I moved from La. decades ago. Two weeks ago Iwent back "home" and fished in the Gulf shallows near Grand Isle with two HS classmates ... specs and reds. We loaded the boat ... and we experienced something neither of us had ever come across before. These two guys are on the water a bunch.

So ... here's the deal. Atypical small thunder bumper passed within maybe 1/2 mile of us Friday afternoon,just close enoughto get us wet. About 30 minutes later one (and only one) of the 3 of us started experiencing strong static electric discharges from the rod handle.Occured probably 10-15 times. Strong enough to "knock" the rod out of his hands a couple of times. And we could hear the "pop" over the wave noise and soft wind.Every now and then when he'd cast, the line would rise skyward and form a long arc and just sit there suspended.Bsit in the water at the far end and the rod in Larry's hand. Neither of the other two of us experienced any of this. Another boat fo buddies fishing within 75-100 yards of us had nothing like this going on.This guy was in the same boat with two of us, usning a "All-Star" casting rod, aluminum framed Shimano bait casting reel, and Trilene brand mono throwing a Morror Lure She Dag.He was wearing typical colthing ... Bermuda shorts and cotton t-shirt, and deck shoes. Any ideas?

You guys about died... Seriously it was a bad decision to stay in that spot and fish. There were a group of campers found dead on a ridge of a mountain a few years back and the only evidence they found was when they developed their camera there were pictures of one of them with his hair sticking up like static electricity. Cause of death... lightning.

Yeah not a good idea. You should have left immediatly on found cover. Whenever there is that much static in the air its only a matter of time before you get struck.

I have had that exp. twice. One time all 3 of us in the boat had our hair stick straight out and the rods would humm as you pointed them to the sky.
Last year our rods would humm but also the line would not touch the water for about a 100 ft from the boat, it would stay suspended in the air. But I have never been shocked by the rod handle, never seen that.
Both times were with storms all around us.
Thats static electricity, pretty dangerous, Lightening about to strike you.
we just motor up and move to a different spot.

That's what I was trying to tell these two guys ... that there was a substantial building up of static lectricity and that was not a good sign. We diddebate leaving, but heading in was going to take us closer to the thunder bumper tha had just wet us.What is confusing to me is that there were 2 boats at this same location, not 100 yards apart. Three of us in Larry's boat and tewo in J.W.'s boat. Only Larry experienced this static electricity event.

that has happened to me before i didnt know what to do. it was very freaky. me and my bud were riding our gopeds down the road(before we could drive) and it was during a t-storm. we were just trying to get home quick and i get get these really big shocks . a couple of them almost knocked me off. it didnt feel to good either. much stronger than a dog caller.

yeah next time as soon as you see lighting you should roll out

Sounds like the begginings of St. Elmo's Fire.