Last night, I had a dream in which I sang. It was a wonderful surprise to me and the others in my dream. We celebrated. But then I woke up and realized that it was just a dream.... I am seriously ready for this nightmare to be over. I want to sing again. I need to sing again. Perhaps last nights dream was some sort of sign? You see, until last night, my dreams about my voice, or should I say "lack of a voice", were centered around me needing to get someones attention by yelling, only to realize that I was incapable. Total anxiety dreams.. But last night's dream was very different, as I woke up with hope, rather than despair and frustration. Please keep me and the healing of my voice in your prayers.
I just wanted to let everyone know that I'm home from the hospital. The surgery went well, and for the very first time, I was not sick as a dog when I woke up. Perhaps it was all of the positive energy that surrounded me? I won't question it, but I can tell you that not getting sick was pretty much a miracle. My throat is very sore, and so my lower stomach. This is where I basically had liposuction so that they could use that fat to plump up my paralyzed vocal chord. I am not allowed to talk or whisper at all for 3 days. And then for the next two weeks, I can have very minimal "light" conversation. I guess this means no screaming "FISH ON!".... damn... lol I'll be doing a lot of sleeping for the next few days. General anesthesia really wears me out, and on top of that, they have me on some pretty good pain killers. Thank you again for all of your prayers and positive energy. It means so much. Marcia
Well, after all the depressing news I've shared, I figured it was about time to share something positive....
Today was a day that I have waited almost 8 months for.... Today I finally got to watch the full 30 minute pilot of our upcoming television show!!!!! It's still considered a "rough edit" and needs a little tweaking here and there, but oh my gosh am I ever excited!! It is so amazing how they can take 3 full days of footage, and reduce it down to 30 minutes. I would probably be a terrible editor, because to me, everything is important... lol I want to share this with all of you SO bad, it is absolutely killing me not to!!! But, for now, I am told to wait. I'm like a horse at the starting gate... chomping on the bit! I will promise you one thing, and that is that as soon as I am able to publicly release the Pilot episode, it will be posted here first. The timing of this surprise delivery to my inbox could not have been any better either. I got to hear my (old) voice... as it was.... Hearing my (old) voice stirred up a few emotions, that's for sure. Yeah, it initially made me very sad, but soon that sadness turned to absolute determination. I will get over this hurdle, just like I have so many other hurdles in my life. I'm a fighter. Now, as I go into the operating room tomorrow, I will drift off while I picture watching myself talk, and I will hear my old voice in my head. Thank you everyone for your amazing, uplifting, and inspirational messages that you have sent me. Your words and prayers from around the world have been incredible comforting. Tomorrow, I will wrap myself in your positive energy. Words cannot even begin to express how I appreciate all of you so very much. Sincerely, Marcia
Alright... well, since we last talked, I had a trip to the doctors that I would soon like to forget. They did a nerve conduction study on my damaged vocal chord nerve. The test is called an EMG. I'm not queasy at all when it comes to needles, but as I watched this long needle heading straight toward my throat, something inside me said... "Alright... there is something definitely not right about this..." And then I felt a spray of novacaine inside my throat. That was totally disgusting, and I was convinced that the Doctor pushed the needle in just a hair too far. So as soon as he pulled the needle out, I said to the doctor "I hope you meant to do that"... he laughed and reassured me that that was all intentional. They numbed me so that they can stick these other (thicker) needles into my vocal folds to get measurements of my nerve activity. First they did the healthy side to get a base reading. This hurt, I won't lie. It also made me want to cough and swallow, but I wasn't allowed to do either as long as the needle was in there. Then they stuck me again to get the reading from right side, which is where the damaged laryngeal nerve is. This side was not as painful, it was more just irritated. Thank god I didn't have the urge to cough or swallow like I did when they were on the other side. On this side, they sent an electrical current down my nerve. Yup... that hurt too. It took them a while to get a good reading on this side, but this test was critical in determining the likelihood of my nerve recovering. Basically, this test would show if there WAS a chance of recovery or if there was NO chance of recovery. They determined that my nerve had not been severed during the operation that I had in February for my herniated discs. This is good news, because if it were completely severed, then there would be zero chance of recovery. The test showed some neurological activity, although it was weak and short lasting. So now that they have the results, my Doctors do not want to do anything permanent, and have opted to do a procedure called Vocal Fold Augmentation. The last surgery I had, which was also vocal fold augmentation, unfortunately did not end up with great results, as my "temporary" voice that was a result of this surgery was extremely short lived. This time, they are going to use my own fat. Where they are going to "harvest" fat from me is beyond me, but he told me that he felt confident that he could find some "somewhere"... lol I told him to just not leave me lopsided... lol Basically, I need a temporary voice either until my nerve decides to spontaneously recover, or they decide to do a permanent vocal fold implant. If after 1 year, my nerve has not recovered, then they will go and do the permanent implant. It's been 6 (very long) months since I've had a voice... I am so ready to feel normal and sound normal. It is amazing how crippling a paralyzed vocal chord can be. Please put in a good word to the man upstairs for me... I will be in the operating room on Tuesday, July 21. Thanks again for all of your support... Marcia
