Lightening and Fishing Rods
- Thread starter Jorries
- Start date
If you ever flew in a plane and looked down you would have noted that you cannot even see people, buildings are very small and one cannot even distinguish the lower and higher ones from each other. And that's flying below the clouds.
So why would lightning select a short object like a fishing rod ? Lightning strikes are totally unpredictable, if it strikes you it won't be because you have a fishing rod in your hands - it would be because it was going to discharge at that spot in any case !
What is a lot more likely the case is that when an area gets charged with static, and you pick up the conductive rod, then the characteristics of electric charge is to discharge through the sharpest poit there is - in this case your fishing rod's tip. (I was going to suggest something else too...) The bolt you feel is the charge buildup from the air, and yes it can wallup you good.
The same pointing principle is used around grass thatches, a grid is layed in the area, some metal towers are put up and they have sharpened spikes on the top. The idea is not that lightning will strike these pins, but rather to discharge the area through the sharp pins, and hence lightning is less likely to strike in or too near that area. If lightning does strike those pins, they will probably just melt to pieces.
I was once about 10m from a direct lightning strike, talking on the phone. It took me out. If that was a direct hit on me then I promise you I would not be alive. I very much doubt that any person can and have ever survived a direct lightning strike.
I knew it was a direct hit because the Tv aerial on the adjacent roof disintegrated and the molten pieces was lying on the ground. Everything electronic in the building was fried.
Another example of a diect lightning strike is the neighbour behind me and his neighbour's prefab wall took a direct strike. 6 panels got taken out, they disintegrated completely. The one house faced the wall at an angle, not a single window was left after the hit.
My neighbour had a brand new monitor on this kitchen table - never plugged it in, and it was fried as well, no other damages inside his house. If lightning always took the most logic path, it could have hit any of the buildings of which the roofs are earthed. Instead it hit the wall between the buildings which is much lower.
Also, lets think about sail boats with their aluminum masts. If you look at some marina's, there's quite a few masts pointing skyward. If pointing objects attracted lightning then surely these masts should make a nice invitation ? Truth is, boats have been hit by lightning - by chance and completely random - very few masts of boats gets hit by lightning considering the amount of boats there are.
Same thing with anglers. IF the lightning is going to hit you, it would be very random and you could perhaps consider yourself lucky to be singled out :-D You will however feel the static in the air as the charge buildup in the rod will wake you up.
I don't think the problem is a direct strike, you won't know about it. It's when you got half a strike and is still alive that's going to be a bastrd !
So why would lightning select a short object like a fishing rod ? Lightning strikes are totally unpredictable, if it strikes you it won't be because you have a fishing rod in your hands - it would be because it was going to discharge at that spot in any case !
What is a lot more likely the case is that when an area gets charged with static, and you pick up the conductive rod, then the characteristics of electric charge is to discharge through the sharpest poit there is - in this case your fishing rod's tip. (I was going to suggest something else too...) The bolt you feel is the charge buildup from the air, and yes it can wallup you good.
The same pointing principle is used around grass thatches, a grid is layed in the area, some metal towers are put up and they have sharpened spikes on the top. The idea is not that lightning will strike these pins, but rather to discharge the area through the sharp pins, and hence lightning is less likely to strike in or too near that area. If lightning does strike those pins, they will probably just melt to pieces.
I was once about 10m from a direct lightning strike, talking on the phone. It took me out. If that was a direct hit on me then I promise you I would not be alive. I very much doubt that any person can and have ever survived a direct lightning strike.
I knew it was a direct hit because the Tv aerial on the adjacent roof disintegrated and the molten pieces was lying on the ground. Everything electronic in the building was fried.
Another example of a diect lightning strike is the neighbour behind me and his neighbour's prefab wall took a direct strike. 6 panels got taken out, they disintegrated completely. The one house faced the wall at an angle, not a single window was left after the hit.
My neighbour had a brand new monitor on this kitchen table - never plugged it in, and it was fried as well, no other damages inside his house. If lightning always took the most logic path, it could have hit any of the buildings of which the roofs are earthed. Instead it hit the wall between the buildings which is much lower.
Also, lets think about sail boats with their aluminum masts. If you look at some marina's, there's quite a few masts pointing skyward. If pointing objects attracted lightning then surely these masts should make a nice invitation ? Truth is, boats have been hit by lightning - by chance and completely random - very few masts of boats gets hit by lightning considering the amount of boats there are.
Same thing with anglers. IF the lightning is going to hit you, it would be very random and you could perhaps consider yourself lucky to be singled out :-D You will however feel the static in the air as the charge buildup in the rod will wake you up.
I don't think the problem is a direct strike, you won't know about it. It's when you got half a strike and is still alive that's going to be a bastrd !
Ah yes sorry, to answer the original question re the fiberglass rod. The answer is static will still build up and the lightning may still hit you - if you're lucky - but you just won't feel the charge in the rod :-D
My opinion is that lightning can still hit you in your house if that's going to be where the lightning is going to strike, I think you just feel a lot safer inside than outside ;-)
My opinion is that lightning can still hit you in your house if that's going to be where the lightning is going to strike, I think you just feel a lot safer inside than outside ;-)