A Man With a Death Wish?

(As sometimes happens when you do a piece from a report based on another report, I've got eggs all over my face as a result of not double-checking my facts before publishing this post in the first place. Accordingly, I'm going to try setting the facts right in the revised account that follows.)

From all outward appearances, the angler in this photo very well could be setting himself up for a trip to the mortuary. For the benefit of those who may not have received the latest issue of Jay Kumar's BassBlaster, I'll let you know that the not-so-smart pro angler pictured here is none other than Skeet Reese.

The thought that immediately sprang to mind when I saw this photo was: "Better him than me." I also wondered why anyone ever would be crazy enough to put himself in this position. Turns out that I'm not the only one who thinks this way. Greg Hackney is another. He was in this tournament with Skeet, as well as several others who chose to keep fishing through the lightning storm. Meanwhile, Greg and his marshal went to the bank and spent more than an hour and a half in the bottom of the boat, waiting for the storm to pass.

As Greg admitted in a Bassmaster interview, "If I'm honest with you, I'd say that when I was young, I probably would have fished through it, too. We all think we're invincible when we're young. My thoughts about them continuing to fish come from a man who once lived in a glass house, so I'm careful about throwing rocks. Nevertheless, fishing in a lightning storm doesn't make sense. It's not worth the risk."

The same interview revealed that one of those anglers who decided to continue fishing through the storm happened to have a marshal who demanded to go to the bank. The angler complied, and the marshal wasn't seen again. Said Greg, "I told the angler straight up, 'Your marshal had it right.'"

According to NOAA, over the last 20 years, the United States has averaged 51 annual fatalities from lightning strikes, placing it in the second position, just behind floods, for deadly weather.

Granted, a lot of money is on the line in those pro tournaments, and it may be difficult to take a break, especially if the fish are biting, but what good will that be if you don't live to see tomorrow? My philosophy is simple: As soon as I see that first flash of lightning and/or hear that first clap of thunder, I'm headed for cover.

Here's what a fishing rod usually looks like after it has been hit by lightning. I personally hope I never experience the sensation that accompanies such an occurrence.