Up until about 6 months ago, I openly shared my life, and all of its adventures with you, my fellow fishing friends and outdoor lovers. I did this through my photos, videos, and the personal communications that I had with many of you. Fishing, and the Outdoors IS my life. So sharing my photos, videos and blogs with you was really letting you into the personal world of Marcia Rubin. I know many of you are avid followers of me and my career, and I cannot even begin to tell you how wonderful that makes me feel. I have received a countless number of emails from my friends/fans who were concerned. It is to you that I owe an explanation for my extended silence. I’ve made the decision to open up my life to you on a very different, much more personal level. After all, you have shown your deep and continued level of commitment to me, it is only fair that I offer you the same. So here it goes…. As many of you already know, I have had to face a lot of challenges in my life. I have repeatedly survived my biggest fears. Not only survived, but as a result became a much better person for having to cope with all of the loss that I have experienced from such a young age. And like I had just told a friend of mine who was having a difficult time…. “Without life’s trying times and emotional and physical challenges, you would be robbed of the opportunity to grow as a human on a personal, physical and spiritual level.” Friends… this has been the motto of my life, as I have managed to take every curve ball ever thrown at me to make me a better, wiser, stronger, and more compassionate human being. Basically, I learned the art of stopping to smell the flowers when I was just 6 years old. This was when my Father died. He was only 38 years old. My losses continued, and I continued to grow on every level. I share this with you not to get your pity, but rather to inspire you to take advantage of these trying times to “grow”. Seriously, what is the alternative if you choose not to take this path of enlightenment? It is a life of bitterness, blame and self pity. Personally, I would rather work on becoming the best that I can be, and help others to do the same through example. I could seriously write a book, and actually many have suggested it. Maybe one day. But just to give you a taste of the loss that I have experienced (without going into serious detail)… I have lost those that I was closest to…. My Dad, Mom, Birth Father, Grandfather, Step Father, my first husband and my second husband. I understand loss and grieving on a level that very few people will ever experience. And yes, even after all of this loss, I remained the ultimate optimist who never thought twice about stopping to smell the flowers. After all, you never do know if this may be the last opportunity you will ever have to smell them. You may be wondering why I am talking about all of the loss the I have experienced. To be honest, I may be doing it more for my sake than yours, as I am once again attempting to battle another major curveball, and reminding myself that I have survived through some very difficult times. Well, just like my stories that I share with you face to face tend to go on and on, it would appear that my writing style is guilty of the same… lol I’ll be the first to admit that listening to one of my stories can be quite the adventure, as you really never know where it’s going, or for that matter, if it will ever end… lol I can’t just get to the “meat” of it… I have to provide precise detail… to take your mind on my journey, and experience exactly what I had experienced. People have always said that they love talking to me because of my animation and visuals that I love to create. So basically, if you are in a hurry… then you better not open up the can of worms and start talking about fishing , or anything else I am passionate about…. Cuz you may be there for a while J Alright, well on that note…. Here is what has been going on with me… I was a passenger in a car that was involved in a car accident almost two years ago. I ended up with 2 herniated discs in my neck. After a year of Doctor visits, anti-inflammatories and physical therapy, my pain was not getting any better, as the matter of fact, it continued to get worse. My right arm, shoulder and hand ached beyond belief. I also was dealing with 3 of my fingers, parts of my hand and arm that were constantly tingling, as well as my right arm and hand feeling extremely klutzy and weak. Feeling like there were no other options to get my health back on track, I made an appointment with a Neurosurgeon who informed me that surgery was necessary. The MRI had shown multiple areas of my spinal cord were being compressed by these herniated discs. She explained that as long as the pressure from these herniated discs were on my spinal cord, I would continue to suffer the way that I had been suffering. At this point I was pretty desperate for relief, so I scheduled the surgery. A friend of mine had a friend who had a similar surgery, and he told me that she ended up with a “messed up voice”. I mentioned my concern to my Doctor, and she totally eased my fears when she put her arm around me and said, “You have nothing to worry about…I have been doing this for over 20 years, and have never had a patient suffer from any permanent damage to their vocal cords from this surgery.” She told me that I “may be a bit hoarse after surgery, but it would resolve itself quickly..” I explained to her that “talking” is what I do best. Not only am I good at it, but it truly is at the heart of my career. Not many people can say that they get paid to travel the country and talk about their biggest passion