Season ending injuries aren’t reserved for ball sport athletes. Pro anglers play with pain and seek off-season surgical remedies to put them back in the boat.
It’s a new season for legendary Bassmaster Classic Champions Ranger/Evinrude pro Denny Brauer and Ranger/Evinrude FLW tour pro Dion Hibdon, and 4-time Classic qualifier Skeeter/Yamaha Elite Series pro Dustin Wilks. Each had major surgeries to rectify, repair or replace an injured body part, or they wouldn’t be fishing this season. Brauer’s long–needed knee replacement, Hibdon’s right shoulder scoping and Wilks’ 4 elbow tendon replacement surgeries could have had these pros seeing the ends of their careers. Instead they saw comebacks.
Sport’s thrill of victory and agony of defeat take a sideline seat to comebacks. NFL star Bo Jackson, needing a hip replacement, made his spectacular comeback in Major League baseball. Father time and a few embarrassing defeats, knocked boxer George Foreman out of the ring. His aged comeback excited senior citizens. Comebacks provide the stuff movies are made of, as with pitcher Jim Morris returning to baseball after a 10-year layoff. A book and Disney movie tell his story. But anglers making comebacks? Pro trail injuries aren’t fish stories! To those who’ve taken to the deck to make thousands of casts day after day, in snow, sleet, and rain to deliver five alive to the scales, it’s now or never.
Committed bassing pros champion a “whatever it takes“ attitude to stay in or get back into the game. They approach their sport as any ball sport athlete, with a bigger exception, as Hibdon puts it, “Everything we do has to do with sensitivity to be able to feel with your hands. When focus is on pain as much as it is in your sensitivity in your hands…you lose focus…avoiding things that should never enter your mind like a cast under a boat dock or tree. You shouldn’t hesitate, you should just do it.”
Reaching an intolerable pain threshold, unable to perform at their highest levels, left only one option…surgery. Facing months of rehabilitation, these pros sought surgeons who’d take their sport seriously! Not many surgeons treat a pro angler’s career as they would a pro ball sport player’s. Most don’t understand the physical requirements anglers must meet to compete on tournament trails. The 40-year-old Hibdon’s left shoulder had been operated on 3 years ago. “It was tricky making him (surgeon) understand what I did. I had to bring him a magazine...once he saw he understood.”
Injuries leading to surgery for Hibdon and Brauer took their toll over time. Both pros dealt with the pain until it affected their tournament standings and their lifestyles. Feeling a repeat of the 2007 season would have been foolish in his painful condition, Brauer admits his performance wasn’t too good. ”I could have competed but not competed to win the way I was…if I got it fixed I could play the game the way I knew I could play it.” His surgeon made no guarantees. A return to the tournament trail would be probable if he stayed on rehabilitation course. “You have to go through a lot of pain for a little bit of gain…it was another physical challenge to overcome.”
Still early in his career, Wilks is apprehensive, but also appreciative. “I have a great appreciation for what I do because I almost lost it…I also realize sitting out that it isn’t everything, it wouldn’t be the end of the world if you have to stop.” Wilks used his time away from competitive bass fishing to self-examine fishing decisions. “I have time to think about all of my mistakes in past tournaments.” He feels this “slowing down” period is “…slowing the big picture down to see what is really going on get settled down with yourself.”
With surgery in the back of their minds and rehabilitation still on going, these pros feel ready for the 2008 season. These athletes will forever take a physical approach to the sport. Maintenance and treatment will follow them to every body of water. For Bauer it’s a treadmill, Hibdon a Bowflex, while Wilks works repetitious light weight workouts. For all, chasing away injuries to keep chasing their fishing dreams. There’s no place they’d rather be and to be doing it just a little bit longer, it’s worth the effort.
Playing with pain! Shaking it off! Getting back into the game! Fishing pros, are just as tough, as determined, and dedicated to their sport as any ball sport. They compete in longer days through longer careers. The physical side to the sport of bass fishing is only exceeded by mental toughness. In fishing, comebacks are for real. Though often tired from fishing, they never tire of fishing. They’ll do whatever it takes to make one more cast.
Potomac River Bassing in May
Fish are in pre-spawn, spawn and post spawn…it’s time to open the tackle box.
Break out Lucky Craft G-Splash poppers and Sammy walking topwaters! The water is very clear near grass and bass are aggressive. Best late afternoons when water is warmer.
Under cloudy skies, Mann’s Classic spinnerbait shines! Also good when wind kicks up the surface.
The Mad Craw color Lucky Craft lipless crank LVR D-7 can be fished over grass tops, snapping free when contacting grass. I also start to switch to LVR D-7shad patterns. Upgrade line to 17-pound test Berkley Trilene Maxx! The rod is very important for this! You need some give in the tip, but more backbone than with other cranking rods! The Ultra Strike 2iG 7’ medium action rod has flexibility and sensitivity with enough backbone to “set” the hook.
Carolina rigs, allow coverage of 6 inches to 16 feet! Longer leaders, 14-18 inches, 3/4-ounce Tru Tungsten weights, and longer medium heavy rods. Long casts cover water! In shallower clear water, use more finesse style soft plastics: Mann’s HardNose craw in watermelon or green pumpkin. In deeper more stained water: a junebug HardNose lizard.
I use split shot, drop shot and shaky head rigs with Mann’s Hardnose 5” Finesse worms, 4” Mizmo tubes with Gerkin (now owned by R&R Custom Baits) ¼ ounce insert heads, Mann’s 3” Stingray grubs, and Punisher hair jigs. Soaking in garlic flavor Jack’s Juice encourages fish to hold on longer. Downsize to 10-pound test Berkley Sensation and use a 6’6” 2iG Ultra Strike drop shot spinning rod for these plastics techniques!
Mount Vernon resident Steve Chaconas is a Potomac bass fishing guide launching at Belle Haven Marina and BoatUS “Ask the Expert”To book a trip or purchase a gift certificate: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
