What's the worst bad weather story on the water? I have unfortunately had several close calls with weather.

1. Storm came up while dad and I were on Buchanan in '85 and we had 6 footers to deal with half way across the lake in a 15 foot boat. Nearly swamped her twice.

2. Lightning struck less than 100' feet while loading on the trailer at Stillhouse. I have a new respect for lightning and storms after that one.

3. Was on Tawakoni in a bass club tourney when a storm came up out of the southeast and I had to get from Hickory to Hawk cove in swells so high we couldn't see over them when standing in the boat. Raining so hard couldn't see more than 50'. That was a tricky ride.

4. Twice on Fork with storms in the area could feel the electricity in the air. When we lifted the rods over our heads the lines would buzz with static electricity. Knew it was time to go at that point!

I haven't had anything to bad yet. Either been lucky or smart enough to leave before it got bad. I have seen some idiots though. A few times I've been setting at the ramp waiting on storms to pass and people are right there in the middle with lightning popping all around. Nobody's life is worth the few thousand you MIGHT win in a tourney. I would much rather lose a hundred or two than my life. I read somewhere that around 90-95% of lightning strike accidents happen to people on the water. That might be wrong but I'm not pushing it

I was fishing in the St Johns river in eastern Florida and a storm and winds made getting back to the ramp somewhat interesting, the lake was 6 foot deep at the most, I nailed it and was topping the waves until my buddy looked over the side and saw the bottom and weeds under us and he got down on the floor of the boat till we got to the ramp, only then did he tell me what he had seen that got him on the floor.

Fishing Honey Hole top 6 in October of 2000 on PK. It was raining, but no big deal. UNTIL lightening hit the top of a hill that we were fishing by. Everything metal that we were touching gave us a jolt. Think about it, reel seat, fly zipper, tennis shoe gromets, wrist watch, etc.. This was about 150-200 yards from where it hit. We got out to the mouth of the cove as quickly as we could start the big motor up and nothing else was felt. Been in a few lightening storms, but haven't experienced the line buzzing or floating, YET!

Tight lines, keep safe and good luck.

Thad Rains

water spout and lightning on Shasta lake july 1997, 5 ft waves so bad we had to crawl out of the boat onto the dock

I have been in five situations of bad weather and turned that stormy day into the biggest stringers in those Bass tournaments all on the same spinner bait. I truly want you to be safe and not be foolish as I use to be during these stormy conditions. When you are younger there is a tendency to believe you are bullet proof. Under conditions of lighting you will die if it is your time to go. This was the most dangerous day of them all.

Lighting: It was 1972 in the Ohio River Challenge Tournament. Bad weather set in before day break as I left the launch sit. There was lots of lighting and rain coming straight down, but not much wind. I had a 10 mile run to a creek that fed into one of the many oxbow lakes on the Ohio. Once I entered the creek I had to shut down and idle about a mile through the old channel that had once been dredged to let flood water out and off the adjoining farm lands. There were still many logs and lay downs to maneuver around to get back to the Cyprus Groves.

Back in that day the trolling motor plug did not have the quarter turn locking system as they do today. Anyway, mine was a home made job. I had just turned into shoot #1 when a bolt of lighting hit the boat. It didn�t hit me, but knocked the plug out of the socket on the front deck and fire flew out of it a foot long. I thought to my self, oh man I am going to be clipping up all day and fan fishing which was nothing new to me. I had been sculling a john boat sense I was 10 years old. When I got to the big grove of Cyprus and plugged the trolling motor back in and stepped on the hot button which was a dimmer switch for a car, the batteries were so hot it almost threw me out of the boat. I never saw so much power out of that motor. It was on 3 and was twice as fast as it once was.

The main storm passed quickly but was still lighting all around when I started making cast with the spinner bait that I had tweaked for such conditions. It had already been proven to me many times before, but it was finally happening in a major tournament. In just a little over one hour on a single Cyprus tree with 21 knees sticking up all around, I pulled 10 huge bass out for 62 lbs. That was my first major win in Kentucky. Yes, back in the day it was a 10 fish limit. I still have that spinner bait and keep it just for stormy days. No, it's not for sale, but my newer version is.

We all have been caught in an upper level disturbance while fishing. Most fishermen will either stay home or get off the water because it is going to be a miserable day and the bite seems to just shut down. Actually the exact opposite is happening. I just can�t seem to put my finger on it though. The huge Bass are not on a feeding pattern. They are grouping together and being just absolutely aggressive. I have won four other major tournaments on this same pattern.

ive been out in the water during probably a half dozen storms�

rain
lightning
big waves
hail
wind

you name it�


one time i was caught in a hail storm at Falcon and at the moment i had a 17ft aluminum boat� did not handle water too good but eventually i tied it up on the shore and waited out!
by the way, i couldnt see too far up ahead and the hail hurt as it would hit me and my partner lol!




there was this other time when all of a sudden some strong wind picked up from the north and the waves were pretty darn big. I already had a fiberglass boat during that time but a small 17 footer, plan was to head out of the lake since wind was too strong thus making it unfishable� i started driving back to the ramp (norhtbound) but only made it so far, water was coming in eventually i decided to go back south to a private ramp and ask if i could tie it there for a while� the people there were so kind they even offered to take me all the way to the state park to pickup my truck and whatnot!


but those are probably two of my worst experiences�

the fact that i dont have much experience driving and riding in boats probably made it worse� (ive been boating for about 2 years only) i still have way more to learn!