in life. I am one of the lucky ones. Not only that, but I will soon be Co-Hosting a new National Television show that we are shooting in Spring 2010. After voicing my concerns to her, I kind of felt like she felt that I made a much bigger deal about my voice then was necessary. She reassured me, “you have nothing to worry about…. Nothing is going to happen… you and your voice will be fine.” Alright, well maybe I was too concerned over “nothing”… but still, the thought of losing my voice was absolutely petrifying on so many levels.. February 2009... I have my surgery. As I awoke, I immediately noticed that the unbearable ache in my arm was gone. It was still tingly and klutzy feeling, but the ache was gone. I was SO happy. My throat hurt SO bad and I was so sick from the general anesthesia. They kept me on some serious pain killers, so I honestly have no memory of what my voice sounded like in the hospital. The one memory I do have was attempting to take my first sip of water and choking like I was going to die. I thought it was just a result of the pain killers, and my body just being lazy about swallowing. They really pushed me to drink before they would even consider discharging me, so once again, I took a sip of water and had the same experience of choking really bad. I did much better with food than I did liquids when it came to choking. I really didn’t know why I was choking. They finally let me go home the next day. Once I was off of the IV pain killers, I was better able to communicate. My throat hurt so bad, so I really didn’t do a lot of talking. But, when I did finally talk, what came out was not my voice. It was more like a strained whisper. My choking episodes continued, and I would even wake up in the middle of the night choking on my own saliva. I called my Doctor 5 days after surgery and told her that I was concerned about my “lack” of voice and my choking episodes. I went in to see her the next day. She told me that I definitely have the worst case of “hoarseness” that she has ever seen, and attributed it to me being thin. She said “just give it time… it will get better”. I have another follow up visit 1 month after surgery. Still no improvement in my voice, and still choking on liquids. She assured me that it is nothing to be concerned about I go in for my 2 month post op follow up. I am still choking and still have no voice. I express my concern about my voice, and tell her how not having a voice has affected my life on just about every level imaginable. She now attributes my lack of voice to acid reflux, and said that she believed that acid reflux was aggravating my vocal cords. She wrote me a prescription for an antacid. I asked her if she felt that it was time for me to go to a specialist to see what was going on with my voice and my choking, and she assured me that it will resolve itself. Knowing how important my voice is from both a personal and professional standpoint, I felt like I needed to be more proactive in this situation, so I sought help from an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist who then referred me to a Otolaryngologist who was the head of the department at the Head and Neck Institute at the Cleveland Clinic. They stuck a camera up my nose and down my throat to look at my vocal cords. The news was bad, although it did not surprise me. They informed me that my right vocal fold was completely paralyzed as a result of the surgery that I had for my herniated discs in my neck. Well, the good news is that I now know why I am choking on everything, and I now know why I have no voice. But now what???? The other good news was that this was something that I did not have to live with… there were options that would provide me with a voice, even though it may be temporary. Basically, these procedures would provide me a voice while buying time and waiting for my damaged nerve to recover on its own. They informed me that 10% of people that have cervical disc surgery end up with varied amount of damage to the nerve that operates their vocal cords . Of that 10%, 70% will have spontaneous recovery with no lasting effect. The other 30% do not recover, and end up with a permanent vocal fold implant. I also learned that this spontaneous recovery could happen up to a year and a half after the initial injury to the nerve. With it only being 3 months since my neck surgery, it was too soon to determine if my nerve was permanently damaged, so my doctors opted to perform a procedure that would give me a “temporary” voice while I continue to play the waiting game. So back into the operating room I went. I was so excited about having the ability to speak again. I was on complete vocal rest for 5 days after surgery, and was on vocal restriction for a week after that. And when I spoke, I was SO happy! I had a voice!!!!!! I wasn’t choking anymore!!!! I wasn’t running out of breath after speaking 3 words!!!! Well, unfortunately, this voice only lasted a very short while, much shorter than the Doctors and I had expected. Once again, I am choking, and once again, I am running out of breath after 3 or so words. These Doctors deal with famous people from all around the world who depend on their voice in their profession. You should see the pictures of celebrities they have hanging in the hallways. I am in very good hands. Hands that understand that I need my voice, because my voice is my career. This is much better then being under the care of a doctor that is not willing to be proactive about such an important aspect of my life. I don’t have time to sit around and just “wait” for my voice to recover on its own, especially when there are options available that would provide me with a voice while y nerve healed. Well, I went back to the Clinic yesterday to discuss more options because the last surgery that I had did not last as long as had been expected. They stuck the camera up my nose and down my throat again to check on my vocal cord. Looking for any sign of life. Unfortunately, it is still completely paralyzed and it