I got some really good news just a couple of days ago. I don’t need surgery for my back injury. That takes a load off of my mind. I was more than a little worried. Having surgery is not my idea of a good time. All I have to do at this point is physical rehabilitation and not too much serious fishing for a while.
It’s crazy how these things happen. I was practicing for a tournament and set the hook on a Strike King 6XD. You know, you don’t jerk or snap with a crankbait like that. All you do is sweep to the side, and that’s all I did to hurt my back.
I was able to fish the rest of that day and part of the next, but by the time the storms ran me off the lake that second day I could hardly walk. In fact, I darn near fell off the dock and into the water. That could have been serious, and for sure it would have been embarrassing. But, thankfully that didn’t happen. I was able to get back home by myself.
So anyway, I’ve been to the doctor, and all is looking up. I will miss the rest of the season, though. That’s not a good thing, but all in all it could be a whole lot worse.
Like a lot of tough things in life there is a bright side to it all. B.A.S.S., my sponsors, my family, Melissa and my fans have been really supportive. Everyone contacts me regularly to see how things are going. That makes a guy feel better, to know you have people who care about you and how you are doing.
The rest of my year will be taken up with rehab work, regular exercise and some light recreational fishing here locally. I’d rather be fishing Bassmaster Elite Series tournaments, but at the same time, I can’t say that it’s going to be the end of the world either. There are a couple of local, private lakes nearby that have good populations of bass in them. I’ll be able to mess around on them and catch a few bass.
The one tough thing about all of this is my weight. I’ve managed to pick up about 15 pounds doing nothing but sitting around and eating. That has to come off, and the only way I know to do that is to go on a diet along with my exercise program. I’m not a diet kind of guy. I’ve always been able to eat because I was really active. This will be a challenge, but I will do it. I want next year to be my year — a banner year in my career.
The bottom line is that I want to say thanks to everyone who has asked about me and wished me well. It means more to me than you might think. And, I promise this’ll be the last column about me or my personal life. I know everyone wants to catch more fish, and I fully intend to do my best to help you do that.