This May Come as a Shock
LISTEN: (5 min, 56 sec)
IF YOU FORGET EVERYTHING ELSE you read here, remember this. It could save your life: Where there is thunder, there is always lightning. And a lightning bolt knows no boundaries.
Lightning has been known to strike objects as far away as 12 miles from the storm that produced it. Being outdoors when lightning is a possibility is risky business. I’ve interviewed a couple of anglers over the years who were struck by lightning and lucky enough to live and tell about it.
In 1996, Toledo Bend fishing guide Stephen Johnston got popped while guiding a pair of off-duty firemen. I’ve told his story before. It is always worth retelling in the name of boating safety. Johnston didn’t own a cell phone at the time and weather apps didn’t exist. Television forecasters had predicted storms to move into the area around noon, so Johnston figured they would have a few hours to fish in the morning. The guide said the skies turned hazy about mid-morning and a light drizzle began to fall.
“There hadn’t been any lightning or thunder to speak of. Nothing,” Johnston recalled. “Next thing I know, I’m sitting on the front deck, straddling the trolling motor, facing to the back of the boat. I still had my fishing rod in my hand, and I remember looking down at my hand. My index finger and thumb were glowing like the cap on an orange Magic Marker. I couldn’t feel my left arm or leg.”
Johnston said one of his clients dropped to the floor. The other was knocked out of the back seat and onto the rear deck. Luckily, everyone survived. Johnston thinks the lightning hit his fishing rod and exited the boat through the transom-mounted transducer. The electrical surge fried the boat’s wiring harness, fuse box and electronics. It also killed three bass his customers were holding in the livewell for photos later on.
“That day definitely changed my thinking about lightning,” Johnston said. “I used to be one of those who waited to hear that first clap of thunder before I got off the water, but that doesn’t work for me anymore. Nowadays, I’m able use my cell phone to keep close check on the weather. If bad weather is coming, I’m long gone before it gets there. We were lucky that day.”
Dangerous as it is, lightning doesn’t kill near as many people as you might think. National Weather Service data shows lightning kills about 20 people each year in the United States, while injuring hundreds of others. Some survivors suffer lifelong neurological damage.
Between 2013-22, 19 people were killed by lightning in Texas, according to figures from the National Lightning Safety Council. Texas ranked second behind Florida (51) in lightning-related deaths during that time period.
Bottomline: Lightning is nothing to be messed with.
Neither are big winds. High winds can turn a calm reservoir into a dangerous sea of tall rollers in a matter of minutes. Last May, a nasty storm blew in on Toledo Bend and caused a 28-foot pontoon boat to capsize. The boat was occupied by six people, two of which drowned.
If the forecast calls for 15-20 m.p.h. winds, it’s a safe bet it will be ripping across unprotected water. The bigger the water body, the longer the fetch area for tall waves to build. Getting caught in rough water in a boat can spell disaster, especially in a small boat. You can also get into trouble in a bigger boat, especially if the driver lacks experience. Operating a boat safely in rough water takes skill that can only be learned from time on the water.
If high winds are in the weather forecast, it might be smart to boat another day. Otherwise, adjust your launching and fishing locations to wind protected areas to avoid getting into a bind. This is especially true on large bodies of water.
Boater Ed Mandatory
Texas is a mandatory boater education state. Completion of a Boater Education Course, or a TPWD prescribed equivalency exam, is required of anyone born on or after September 1, 1993, who operates any vessel over 15 horsepower, wind-blown vessel over 14 feet and all personal watercraft on Texas waters.
Children under 13 are prohibited from operating a PWC unless accompanied on board by a person at least 18 years of age who is legally authorized to operate one. To operate a vessel alone in Texas, a boater must be 13 years of age to operate a vessel of more than 15 horsepower; or windblown vessel over 14 feet in length; and meet boater education requirements.
Boaters can find a selection of online boater courses that can be taken anytime on the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s boater education web page. In-person courses are available. Paddlers can also access a free paddling safety course online.
Fees for the course start at $11 for a basic course and vary depending on in person or online courses. For more information on boater education in Texas, check out tpwd.texas.gov/education/boater-education.
It is worth noting that the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society recently announced that proof of completion of a boater education course will be required of all anglers competing as boaters in B.A.S.S. fishing tournaments, regardless of age. The only exceptions are High School and Junior events, where competitors are not allowed to operate the boat.
The new rule becomes effective in January, 2025. B.A.S.S. says the submission of proof of a completed course is a simple, one-time process and is valid for life.
Email Matt Williams at ContactUs@fishgame.com