has been almost 6 months since my initial surgery. And now I have a “granuloma on my left vocal cord. (my right one is the one that is paralyzed). Granulomas are a result of incorrect vocal usage, vocal fold trauma, and acid reflux. Well, this would explain why my throat has been hurting me, especially after a lot of talking. You see, my left vocal cord is attempting to compensate for the paralyzed vocal cord, and this overcompensation is taking its toll. Well, my doctors believe that at 6 months since the initial injury, that they can safely project the likelihood of my nerve spontaneously healing by performing a nerve conduction study, or an EMG.. I am scheduled for the nerve conduction study on July 14. The results of this test will determine the probability of recovery., and will also determine what the next step in the operation room will be. Meaning, will they opt to do another procedure that will provide me with a temporary voice or will they opt for a permanent vocal fold implant. If the nerve shows any sign of life at all, then they will go ahead and perform another procedure that will give me a temporary voice. Instead of using the Radiesse Gel, like they did last time, they will use fat from my own body to plump up the paralyzed vocal cord. For those of you that are curious about this procedure, it s called vocal fold augmentation Basically, my right vocal cord is stuck in the open position. This is why I choke on liquids, as there is an open doorway right into my lungs. By injecting a material behind the paralyzed vocal cord, they are pushing it towards the midline, where it can make contact with my opposing vocal cord., the healthy one that is working feverishly to make contact with the paralyzed one. The downside to this procedure is that it is temporary, as the body resorbs the material over time. Everyone is different, and resorption rates vary from person to person, and different materials used have different resorption rates. It’s a tricky procedure because they have to account for swelling afterwards. So if they “over fill” me, then potentially, my airway could be completely blocked. If its not enough, then I will get less then desired results. I can have this procedure done two more times, while buying time and waiting for my nerve to heal. But, if after a year of “temporary” voices, I have still not recovered, or have made just a partial recovery, then they would have to insert a permanent vocal fold implant. If the nerve shows zero signs of life, then they will go ahead and insert a permanent vocal fold implant. With this option, they will have complete control of my voice, as this implant is “molded” into the shape that will give me back my voice, as I once knew it. The doctors feel absolutely confident that they will restore my voice to the point that it will be unnoticeable. I am scheduled for my third surgery on July 28. So friends… I am sorry for not being honest with you about what has been going on. To be very honest, this has been one of the most difficult things that I have ever managed to attempt to get through. I bet you never thought about what life would be like without a voice. Well, neither did I. Let me tell you that not having a voice has been crippling to say the least. Not only is it crippling, but it sure can take a toll on one’s self esteem. And the thought of never singing again is another biggie that I have to deal with. You see, music is a huge part of my life, just like fishing. I started playing guitar at 14, and by 17 I was out performing, and many of the songs that I performed were songs that I had written. I also performed in an adult show choir for over 10 years. My doctors are promising me that I will have my speaking voice again. But, the vocal fold implant will put a limit my range. Considering that I took a lot of pride in the flexibility of my range, this doesn’t make me real happy. But, if the trade off is a voice that I can use to communicate, then I will have to accept that. But for now, I don’t need to accept that because the end result of my damaged nerve is still unclear. This is something that only time will tell. To be very honest will all of you, I was really hoping to just slip under the radar until my voice returned. Unfortunately, it has dragged on much longer than I had hoped. I’ve had so many people wondering what was going on, and why I wasn’t fishing the tour this year. But I was so scared of exposing myself as “damaged goods”, that I chose to just keep quiet about my situation. The guilt I was feeling by not letting everyone know what I was battling with was weighing heavier and heavier with each day that passed. But what I have come to accept is the fact that yes… for now… my life was not what it once was. The good news is that this is all just temporary, and that by early next year, or possibly much sooner, my voice will return, as it was, and I will feel complete once again. Even more exciting is the new national television show that I will be Co-Hosting. More on that later…. I am incredibly grateful to my sponsors who have stood by my side during these trying times. My sponsors are much more to me than just sponsors, they are true friends and the kindest people you could ever imagine. www.LFTLures.com www.GammaFishing.com www.GLoomis.com
So while my voice, or “lack of voice” has temporarily prevented me from traveling the country doing fishing seminars and making guest appearances on radio shows or television shows, it has certainly not kept me from enjoying what I love to do most… go fishing J
It would mean so much to me if you were able to put me, my vocal cords , and a spontaneous recovery in your prayers.
First of all, I just want to take the time to thank ALL of my friends here on MySpace. You have been loyal friends through all of my ups as well as my downs, and I cannot even begin to tell you how grateful I am to have such an incredible network of people that support me and all that I do. So here is a very sincere "Thank You" from the bottom of my heart.
