I've learned to respect thunderstorm long time ago, and not on the water. In my younger years I was playing soccer on any occasion, One hot summer day we were playing in the open field on suburbs of my town. Shortly after we've started we could hear thunder in the distance. Being young and stupid we've decided to continue the game. Just in case it get worse, there was abandoned barn about 200 yards from the field, so we could use it as a shelter. Rain has started comeing pretty hard, we've decided to pause the game and wait it over in the barn( it was only 200 yards away).
I've never reached the barn. About 50 yards from it there were few pretty high trees. The first was blinding flash, then most terryfing noise I've ever experienced. I do not know what happened, I was just lying on the ground, face down, I could smell the smoke. I've turned on my back to see what is going on and this is what I see. The lightning hit the tree about 10 yards from me , it was burning like a torch, pieces of smoking bark, leaves, small branches were falling around ( some of them on me ). I've managed to roll over few times from the burning tree and stayed there for another 15 min.
Finally was all over, apart from few smoking holes in my t-shirt I was O.K.. Since then ( particularly when fishing ) at first sign of the t-storm I pack my toys and go home ( regardless how great fish is baiting )