Richland Chambers in mid 90's around May. Fishing Grape Creek area. Was nestled in a little cove that shielded us from any view of what was coming from the north that day.

The first sign was that "cool" outflow from the storm we have all felt before. When we looked up we saw the "Greenish" looking clouds quickly approaching over the trees. Immediately we started idle out of the heavily timbered area and made our way back to the launch site. After idling for what seemed like an eternity to clear ourselves from the timber, we managed to hit the main lake where we were met with "angry green water".

The wind was literally blowing the top 6 inches of water off of each crest. Lightning was hitting all around and the 18 foot Astro was filling with water from waves and rain. Because we had another 2 or 3 miles to run, we decided it would be best to find a cove and wait it out. We found a small protected area so we beached the boat, let the bilge pumps go to work, and covered up with rain gear. And simply prayed the lightning would subside. The lightning lasted for about 1o more minutes. I was about 17 years old and was with my father that day, who is a Vietnam Veteran. He later told me that he was as scared that day as he had ever been in Vietnam.

We ended up waiting til nearly dark (about 2 hours) before we finally made our way back to the marina. We later found that 2 tornadoes were reported within 2 miles of our location that day. I promised to never be in that situation again and so far, so good.

Got a new one to add to the list. Was on Lake Norman for the fireworks show tonight in a friend's 26' Liberator. Radar was clear when we left but had a storm form right on us with high wind, heavy rain, and lightning. All we could do is keep the boat off the shore until it blew over. Wasn't too bad in the Liberator and the ladies were able to go below and didn't even get wet, but my buddy and I were drenched. Would have been really ugly in a bass boat. It was a little crazy with hundreds of boats on the lake when it hit but once it blew over all was good.

It was a sunny, windy,early morning in Victorville California. My brother in law and I had plans to fish Silverwood lake at the base of the San Bernardino Mts. That morning. I saw clouds hanging on the mountains and the wind was already up. I phoned my brother in law and called off the trip. About 10:00 A. M. he called me and talked me into going. It was cold, elevation about 4,000 ft. After a couple of hours on the water, It got real cold and the wind really whipped up. My 14 foot aluminum boat was no match for that water. cranked up the 10 horse and headed for the marina. At full throttle, against the wind, the boat stood straight up in the water. I looked up at my brother in law, and he was straight up in the air about 6 feet above me. the shoreline behind him showed us moving backwards. Waterspouts were whirling all around us. Rain coming down in buckets. I told him we wouldn't make it so we found a cove to wait out the storm. Finally about dark, the wind subsided enough for us to make the marina, and head home. my brother in law got sick, and I spent 3 days in the hospital with double pneumonia. My doc told me that 50 % of the people that get what I got die. Never again!

Several years ago we were fishing a Tournament on Gunn Lake in Michigan. A storm came up and the lightning was everywhere. We pulled up to a dock, tied off and got under the eves of the house nearby. It was raining so hard you couldn't see the lake, which was about 30 feet away. There were two guys fishing a hump in the middle of the lake when this all started and they were still there when it was over and still fishing. Well a Tornado had passed about 1/2 mile from us on the other side of the lake.

April 26 1996 The deer stand on rayburn. Fishing a club tournament with my cousin-in-law. We were catching fish along a grass line when storms starting moving in. Im counting down the lightning to thunder interval (by the way its one mile every 5ish seconds not one mile per second.) Next thing we know we are coming up out of the water in a yellowish haze. Lightning hit a yree so close it blew us out of the boat. I have a cataract in my right eye from the scar tissue the pressure of the explosion exerted on us. Needless to say end of trip that day.,

I fished a BASS event in New York in 1985 when Hurricane Gloria hit the state. Lake Ontario was wicked rough. Several boats went down and the Coast Guard was working overtime hauling people in.

In the 70's my brother and I hauled our Grandfather's 16' GLASSPLY over to Frankfort on Lake Michigan for Grand Opening of Salmon season. When the sky turned black we headed for the break wall and just made it to safety. 7 other eager anglers weren't so lucky. This was one of the worst storms to hit the area and the timing couldn't have been worse.

Oh how I remember the Cajon Pass and what it was known for....Back in 1991, I was a Firemen for San Bernardino County and I responded to the 300 car pile up due to the heavy fog...