And now... onto the BIG BIG news.... are you ready??? Sit down, cuz this is big, and it's about to get even bigger!!!!
As you already know.. fishing and the outdoors is my life. One of the many goals that I set at the beginning of my fishing career was to make a difference. Make a difference either individually or globally, it didn't matter to me, I just want(ed) to make a difference. I want to inspire. I want to encourage people to follow their hopes and dreams. I want to be a voice in the outdoor world.
I know by the wonderful emails that I receive that I am making a difference in many peoples lives. I am reaching my goal, slowly but surely. But I knew that I had the ability to reach out to many more people on a global level, but up until now, I wasn't quite sure how I would go about doing that.
Well here it is friends.... I, Marcia Rubin, will be Co-Hosting an upcoming National television show with Teeg Stouffer - the Executive Director of www.RecycledFish.org
This is still kinda under wraps, so please don't blog about it or post it to any forums. As my MySpace friend, I wanted you to know about it and be a part of it. In 2009, I'm going to fish 50 States in 50 Days to help save our lakes, streams and seas, and we need your help.
I'll be co-hosting a big adventure - with cameras rolling the whole time!In every state, we're going to catch fish! (We hope). Then we're going to build on that excitement to point to an environmental problem facing that fishery, and give the viewer a way to help solve the problem.
Our project has three phases. In Phase 1, you'll be able to follow the action REAL TIME as we upload daily video podcasts live from the road, and you can BE IN THE SHOW WITH ME when we come to your area, because there are parties along the way where we'll be dropping in! Phase 2 will be the television show, and I hope you'll watch! Phase 3 will be a feature length film as well as a book that documented our journey across the United States.
THIS IS BIG!!! Changing the world is big. It ties everything together that we, as anglers and outdoorsmen are about - fishing, the problems facing our fisheries, and giving everyday people everyday solutions to solve the problems through our big adventure.
Looking at a project of this magnitude certainly has a way of making one feel small and insignificant, don't you think? But trust me, YOU ARE CRITICAL TO THE CAUSE! Isn't there a proverb that says something like "Many hands make light work?"
Teeg and I are out to make a real difference in the world, and I truly believe that if their are two people on the face of this earth that can accomplish this feat, that Teeg and I are the ones to do it!
You can help our message be heard by becomming part of it. We need your help! Here's the 1 way. We need just a little more help to cover the costs for our pilot episode, which will help us get the biggest possible network and audience. We already know the show will air on television, the challenge now is how big can we take this?Biggest, if you can help. Who do you know who might be able to provide a little financial support?
Modesty aside, are you able to offer any financial assistance? Even small contributions like $10 or $20 matter very much, so please don't think that your insignificant donation can't make a difference because it can. If you are not able to personally make a donation, then perhaps you can connect us with someone you know who is in a better position to give? Can you help make those connections? Please?
Remember... All donations are TAX DEDUCTIBLE as www.RecycledFish.org is a U.S. 501(c)3 non-profit corporation.
By the end of this week, we need to raise another $7500 to meet the remainder of our production expenses. I have complete faith that we will get there if we, as Anglers and Outdoorsmen come together for this great cause. Are you with me?
The major political parties are able to raise a million dollars a day to run attack ads that everybody hates. I know that with your help, we can raise $7500 in three days that will change the world for good, through good!
$100.00 or more donations - Donors will be listed in the credits (if they wish) and also posted on my MySpace page, RecycledFish on MySpace www.myspace.cn/recycled_fish , RecycledFish on Facebook and also on their primary website www.RecycledFish.org
Here is a video compilation of most of my designs that are now available on T-shirts, Hoodies (Men/Women/Children), Bumper Stickers, Mugs, Mousepads, and many more items. Visit www.CafePress.com/ReelGifts today for an awesome selection of hunting & fishing related designs.
Use coupon code SECANTFIVER at checkout to receive $5.00 of your order of $50.00 or more. This offer is good until August 13, 2008
VISIT MY STORE AT WWW.CAFEPRESS.COM/REELGIFTS TODAY FOR INCREDIBLY UNIQUE FISHING AND HUNTING RELATED GIFTS FOR YOU AND ANYONE ELSE THAT YOU KNOW THAT LOVES THE OUTDOORS!
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Wow.... That's what I have to say about Lake St. Clair, and all the beautiful fish that can call it "home".
Well, here is a play by play for you....
Alright.. So, as you already probably know, I had just spent a week at ICAST in Las Vegas when it was time for me to pack up again (after only one day at home) to leave for Canada to begin my prefishing. Welcome to Marcia's life
Only one problem though... I woke up the day after returning from Vegas with the worst headache imaginable!!! After countless attempts of ridding myself of this thing, I accepted the fact that I was not leaving that day for my prefish. I was however packed and ready to go...
