MyFishFinder Forum
My Fish Finder Main => General Fishing Discussion => Topic started by: aquaman on Jun 19, 2007, 02:03 PM
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Recently swiched from a fiberglass to aluminum boat.Any greater risk of lightning strikes in one.A L is non magnetic.Anybody got some input or a good lightning story?
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My aluminum boat has never been hit by lightning because I never have time to take it out of the garage! :(Good question, hope you get some good answers!
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It is not so much as the boat material which is the risk of being hit but rather what is in the boat that attracts the lightning. Long graphite fishing poles set on a down rigger that is down 50 feet under water attracts lightning a heck of a lot faster than someone in an aluminum boat motoring toward shore. The attached link is about sailboats and lightning but there is a lot of useful info including what precautions to take if you are out in the middle of a lake and a thunderstorm hits and you cannot reach shore.
http://www.sailnet.com/forums/seamanship-articles/19179-lightning-strike.html (http://www.sailnet.com/forums/seamanship-articles/19179-lightning-strike.html)
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precautions to take if you are out in the middle of a lake and a thunderstorm hits and you cannot reach shore.
Keep fishing by the time you drive in its over.It could hit you through your window sitting in the house holding a aluminum can.LOL
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Scientist,s link is a great piece.Who would think more damage occurs to fiberglass than metal.Good tips on lightning systems too.When the bites on ive been known to stick it out more often than not. One of the hottest bites i had was during a hellasious storm burst and the harder it rained the faster the rods went off. lots o lightning nearby too. It lasted 20 minutes and i was limited out as the clouds past.Bright sunshine followed and i was left soaked shaking and surrounded by flopping walleyes all around 5-6 lbs. didnt even have time to get most into the live well.Probably shouldnt have risked it but im a weak man when it comes to blitz bites
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TRUST ME I HAVE A SMALL BOAT IM MORE CONCERNED ABOUT WIND,BUT IF YOU HAVE A BIG ONE COMING GET OFF.THE SMALL ONES ARE OVER BEFORE I CAN MAKE IT TO SHORE W/ A 9.8 MOTOR. :'(
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its lightning get off the lake. You are the tallest thing out there.
common sense I thought?
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On my home lake, a small 180 acre lake, my grandfather told me of a man who died when struck by lightning in an aluminum boat fishing for perch!
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A friend of mine was fishing Lake Erie off Dunkirk a few years ago and got whacked by lightning while in an aluminum boat (I'm not sure if the boat's material made any difference). The entrance hole was the top of his hat and the exit hole was the bottom of his sneaker. His partner was not affected and quickly sped to shore as he was in cardiac arrest. They saved him and he still has the "hat" today.
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The best advice I have ever heard is that if you are caught in a thunder storm while in a boat lie on the floor. I think the theory is that the boat will take the lightning strike and distribute it to ground through the hull without it passing through your body. Sounds logical to me.