Fishing near or on the water during an electrical storm presents an extreme risk to personal safety. The sheer energy involved in a lightning strike, which can reach temperatures five times hotter than the sun’s surface, makes taking shelter urgent. This article explains why a fishing environment is uniquely dangerous and details the immediate steps you must take to protect yourself from an electrical discharge.
How Lightning Finds a Target
Lightning begins with an electrical charge imbalance within a storm cloud, typically with a negative charge accumulating near the bottom. This negative charge repels electrons on the ground, causing a strong positive charge to build up on the earth’s surface and on objects projecting from it. The intense voltage eventually overcomes the air’s resistance, initiating the strike.
A faint, invisible channel of charged air, called a stepped leader, descends from the cloud toward the positively charged ground. Simultaneously, upward-reaching charges, or streamers, rise from tall objects, attempting to meet the descending leader. The lightning discharge occurs when a streamer connects with the stepped leader, completing the circuit and allowing a massive electrical current to flow.
Water bodies are expansive, flat environments that offer little resistance for a strike to ground. Any object projecting above this flat surface, such as a person or a boat, becomes the most likely point for an upward streamer to form. This makes an angler the path of least resistance for the lightning’s energy.
Fishing Gear and Environment-Specific Hazards
The equipment used for fishing significantly increases the danger due to its material properties. Modern fishing rods made from carbon fiber or graphite are highly effective electrical conductors. Rods with a high carbon content, often exceeding 70%, offer very low electrical resistance, meaning they can easily channel the current from a strike directly to the person holding them.
Even if a rod is constructed from less conductive materials like fiberglass, the danger remains. Metal components, such as the reel seat, reel, and guides, are excellent conductors that can transmit a strike or a nearby discharge. Furthermore, a wet fishing line, especially if submerged or trailing in the water, can create a conductive path to the angler’s hand.
The location of fishing also introduces varied hazards. When fishing from a boat, the vessel and its occupants are often the tallest objects on the water, making them prime targets for a direct strike. Fishing from a pier also increases risk due to the exposed location and the presence of metal railings or structural components. Even if lightning strikes the water nearby, the electrical charge spreads rapidly across the surface, potentially affecting any boat or person within a significant radius.
Immediate Safety Protocols
Safety during a thunderstorm begins with proactively checking weather forecasts. The “30/30 rule” provides a simple guideline for seeking shelter: If you see lightning and count less than 30 seconds before hearing thunder, the storm is dangerous, and you must immediately stop fishing and seek cover.
The most important action is to get off the water and away from the shore quickly. If on a boat, seek refuge in a substantial building or a hard-topped, fully enclosed vehicle, as these direct the current around the occupants. Avoid isolated structures like sheds or standing under tall trees, as these are frequent strike points.
If you cannot reach safe shelter, move to the lowest possible point, away from any tall objects. Lay all fishing rods flat on the ground and move away from them, as their conductive nature makes them a hazard. Wait at least 30 minutes after the last sound of thunder before returning to fishing, since lightning can strike from the trailing edge of a storm.