Come Monday (my tournament starts on Friday), I realize that I have to leave no matter what. Yeah, I felt like poop, (except now I can add a sore throat, stomach ache, chills, and stuffy nose to my list of complaints..lol) but knew the importance of getting out on the water. I mean, I am competing against all men! Not only that, but for many of these men, they know this water!!!!
I planned on staying in Michigan during my prefish because I had planned on fishing Lake St. Clair. Otherwise, it would have been a 50 minute truck ride to where I wanted to launch on St. Clair.
So in my haste to finally get on the road (for my short 3 hour trip to Michigan), I forgot something really important... My Birth Certificate!!!!
I don't know how many of you (U.S. Citizens) have gone through the "getting your Canadian Fishing License/Boat Permit ordeal"... but let me tell you... these border patrol officers don't mess around.. period!
So here was my situation... I had to board this ferry to obtain my Canadian fishing license. That meant that I was leaving the U.S.. They informed me that if I did not have proof of citizenship (birth certificate, passport), that customs would not let me return to the U.S. Not only that, but without proof of citizenship, I would not be able to get my boat permit!!!
So basically I spent all day Monday running around getting all of my proper licenses and permits in order. Thank god they accepted a faxed version of my birth certificate!
Well, that basically blew any fishing time that I had planned on for Monday... Besides, I was feeling really icky and was looking forward to getting to bed EARLY and taking some Night Time Cold/Flu medicine for some much needed relief!!
Tuesday I was up at 4:30AM, and on the water by 6:00am. I'll admit that this body of water was a bit intimidating to me at first.. I mean... it is HUGE, and I was alone on this monster body of water When I mean "huge", I mean that there are times when you can't see the shore "huge"... That certainly has a way of making someone feel VERY small and insignificant!
One thing that really impressed me was the color of this water. It was beautiful deep turquoise blue. Definitely "smallmouth" water
So on my first day of practice, I decided to fish "deep". When I say "Deep", I mean 12'-18'. This lake is very shallow, and really doesn't have a ton of "obvious" structure. Basically what that means is that if you can find a one foot difference in elevation, that that is HUGE.
Then of course there are those hidden gems... the "Rock Piles"... but unfortunately, I didn't have the time to go out and scout for these "not marked on your map" Rock Piles. Darn....
My day started off very hopeful in terms of how "MANY" fish I was catching, but unfortunately, I knew that even though the "numbers" were there, the "SIZE" was not.
The morning started out with beautiful weather, but come midday, things took a turn for the worse! I had noticed that things were starting to look a little darker, and I turned around to see what the heck just stole my sunshine and was floored with what I saw!
Right behind me was a HUGE storm, that basically divided the Western half of the lake from the Eastern half and was heading straight toward me! It was an incredible sight!
Oh geez... I should probably head to the "sunny" side of the lake, huh??? lol I swear, I was RIGHT on the edge of this storm heading right toward me. You know me and my picture taking, so of course I have to whip out my camera to get a shot at this magnificant sight! Within seconds, a serious gust of wind came and then it started POURING! I am talking HUGE heavy raindrops that beat against my Frogg Toggs. Running in this wouldn't be fun, that's for sure, so I basically just huddled up and was going to brave out the storm. Suddenly the rain stopped, but the wind still blew like crazy. This was my window of opportunity to get to the "sunny side" of the lake. Wierd huh? I thought so
So I got up on plane, moved a couple hundred yards, and just like that, I was sitting in bright sunshine, but with a nasty rainstorm right next to me. Thank god there wasn't any lightning, cuz that could have been ugly for sure!
I basically spent the rest of my day dodging rain. The Northern wind had totally muddied up the area that I was really wanting to check out so it was on to Plan B.
Today I caught ALL of my fish on the 3 1/2" LIVE Magic shad or my Jerkbait.
As I was loading up my boat to head back to the hotel, I looked out over the lake and saw a waterspout. It was big, and it was very close to touching the water. I stood there in awe and was trying to figure out if this thing posed any danger. I wish I would have grabbed my camera earlier, but I was just too caught up in the moment. But here is a picture of the Waterspout after it began to recess back into the cloud.
Regardless of the nasty weather, I had a great day out on the water, and caught lots of fish
Well, knowing that I wasn't quite getting the size that I knew I would need to win this thing, I thought that I would go extreme, and fish shallow. Yes... Shallow for Smallmouth... Crazy huh? Yeah, I thought so too until I caught this 6+ pounder out of about a foot of water!
