Lightening on Erie

[Grant Hatfield]

Maybe not the best choice for location of the post but thought it might get viewed more. Just wondering what the consensus is on lighteneing on Lake Erie. Obviously the best choice is not to be around it when it happens but there are occasions when you are stuck. What is the right or best thing to do when you find yourself surrounded by lightening and thunderstorms out on a big body of water like Lake Erie? The reason I ask is I was out on the Lake last weekend and before I knew it there was lightening all around. In front, in back and in all directions. I'm watching it hit the water and have no place to go. I put the boat on plane and moved as fast as I could to the clearest area possible but was forced to go through some pretty hairy looking spots, all the while watching the lightening crash all around me. Also, it seems like there is more lightening on the edges of the storms? If I were close to shore I probably would have beached it but it wasn't an option. Just wondering if anyone has any thoughts because it scared the heck out of me. Thanks

[Tim FRick]

I've been out there a few times where you can feel the static in the air. That's when we take down the lightening/graphite fishing rods and lay them on the bottom of the boat. Than we take down the radio and Loran antennas. They say if it gets really bad to also lay down to the lowest point in your boat. You want to keep as low of a profile as possible. Not sure if trying to out run the storm really helps any. They say lightening can strike miles away from the actual storm. Best bet is to keep looking out for the build up of towering clouds in the distance, especially when we are having this type of weather pattern(hot and humid). Afternoons are always the best bet for these quick storms to pop up.
Good Luck!!
Tim FRick

[Airwave(OH)]

This was posted before of a fishing pole hit by lightning on Erie. It's nothing to take lightly.
http://img.ranchoweb.com/images/orlando/lightningstrike.jpg


Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.

[RickyP]

I agree with Tim Frick's post. You really need to be aware of weather conditions and predictions before you go out, and then keep a close eye on the sky for worsening conditions. I have been boating out of Toledo Beach for the last 6 years and have yet to be caught out in a storm. Part of that may be luck, but I always err on the side of caution and so far it has paid off.

I don't have radar on my boat, but about a month ago my son showed me how to use my cell phone to connect to the internet and get a radar shot. It's really cool and adds another safety tool to use on the big lake.

[bob oh]

The best thing I think would be to stay away from those fishing rods
and keep as low a profile as possible. Also I have been told (not scientific info) that you should lower your antenna before the storm moves it or leave it alone when the storm is around you in case yoou become part of the lighting rod when it hits!! Ricky, it is tough to not get caught in an ocassional storm because most people won't run to shore everytime they see a black cloud. Is that radar you are looking at real time or is it updated every 30 minutes??

rod bender bob

[RickyP]

Well Bob oh...I'm a big chicken so I run like #### when those black clouds appear!!!!! I believe the radar is real time...but I wouldn't swear to it. I'll check it out and let you know for sure.

[bob oh]

Thanks I've seen it but wasn't sure if it ws real time?

rod bender bob

[Terroreyes]

We must have been out the same day. :(

Only the second time it's happened to me where I was pinned between two forming storms with lots of lightning. Rods in, antenna down, electronics off, and run like h&ll!!!

[hollywoodeyes]

Launched this am. out of Chadwick Bay,Dunkirk NY. were'nt out 2 hrs. and here it comes. Out about 7 mi. and my fishing partner says it looks like it is gonna go north of us. WRONG! It turned and was coming quick. Man it seems like forever reeling 10 color of leadcore in. Antenna and rods down and driving that boat on my knees. Glad i'm here to talk about it. Take no chances,if it looks shakey I vote run like ####!

hollywoodeyes

[Gilligan]

Sounds more like Chickeneyes than Hollywoodeyes! :stick:

[eyezforcash]

I dont have radar either, I turn the AM radio on in the boat and I can usually get a feel of whats coming and make a decision.
I would be interested on the method of getting a radar shot on the cell phone.

[Tracy]

Grant you left too soon... if you would have stayed out you could seen the waterspouts too! I was out last Saturday in that storm also. We were SW of East Sister on the boarder. Believe it or not there were a few charters that never even stopped fishing and one capt. that never got down from the bow that I saw during the peak of the storm. It must have been Bob oh!

The waterspout past 150' from us. Pretty cool! Closest I have ever been one.

Tracy

[hollywoodeyes]

Gilligan,

Chickeneyes always makes his weather decisions based on living to see another fishing day. I would have loved to see the waterspout though. Maybe if I had stayed out I would have been swept up in that spout and landed in Walley Oz! Where all the eyes are 10 pounders and all the women are young,beautiful and love fisherman! Follow the yellow eye road! Maybe I would have ended up being The Wizard of Eyes! PAY NO ATTENTION TO THAT ANGLER BEHIND THE CURTAIN!!!

hollywoodeyes

[Gilligan]

Hey CE...

http://www.walleyecentral.com/photopost/showphoto.php?photo=1352&password=&sort=1&cat=500&page=1

That is what they look like! Eyedoktr shot this pic at the Dunkirk KAWA last summer.

