hit by lightning.


oneshot
The Big Grin is a Fair Weather Fishergrin.

[coyotewhacker]

Folks who fish with CW in the Express know that when the first clap of thunder is heard, the motor is already being cranked, and we're headed in. I came close to getting smoked way back when during a bass tournament. A bolt hit a pine tree about 30 yards away, and pieces of g wood burned my carpet....I promised the heavens that if I got home alive that day I would never tempt fate again. So far I have kept that promise. When CW has any luck at all, it tends to be bad luck, so thanks for putting that picture up. I want TableRock to get a good look at it. We fish in his ALUMINUM HULL boat in our walleye tournaments. Aren't lightning rods on barns made from aluminum alloy?????

[Hellbender]

No CW, they make them out of Copper.........,but aluminum would work real well.

[coyotewhacker]

Close enough for government work.

[Tablerock]

CW, we ain't comin' in for ANYTHING this year. We probably missed out on our big kicker fish while sitting under the marina roof. That 8 Lber would have put us right back in the running......

[counts]

I hope noone was holding that rod.

[Great White Hunter]

Counts - Who is "noone"?

[Hellbender]

I've seen pictures a couple of times of rods that have been hit, but nothing that bad. I wonder where it went after it hit the bottom end of the rod?

[counts]

He's just some guy.

[coyotewhacker]

PD....TR says we ain't coming in again this year. Guess I'd better update my will and start assigning who gets what in all that fishing gear in case we get incinerated out on the water. At least this year I will die dry if we get hit.
Last year I was soaking wet, but using a little short pistol grip casting rig. Got lots more toys this year, and the rods are 7 ft. +.....if TR can take it, I guess CW can hang in there and keep putting fresh blood suckers on the hooks.

[TwoTigers]

If it did that to a rod, it may do the same thing to a fiberglass boat. If you survive the strike, you will then probably drown tangled up in a mess of fibers.

[Hellbender]

it may do the same thing to a fiberglass boat.

The problem Two Tigers is that graphite conducts electricity. I would imagine that the strike jumped from the rod to the water.
Fiberglass being plastic doesn't, however if the boat has a metal trim going into the water, it could follow that.
The surface of the water is too large to attract the lightning by itself, but a conductor that is a standout, above the water provides an attractive path to a great ground, the water.
Lightning goes to the highest, best conductor, but as the current drains it can electrocute things close by. This is why a tree strike often kills cows standing under the tree.