I would have loved to have weighed this gorgeous fish because it rivals my current personal best which is a 7lb Lake Erie Smallmouth. But, I wanted to get her back in the water quick. Heck, she could have been over 7 pounds, but I will never know... That's alright.. I know RIGHT where she lives
Lake Fork Trophy Lures has a brand new bait out called the "HYPER WORM". I had used the protype version, and really liked it which is why I decided to throw a Texas Rigged Hyper Worm instead of the dropshot rig. Here is a photo of the new HYPER WORM.
On a side note.... Mark Pack, an FLW Tour pro and also the owner of Lake Fork Trophy Lures, recently took home a victory on Beaver Lake using the prototype "HYPERWORM", and brought home a check for $200,000!!!.
So, getting back to my huge smallmouth... oh yeah.. that was incredible! I hated that I didn't have anyone to help take a nice photo, but oh well, the self taken photo will just have to make do. I was shakin' so bad that I was worried that the pic wouldn't come out... lol
I had determined after my second day on the water that I could catch bigger fish fishing shallow than I could deep, so that was my game plan come tournament day. I caught about 10-11lbs fishing 12-18 feet, and caught close to 17pounds fishing shallow (1-6 feet).
I woke up Thursday (the day before the tournament) feeling SO BAD! My head was pounding, and my lungs felt like they had been turned inside out. I felt pretty confident that I knew where to find the bigger fish, that I chose to stay off the water, and rest up the best that I could before the big day.
Registration was at the OLG Charity Casino . I walk into the crowded casino, not really knowing a soul! So know, not only am I the only female Pro Angler, I am also probably the only one who didn't know anyone!
I did recognize a few faces from ICAST though.... like Dave Mercer, host of television show Facts of Fishing.
After registration, we did the pairings. I was boat 57 (out of 61) so I was one of the last Pro's to draw my Amateurs. Ironically, the two names that I drew were the two youngest amateurs in this event. Michael was 15 and Cal was 18. How funny is that? I was happy though because I am right at home being around teenage boys since my son just turned 21.
Michael and I met in the parking lot of the hotel on day one of the tourney. I felt confident that we would have a good day. Maybe not the winning weight, but I knew that we'd be coming to the scales with some fish
I REALLY liked the format of this tournament. It is different from anything that I have ever fished because my Amateur and I shared our weight. So, because of this, each tournament day felt like a "team tournament". I got to share everything I knew from my prefishing, and also shared my Hyper Worm because of the numbers of fish that I was catching with it.
I went straight back to where I had caught that 6+ pounder during practice first thing in the morning. Unfortunately, she wasn't home
I did have another big fish in that same general area follow the Hyper Worm all the way to the boat, but then quickly turned the other way.
Michael was shocked when I told him how shallow and how big these fish were that I had found. It looked like a great topwater area, but I was not able to get on any type of topwater bite during my practice. He asked me if I had thrown topwater with any success, and I said no, unfortunately. I could see his gears turning, and even though I said that I had had no luck, he decided to pick up his topwater bait anyway.
Within seconds, he had a violent blow up, and the fish was on! His drag was SO loose that I was afraid that he was going to lose the fish, but thank god, he got it to the boat, and I got it in the net. Yeah! Teamwork! This fish was close to 5 pounds and definitely not a bad way to start our day! We were both shaking like crazy!
Minutes after Michael caught that fish, I caught fish number two. In the box it went. And then came number three, four and five. We had our limit by 10:00, but could only cull up 2 times the rest of the day. We still caught so many fish and had a GREAT day out on the water together.
We joked and called our boat "The MINORITY" boat... I mean we were afterall the minorities of the tournament
We ended up weighing in 14.45 pounds and were sitting in 36th place. I was proud of that weight considering my lack of time on the water.
Day two of the tournament started off kinda rough. You see, I use my cell phone as my alarm clock. Well, evidently, if I get a text message sent after I fall asleep, it seems to cancel out my alarm. Yup, it's every tournament anglers nightmare... sleeping in and missing blast off. So here it is 5:30 AM and I have to be at the ramp at 6:00am. Talk about hectic!!! But somehow I managed to pull myself together and make it to the ramp at 6:05 AM. I ate my bowl of cereal in my truck as I waited to launch
Cal, my day two amateur was sitting in 3rd place after day one. Oh my gosh... talk about pressure!!!! But, I still felt confident that I could have another day like yesterday. Just like Michael was shocked, so was Cal when he discovered how shallow these fish were that I was catching.
Cal ended up catching the first fish, but it was definitely not like the size fish that I had been catching out of this general area. It was about a pound and a half. But, it was still early. Unfortunately, the bites were few and far between, and the fish that we were catching were all short!!!! What happened to my big fish????