[CarpetBagger]

I watched SeaWolf charters run through the storm in his 25' Whaler that hit the lake on the 22nd...I would have never advised that kind of idea to anyone...even the charter boys arent bullet proof...You dont get paid if you get hit by lightening....

Basically this was one of the worst electrical and wind storms ive seen mixed together...sky was black as night lightening was going sideways in the sky and the ones shooting at the lake were red and some sort of neon color i cant describe...Lake went from dead flat to 6ft waves offshore...

Basically i say run from anykind of storms on erie...being traped in a 20'boat with lightening around you is not a fun thing...or in anyway enjoyable...sure the odds of you getting struck are slim...but usually with a lightening storm, you definatly have other factors like rain, wind, and waves to deal with as well...Not exatly an enjoyable day on the water no matter how big of a boat u have.

I have been caught in a storm and had my rods and antenna snapping from all the electrical current in the air...its a very very scary thing to deal with...best bet is to always keep an eye on weather prior to days fishing, and using the computer radar definatly lets you see what possibly might be hitting the lake this weekend...
CB
___________________________

[Sea-renity]

Anyone that has access to this board also has access to all the weather related info they need to plan a day on the lake. I use three sites.

For weather, I like the National Weather service site. Just punch your zip code into the box and get a good extended forcast. Bookmark the page after you get to your forcast and the link will always bring up your city forcast in the future.
http://www.crh.noaa.gov/ifps/MapClick.php?CityName=Monroe&state=MI&site=DTX

For radar, I like the radar loop over at intellicast.com ... click on radar, click it down to your region, then click radar loop. This one too will always come back to your regional loop page via a bookmark.
http://intellicast.com/Local/USLocalWide.asp?seg=LocalWeather&loc=ktvc&prodgrp=RadarImagery&product=RadarLoop&prodnav=none&pid=none

For a marine forcast, I head back over to the NWS site. I bookmark the great lakes page but from their main page you can get it for any big water.
http://www.crh.noaa.gov/dtx/wxnow/lake_index.php

In my opinion, common sense goes a long ways in planning a safe day on the water. With less than 5 minutes browsing before heading out, you can increase your odds of an enjoyable, safe day on the water. As mentioned earlier in this thread, the air is always unstable and holds the potential for scattered storms in the hot, muggy weather we have been having. But that is a far cry different from heading out when there is an approaching storm front.

I have now told you more than I know and will slip back into the shadows for some more lurking ...

[bob oh]

You don't see me on the bow when a storm is even in the area LOL We had been up near F can but had just run down to slightly ne of B and were trolling when it started to look really nasty. We broke em down and were cruising in the marina before waves even got going good :-)

rod bender bob

[Tracy]

Like idiots we stayed out there at F. Heard guys talking about heavy wind on the radio and when the 3rd storm approached we left, but never had more than 2-3' waves even at the peak of the first and second storms. The lightning in the second storm did not start until it was well into Canada. We decided not to temp fate a third time that day.

Oh, we caught 10 keepers casting and 30+ shorts.

Tracy

[hollywoodeyes]

Gilligan,

Would I have been "CHICKENEYES" to have run like #### today? Grissly Gary hears the bumble In the distance he Is on the move. Man am I glad I was not on the Erie big water this afternoon at about 4:00pm.! If you would have been,please can I be listed as a beneficiary on your will? Always looking for ways to increase sponsorship and and minnow monies! Call me to get social # and other pertinent info for that will.LOL!!! No doubt I would have preferred being in an adult beverage lounge with Sluggo & Bobber when that front went through!

hollywoodeyes

[Gilligan unlogged]

WOW sounds like I hit a nerve with the Chickeneyes!! You either need a bigger motor to get back faster or stay closer to harbor. :boohoo:

Stasy safe out there....

[hollywoodeyes]

Wrongo Gilligan Lips!

Just pointing out the fact that Team Grissly knows when to hold'em and when to fold'em. One thing I don't have is a nerve to twitch. I love insults! Especially the ones that take some thought. I said it before i'll say it again"I see bolts of electricity I run like ####"period... Last night your message on my recorder said nothing about you making Grissly Gary(hollywoodeyes) your #1 will beneficiary. Please call me for pertinent info required so I can start to root you on staying out on Erie during storms.
(Sing this part) Here is the story of a fishing team,they were looking for some eyes. Set sail from Dunkirk Harbor with dollar$$$ signs in their eyes. The Captains name was Gilligan,his mate a doktr of eyes,set sail that day on Lake Erie with memories of tournaments lost. They dreamed of beating Grissly Gary though they knew that they were lost. No money, no glory,no trophy.... You guys can finish the song. LOL! You know I love ya Gilligan! :rotflmao:

[Gilligan]

LOL! With a few refreshments I bet you would even sing it for us!!

[hollywoodeyes]

Gilligan,

Let's have a sing along at the KAWA tourny! Maybe we should propose to NBC,ABC,CBS a new series Gilligans' Walleye Show!

hollywoodeyes

[Americanbaldeagle]

Buy a radio with weather band, the national weather service provides forcasts, weather watches and warnings.