What would you do ?

[Barb Baggott]

Hello all!



It's that time of year where storms blow up out of nowhere and usually are severe with lightening and high winds. If you were out in your boat when one of these storms occurs, and you are about 10 miles from the launch site, what would you do? Try and make the launch? Beach the boat on land in the area? Or continue to fish? Just wondering and has anyone been caught in one?



If I see clouds building especially in late afternoon, I usually make my way back to the lauch and get the boat out before the storm even gets to the lake.



How about you?



Barb

 

[Mini]

Been there....I head to a spot where my line wont float in the air.... and wait it out.



Did it other ways for money (tournament) and beleive me it aint worth it.



Mini

 

[mike chip]

Been there done that, when i had a slower boat and could not out run them i would head for a bridge and wait it out, and sometimes would beach the boat if lightning present.

mike

 

[Staci Matheis]

I only had that problem once. I headed for a shoreline with trees. It was a severe thunder storm and I wanted something nearby higher than I was.....

 

[Chris F.]

Get a NOAH hand held radio. WE just got one AM/FM/NOAH, for 24.99. The NOAH band give 24 hour updated weather for the area that you are in. Chris F.

 

[Texas Transplant]

Safety first, is my motto. Last summer, we had a really bad storm (much lightning) come our way during a night tourney. It looked like it was coming, so I did some planning. Found a boat house with 2 empty slips in it (covered). When it got close, I simply pulled in there and waited it out.



Tex

 

[TOMMY RICH]

Rain is one thing Storms are definitely another! I've been in enough situations to know when to respect Mother Nature

 

[Rich D]

Beach it and wait it out.



Rich D

 

[JAMES MOORE]

I beach and head for low ground away from tree's. Though one tournament (Oneida Lake) we got hit with a storm so headed to nearest bay where I found a dock I could hold against while we waited out the storm. Problem was, "my partner was laughing at me", the pole I was hanging on to was a metal light pole. (DAH) Oh Ya , we won that tournament with 55 lbs of bass over two days. All caught in that bay we pulled into.

 

[Humminbird Greg]

Been there, done that... many times and different ways.



As we all should, I try to watch the weather but have managed to get caught on the water many times by thunderstorms and twice by tornadoes. Each time was different due to location, how far away the storm was when I saw it, how fast the boat was and how far away the landing or boat house was. I

 

[Larry Harp]

One thing I can guarantee, is the storm will disipate and blue skies will return as soon as my boat is on the trailer.



Harpo

 

[Brian Bell2]

I get off the water and fast... However one time I was not fast enough, so ducked under an cement overpass ( real low FLA bridge) and stuck it out till it passed by.

 

[Bill McElroy]

I've had line hanging in the air and I've had my reels "arc" when cranking....THAT's SCARY!! I was fishing by myself in a club tournament,...in my first boat (Aluminum, no less!!!) I high-tailed it back into some canals and slipped into an empty covered boat dock and continued to fish,....caught a limit while sitting there!!



Finished 2nd in the tourney and lived to tell about it. But when it's nasty like that,....i get my arss OFF the water or at the very least,...I seek shelter!!



Mac

 

[Mike L.]

Barb, What about fog? I went out early one morning in Canada and it seemed like the sun would rise like any other day. Suddenly the fog just rolled in so fast I didn't realize how bad it would get.

Unfamiliar waters and could hardly see in front of you. We were stranded for a few hours till the fog cleared enough to slowly make our way out of it.Now I carry the GPS as that really would have helped.

 

[Greg J.]

I'd recommend carrying a GPS as well. If it's an older hand-held model like mine (w/o mapping capabilities), I always lock-in the coords for the ramp, marina, etc. and save the coords as a waypint/landmark. In heavy fog you could go real slow, watching for others boats, and hopefully make it to land.

 

[Dan J.]

With a beaching bumper installed on every boat I run, I take it to the closest bank or open dock I see, grab the cell phone and run for cover. I'm certain I can't outrun/dodge a lightning bolt! (LOL!!)