# Electrical shocks through fishing rod



## KhoisanX (Aug 27, 2009)

Anyone experienced this before?

I'm on vacation in Durban, South Africa, and was spinning for Mackerel (Queen) off the beach with my father in law. I'd been casting a 43g metal slug with my 30lb braid spinning outfit (graphite). A large bank of dark clouds swept in over us from the South mid afternoon. At the time I started getting shocks coming up the reel stem into my hand; at times I could feel them through my bottom hand gripping the rod butt and the leading (casting) hand at the same time. Every time I cast the lure I'd immediately get drilled by increasingly painfull static electricity shocks. This would only happen as long as my lure was airborne, once it landed it was over. It eventually got so bad I had to stop fishing; I could hardly hold the rod.....I felt like an idiot. Father in law was using a glass rod and mono and suffered no ill effects.
Although there was a very dark front passing over us, there was at no time any lightning or thunder - we had a few drops of rain, the cloud moved over and it cleared a bit later that evening. I did hear some thunder in the distance later that evening, but that was a good 3hrs later.

Perplexed I did some reading on the internet today. I found a few similar anecdotes with friendly advice ranging from a visit to the quack, buying lottery tickets; the most scary of which was the possibility that I was being "hunted" as a static electricity conduit for lightning to leave the ground as it heads into the clouds.......yes, lightning goes up from the ground, not down from the sky.....maybe I quit just in time!

Ignorance is bliss :shock:


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## andybear (Jan 15, 2006)

Wow! 
I've never heard of this before, but I would say that mother nature was using you as a potential lightning feeder. I agree with the fellah that told you to buy a lottery ticket. Natures way of saying you are doing something wrong.....stop doing it for a while and wait for conditions to change.

thanks for sharing andybear


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## Barrabundy (Sep 29, 2008)

With the benefit of hindsight I bet the ignorance was bliss.


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## scater (Nov 24, 2007)

I've heard stories of graphite rods starting to hum as a storm approaches, I'm betting you made a good choice in quitting.


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## gonetroppo (Jan 29, 2011)

Sounds like there just may have been alot of electricity in the air, it can happen in those type of conditions and the fact your were slinging a metal slug at speed through it means it was probably building up a decent amount of static using you as the discharge to earth. My bet is you were experiencing St. Elmos Fire: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Elmo's_fire


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## Zed (Sep 18, 2006)

Thats heavy! Good idea to stop when that is going on. Would have looked real cool at night! :lol:


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## blueyak (Jan 20, 2009)

I've definately experienced the "hum" scater described.
I had 3 graphite rods stacked next to each other vertically and was in the middle of a large bay as a storm quickly approached. I started to hear a humming noise and looked around expecting to see a boat but nothing was there. Took me a moment to realise that my rods were in fact humming. I paddled over to my friend just so that he could hear it and i wasn't going crazy lol.

I've never been so nervous to touch a fishing rod.
I hate lightning.


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## camel (Oct 4, 2005)

I had the exact thing happen to me while beach fishing on the mid north coast of NSW. Had a storm front pass over late afternoon. Waited till I thought it was safe distance away and started fishing. My rod was a 12 foot graphite composite surf rod, heard a strange humming sound and felt a strong jolt up my arm causing me to drop the rod. Picked it up thinking I was imagining things. Second jolt = dropped rod + brown undies and me retreating back to camp dragging the rod tip along the sand in the hope that it would be less of a lightning rod.

Cheers
Ant


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## GoManGo (Sep 2, 2010)

Wow, Wind is renowned for causing static Electricity, ask anyone who has been through or near a Cyclone, Power Poles and Lines are like a cool light show, sparks flying everywhere.

Pleased you are ok though, guess it'a lesson for us all.


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## KhoisanX (Aug 27, 2009)

I've been talking to other anglers here in the past couple of days - quite a rare occurrence by the looks of things.
I can tell you, the faintest static tickle in future will have me packing up and leaving quietly........

One for the memory banks!


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## jokinna (Mar 2, 2010)

found this article. kid wasnt even holding his rod at the time. rod was in the holder on his yak.
http://www.news-mail.com.au/story/2010/ ... ghtning-s/


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## Snappayak (Jan 31, 2009)

Same thing happened to me on Yorke Peninsula. 42C day with a front about to hit from the west. I had given my carbon lure flicker 9' shore spin to my wife and she said she'd been zapped. Had a look at the little white welt on her hand and said she'd probably been stung by a bee. Took the rod from her and was repeatedly zapped as if from an electric fence! (I believe WHATEVER she tells me NOW!) Nothing from the fiberglass rod we had with us. Left them on the sand while the main mass of clouds passed over and then headed off. I no longer hold my carbon rod up to a storm saying 'Pick Me!!"


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