I kow this sounds crazy, but....

[Local_Guy]

..anyone ever get shocked by their fishing rod while casting?

I have 40lb Power Pro line on my MH Shimano Teramar. There was a real bad lightning storm approaching the pier tonight. It was still several miles away. I had a wire leader with a Gotcha Plug. Right where the cork met the part of the rod that secures the reel I felt a fairly strong tingling in my hand. It was strong enough to almost sting. I was like..WTF. So I cast again with the same result. Curious now, I continued to cast and would look at my hand as my Gotcha plug was sailing though the air. I could actually hear it sizzling and see it arching to my hand.

Apparently the Power Pro line spooling off my real was generating a static charge and discharging through my hand.

Was not a very pleasant feeling. Had to switch to my St. Croix rod.

[Cdog]

Graphite rod is a lightening rod. Lucky you didn't become a Darwin award winner...

Storm approaches and I am normally heading for the truck.

Except a story from two years ago, and I was lucky I didn't become a Darwin award winner.

Its amazing some of the stupid things we do to catch fish.:rolleyes:

[eric]

consider yourself LUCKY
you only felt tingles

wouldnt be so fun when you feel yourself drop to floor and smelling like roast pork.
thats why... when i see dark clouds rolling up.
im packing up and saying byebye to everyone.

[JeepMike]

I've had a very similar experience once. I was fishing out of my boat on Lake Norman, NC for bass and a bad storm came up in 2004. I was in a very shaded cove when the storm rolled in and dropped the motor and started to head for home. Well the storm was coming in fast and I got into the open water, dialed off plane, took a look back and the sky looked like independence day. I could feel every hair on my body tingling and I remember hearing about it in boy scouts, so I got flat as a pancake on the boat, and lightning started smashing nearby trees. It was extremely intense. I made it outta there though... I do take lightning very seriously

[basstardo]

Been there done that as well. On the pier on NOB about 10 years ago I picked up a rod to bring it in as a storm was coming in. Felt like sticking a 9-volt on your tongue, but all the way through my arm. I dropped the rod and hauled butt to my truck. Scared the crap outta me. I see lightning now and I'm with Cdog...off to the truck I go.

[thekingfeeder]

My best friend and 3 others on the end of the pier were a little to close to their anchor rods one day during a storm. I don't remember if they were actually touching them, I am sure they were, but they got a SHOCK that rocked them to the core. The type that has them shaking and questioning what the h*ll just happened. People who witnessed it mentioned seeing an arc on one of the rods. Ever since, they DO NOT take any chances. Check out some of your rods, don't be surprised if you see a shock warning. I know at least our Ticas have them. It was almost one of those life altering events for those guys. People who watched just knew one of them was dead.

Robert

[Reelturner]

the tingling while holding my rod after a storm had passed or at least I thought it had passed...maybe it still wasn't far enought away. No doubt as it was a distinctively difference then the feeling before. Need to take cover....and yes I've pushed my luck too much before.

Reelturner

[saltandsand]

Graphite rod is a lightening rod. Lucky you didn't become a Darwin award winner...



consider yourself LUCKY
you only felt tingles wouldnt be so fun when you feel yourself drop to floor and smelling like roast pork.

Fishing during any chance of lightning is risky business. Pack it up and watch the storm.

A better choice of for being zapped by electric while fishing is Wii....at least it'll be less volts/amps.

http://i34.tinypic.com/ne9tau.gif

[Sea2aeS]

I had the same thing happen to me last summer up at the north end of vb oceanfront. it was a spanish bite, the clouds were dark but no signs of any storm. that pinging scared the shit out of me. i was slingin metal on my tica to spanish skying all over the outer edge of a bar.

i cant explain it, but i notice it only happens with a powerpro. my guess is due to the amount of positive and negative charged ions in the air that a piece of lead flying at warp speed through the air was enough to generate a charge to go off each cast. maybe im dumb but i kept fishing. there was no sign of lightning or any storms, just an overcast day with those low, dark clouds and an east wind. but it scared the shit outta me.

[hic-lock]

Yep, I had the same experience. Overcast conditions, no sign of lightning but humid. Casted hard and that first ZAP sent me into freak mode. Was looking around in the sky, feet and arms spread, holding my 8’ tica by the end of the butt w/one hand, ready to hit the sand. I was sure I was toast but the sky didn’t look threatening.

It appeared, after collecting myself, as the line was coming off the reel in was producing static electricity. Like someone said above, if you had your finger touching the reel seat you got zapped. Also if I casted softly, it would hardly sting at all but you can’t get to them like that. So I grabbed a cocktail, handed the rod to my cousin and said “I just can’t reach’em, see if you can”…:p

[RuddeDogg]

Graphite rod is a lightening rod. Lucky you didn't become a Darwin award winner...

Storm approaches and I am normally heading for the truck.

Except a story from two years ago, and I was lucky I didn't become a Darwin award winner.

Its amazing some of the stupid things we do to catch fish.:rolleyes:

Yep

[can't fish today]

http://www.lightningsafety.com/nlsi_info/photos/rod_damage.jpg

[Dr. Bubba]

Graphite rod is a lightening rod. Lucky you didn't become a Darwin award winner...

Storm approaches and I am normally heading for the truck.

Except a story from two years ago, and I was lucky I didn't become a Darwin award winner.

Its amazing some of the stupid things we do to catch fish.:rolleyes:

LOL. You did catcha feesh that nite, didn't you? I couldn't see, I wuz hiding in the rocks....:eek:

[Charkbait]

had arching between two spiked rods before as I hid in the truck...thought for sure the truck was going to get blasted.

[jcreamer]

During a lightning storm I am in the truck and donating my rods to the lightning gods if I have to. I am getting too old to stay out in a storm.

[rattler]

I leave a good 10 minutes before you guys do...had it hit a light on the pier about 50' from me...everything went BLUE, all my hair stood up and it knocked me back...put a guy that was closer on his back...when I ran to help he was "smoking"...just steam comming off of him and all were ok...but I don't play in thunder storms anymore...