Got all charged up yesterday

[gone fission]

So I was vertical jiggin out of my aluminum boat with two 11' WM poles about 300' off shore when this front came in. It started to rain and could hear thunder, figured I should move back closer to ramp but then I caught a decent fish. Threw it in the well, rigged tube back up and noticed my right hand felt a little tingly and I could hear a cracking sound. I looked closer and saw that when my thumb was within 3/4" of the rod's metal hook holder it was arcing a few times per second. Kinda like one of those push-to-ignite bbq lighters. Touch my thumb to the hook holder and it would stop. Move thumb away and the arcs would resume. Started to have bad ol' feelings about the whole deal so I picked up and got the hay out of there. Was using braid also, not mono.

Y'all ever heard of such happenings or do most folks not live to tell about it?

[huntinslabs]

I don't know what was going on for sure, but I think ya made the right move in packing up and getting out of there. Sounds like you were charging up for a lightning strike.

[Blackhawk19]

I'd have been gone when I heard the first clap of thunder !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!

[rnvinc]

Maybe you just have an electrifying personality...

Rickie

[Eager Beaver]

At that moment you were a lightening rod. You never would have seen the actual lightening because you would have been lite up. That is a sign to head for cover. Other people say the hair on the back of their neck stick up and that is just another sign of being a conductor. You were very lucky that you left when you did. EB

[BarryG]

If it's just raining...no problem, usually. If I hear thunder, no matter how far away...I'm headed for the ramp!!! You can be hit by lightening from over 100 miles away, do a google and you may be surprised at what you can find out about getting "LIT-UP".

[jaxsprat]

When I hear thunder I look for the lightening and head for the ramp, been caught out there a few times that I have had hair on my arms and back of my neck stand up & don't like the feeling, one more boom and I could be boom! Graphite rods are an excellent conductor

[chucktx]

have heard of folks that threw out a lure and the line or lure would not hit the water.............for a few seconds......scary!!

[dkb23]

How many STAGS did you drink before that GF??Rofl

[M R Dux]

I had something similar happen on KY Lake several years ago. A friend and I were trolling for sauger and white bass about 1/2 mile off shore when a storm passed several miles south of us. It never even got cloudy where we were. I raised up my graphite rod and heard a humming noise. It wasn't loud but it was noticeable. The only way to describe the sound was like a light saber from Star Wars. I could raise the rod up high and the sound would get louder and the pitch would change, lower it to the water and it would stop. Needless to say we didn't stay around long to wait and see the results of this little trick. We headed to the bank---PRONTO!