It was clear that my fish had moved, but the question was "where to?". I ended up fishing many different patterns, including areas in the St. Clair river, and only managed to catch 1 more keeper fish, and it was a largemouth! But hey, it kept!
I was feeling so much pressure because of Cal's position to win the event as an amateur. I felt absolutely horrible that I could not produce nice fish to weigh in!!! He was a real trooper though, and still kept a very positive attitude. He knew how hard I tried to re-find my fish that left me.... But hey, we are talking about smallmouths, and these fish definitely seem to have a mind of their own. The obviously DON"t read the same books that I do
Cal and I ended up weighing in 3.45 pounds on day two with only two fish. Can you say "ICK"....
Being that this was my first "international" tournament, and on top of that I am the first women to ever compete in such an event, I really wanted to have a strong finish, so I will admit that I'm a bit disappointed in the end result.
On a lighter note, I met some of the most absolutely wonderful people during my stay in Ontario, and most of them were members of the C.P.A.A. (Canadian Professional Anglers Association. We were all staying at the same hotel, and they welcomed me with open arms into their fishing community. I can honestly say that I left Ontario with many new friends who I look forward to spending some more time with both on the water and in the hotel parking lot
Here I am on day three of the tournament at the C.P.A.A. autograph table. There were SO many fans that came up to the table to meet their favorite fishing Pro's and television celebrities. I handed out a couple of hundred Pro cards myself before I ran out! It was great to see the kind of energy that existed between the Pro's and their fans.
I really look forward to visiting Canada again real soon, that's for sure. Between the amazing smallmouth fishing and the kindest people you'd ever meet, it will be hard to stay away for very long!
This entire event was filmed and will be available on WFN (World Fishing Network)
Don't have WFN? Click HERE to see how you can bring WFN into your home!
For the second time in my fishing career I have made history by being the "first women" to participate in certain "male dominated" events. Leave it to me, huh?
The first event that I made history with was when I became the first female to ever be invited to particpate in the "Fish With a Pro" event (in traverse, Michigan) http://www.lifelineyouth.org/events.aspx?pid=101
And now my latest history making event - I was the first female to ever compete in the Canadian Open of Fishing
Here is an article regarding the event:
WFN Tour News
WFN: World Fishing Network Announces Professional Field for Capital One Canadian Open of Fishing, Presented by Shimano
TORONTO, July 23, 2008 – WFN: World Fishing Network announced today that Canadian television fishing personalities Bob Izumi (Burlington, Ont.), Wayne Izumi (Burlington, Ont.) and Dave Mercer (Port Perry, Ont.), along with veteran tournament anglers Doug Brownridge (Milton, Ont.), David Chong (Aurora, Ont.), J.P. DeRose (Richmond Hill, Ont.), Mike Desforges (Burlington, Ont.), Chris Tieber (Scarborough, Ont.) and American Steve Clapper (Lima, Ohio) will headline a field of 56 professionals who will compete for a purse of $130,000 this week at the inaugural Capital One Canadian Open of Fishing, presented by Shimano, in Sarnia, Ont. from July 25-27, 2008.
The tournament's professional field consists of 49 Canadians and seven Americans, including Marcia Rubin (Chagrin Falls, Ohio), the lone female angler to compete in the tournament. A complete list of all the professional anglers competing in this elite, world class bass fishing tournament can be viewed by clicking here.
A pro-am bass event, the Capital One Canadian Open of Fishing, presented by Shimano, will also feature a field of 56 amateur competitors who will battle for a variety of prizes. The division is headlined by veteran Canadian tournament anglers John Hayes (Sherwood Park, Alta.), Don McCaw (Orangeville, Ont.) and Japanese professional anglers Shogo Motegi (Toyko, Japan) and Hachiya Osamu (Tokyo, Japan).
The tournament format for the Capital One Canadian Open of Fishing, presented by Shimano, consists of a five fish weigh-in, per boat, per day. The professional angler who records the highest cumulative weight over the three-day event will receive a first-place prize of $25,000.
During the first two days of the tournament, each professional angler will fish with a different amateur. Following Saturday's round, the 10 professional anglers with the highest cumulative weight will qualify for Sunday's final.
In the amateur division, the angler with the highest cumulative weight from the first two days of the event will receive a 9.9 horsepower Yamaha boat motor from Precision Power Sports.
The Capital One Canadian Open of Fishing, presented by Shimano will be contested on four primary bodies of water including the Detroit River, Lake St. Clair, the St. Clair River and Lake Huron.
Coverage of the Capital One Canadian Open of Fishing, presented by Shimano, will be broadcast on WFN.
兴奋
When I mean "huge", I mean that there are times when you can't see the shore "huge"... That certainly has a way of making someone feel VERY small and insignificant!
