That's about it for the summer. Unless I make it out again in the next week this will be the last post for a while. I've been dealing with some back problems for the past 18 months or so, with the last 6 months becoming more and more difficult to get out. I'm having surgery on the 16th which will hopefully take care of most of the problems. Fishing will be on hold though, probably until the lakes are iced over.
Chuck and I headed over to the Yahara after school Friday. Visibility was so-so, the water was low, and there are still plenty of weeds. We were both using small spinners, working our way up the river from Lake Monona to Lake Mendota. Fishing was slow, but I managed to pick up quite a few different species. Bluegill, rock bass, green sunfish, largemouth bass, and white bass (+1 to species count for 2009) were all biting. Caught the 2nd largest LMB of the summer at 16". Not very impressive compared to 2008, but I'll take what I can get! We brought home 1 bluegill and 3 or 4 white bass.
2009 species count:
1. Largemouth Bass
2. Rock Bass
3. Smallmouth Bass
4. White Bass
5. Bluegill
6. Yellow Bullhead
7. Black Crappie
8. Freshwater Drum
9. Round Goby
10. Logperch
11. Yellow Perch
12. Northern Pike
13. Pumpkinseed
14. Green Sunfish
15. Hybrid Sunfish (Pumpkinseed X Green)
16. Walleye
1 week ago
11 comments:
Good luck with the surgery - I had back surgery [L-5 disc] in my Sr. year of college (26 years ago) and it was the best thing I ever did for my back. Just remember - when your friends call you and tell you they're moving, and they need your help - tell them you'll take care of the important documents, and leave the refrigerator moving to someone else!
Wolfy
I didn't know you had such serious back problems. Was it from your max effort deadlifting? Powerlifting probably isn't a healthy sport. I've never had back problems, but I gained so darned much weight trying to get stronger over the years that it has been a struggle to get back to a healthy weight.
You sure have a knack for catching many species. Best of luck with the surgery. Let me know if you plan to visit Champaign-Urbana sometime this fall or winter, and I'll try to line up a fishing adventure.
I believe the problem started at the 2006 WABDL worlds when I stalled out with 562 right around my knees. I backed off from deadlifting until the summer in Japan in 2007, slowly working back up to 500. I plateaued at that weight though, because the nagging pain alway scared me away from pushing myself harder. Spring of 2008 I was feeling pretty good, when I started training for the Madison strongman competition, but a front squat with 295 finally broke the camel's back (i.e. my back).
After realizing the pain wasn't going away with my own rehab, I saw a chiropracter during the winter of 08-09. That seemed to help, but this spring things started getting worse and I woke up one morning with excruciating pain in my right leg. General practioner doctor and sports medicine doctor couldn't do anything for me, so they sent me to physical therapy. Four weeks of physical therapy actually made it worse, so they sent to neurosurgery to get an MRI. MRI showed two herniated discs and they informed me that I have degenerative disc disease which caused the herniations.
This spring and summer I've been trying everything I can to get better without surgery. I did two rounds of oral anti-inflammatory steroids and then a local nerve root injection (similar to cortisone), but they've only had temporarily effects. So now... surgery.
Wow! That is messed up. Hopefully you'll have a successful surgery and can then stick with back healthy hobbies for the rest of your life. You're too young to be so messed up. Best of luck with the surgery. Gotta get healthy for the ice fishing season.
hi Ben..i think you must put no 17 for snakehead...he2..just jokking..enjoy fishing Ben!
Mizlan, if snakehead ever reach Wisconsin, you can be sure I'll try to catch one!
Ben - when I wrote my comment, I had no idea you were a power lifter. You really ARE the guy people ask to move their refrigerators!
I'm sure that you'll do what is neccesary to do the proper recoup - good luck.
Wolfy
Thanks for the kind words everyone. The surgery went as well as could be expected. The first couple days have been a bitch, but I'm able to move around a bit more now.
Enjoy the rest of the fall fishing season! I'll be back at it for ice fishing this winter!
Ben try some acupuncture. My mother has the same problem and does not want to have surgery. So she gets acupuncture done and it seems to help. Keep us posted.
Tight lines
Sounds like you had a great summer and sorry about the back issues.
I too have some issues left over from trying to make my skinny carcass strong. I was pretty happy with the extra strength, but "oops...what's that tingling in my thigh?"
You manage day to day. I have learned to stop doing what hurts (i.e. too much sitting, no more than 1 game of basketball, no bicycling) and do more of what feels good (walking, running, softball, fishing...ok, not fishing but a guy needs an excuse).
Take care up there in Wisconsin.
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