Worst Surfcasting Injuries

[Grampa Greg]

Sup guys!!!
Just wanted to say thank you to everyone who posted on the relationship thread I started.

Guys, I am very well aware of the risks and hazards involved in surfcasting. I frequently get banged up when I'm wet suiting around boulders in bigger surf. Thankfully (knock on wood) that's been the extent of my injuries with only one doctors visit required (crushed my "fat pad of Hoffa" within my knee after coming down on it full force when stepping off a rock into some moving water).
I am curious of the worst injuries you guys have experienced or witnessed.

What happened?
Were you hospitalized?
Fractures?
Sprains/Strains?
Unconscious?
When animals attack? Close calls?
Drowning witnessed? Almost drowned?

Would love to hear your stories!

GG

[jim sylvester]

ever get your leg pinned 40 yards out between two boulders on a rising tide....with partner.....stuck for what felt like an hour but after looking at watch it was only 4 minutes until I relaxed enough and found an exit for my leg....thought I was gone..

no extensive injuries...basic bumps and bruises

but that was scary

[numbskull]

I got stalked by what I thought was a coyote one night. When I turned around and charged it using my rod like a lance it turned out to be a very bewildered cow.

[onecastmike2003]

I was fishing during one of our hurricanes a few years back when this rogue wave almost did me in ... I had a few seconds to grab the fence at the light house before there was white water up to my chin with my Korkers being pulled towards the North Atlantic.
I've had a few plugs stuck to my waders at a high rate of speed ... rogue waved off a few rocks ...overall not to bad

[Pete F.]

Originally Posted by numbskull

I got stalked by what I thought was a coyote one night. When I turned around and charged it using my rod like a lance it turned out to be a very bewildered cow.

you certainly are an Ingenious Gentleman

[BigFish]

Originally Posted by numbskull

I got stalked by what I thought was a coyote one night. When I turned around and charged it using my rod like a lance it turned out to be a very bewildered cow.

Spot burn.......COW......C-O-W.....E-I-E-I-O!

[piemma]

I wrote an article that was published in The Fisherman mag. It's title was "Falling off the Block". It was published in the Oct 12, 2012 edition. Do a search and read how I almost "lost it all" at the North Rip.

[blondterror]

someone must have some great Orient Point stories... I have seen guys wading way out with the tide rippin'

[PaulS]

I get my pride injured a lot.

[JohnR]

My back has been preventing me from Surfcasting

[afterhours]

Originally Posted by JohnR

My back has been preventing me from Surfcasting

that sounds familiar- it was the spring for me. get well soon. you still have that beautiful seacraft?

[Rappin Mikey]

Impailed by some hooks. One sent me to the hospital. I bruised my tail bone doing a flip off of Cuttyhunk too. Oh yeah, I almost drowned in the head taking the ferry over on that trip as well.

[Swimmer]

I have fallen a few times very lucky to escape serious, need treatment injuries, except for whatever is rolling next to my right kneecap, no pain involved, so no m.d. involved. Buried a vmc treble deep into palm of left hand. The ten pound fish that was attached to the other treble hook, by the way do you guys know how much stretch there is in the fat part of your hand at the base of your thumb its amazing how much give there is in that area. Taking that hook out by pushing it all the way through, crimping the hook, and backing it out took some mettle out of me. Gun shy since that morning
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[Jackbass]

My worst injuries are long term. Nagging rotator cuff in the left shoulder elbow problems etc. sore back. Some work related as well. Closest call I have had to a really bad injury was walking back across a very long breakwater and stepping directly between two rocks. And beating the hell out of my shin I thought for sure when I went down I was going to have a broken leg or something. Just wound up with waders full of blood and a ruined pair of pants.
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[Rob Rockcrawler]

Bumps bruises, fish hooks nothing too bad. I did get smoked last year at a light house when a rogue smashed me up against the wall. I did not see that one coming. I got rolled hard that night, packed it in.

Last year on Block i got stalked by a deer. It was a real nice buck that was on the bluff in the fragmites. <sp>. I was in the surf it was pretty quiet and about 30 yards behind me i heard something on the bluff. I waked towards it to figure out what the hell it was, a big buck comes out of the brush with a bushel of weeds in its rack. Then it proceeds to walk down the bank onto the beach, no big deal. Then it starts pacing me, grunting on occasion. I got nervous and started yelling at the damn thing, i picked up a piece of drift wood in case it charged. It went on for 5-10 minutes till it climbed the cliff and went on its way.

[JohnnySaxatilis]

Originally Posted by Jackbass

My worst injuries are long term. Nagging rotator cuff in the left shoulder elbow problems etc. sore back. Some work related as well. Closest call I have had to a really bad injury was walking back across a very long breakwater and stepping directly between two rocks. And beating the hell out of my shin I thought for sure when I went down I was going to have a broken leg or something. Just wound up with waders full of blood and a ruined pair of pants.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

I didnt hear anything so I kept going till I got back to the car and turned around and went "hey, where the hell is mark?" and saw ur head lamp 500 yrds away LOL

[JohnnySaxatilis]

Well few years ago I was out on a nice rock right before a bad storm was coming in on a rising tide in rhodie, After 15 mins I thought I was badass standing out there, lookin around at the surf, and a wave came in that blasted me off that rock like a dead leaf. Luckily I went straight backwards and only cut up my hand and knee, somehow held onto my rod. packed it in right there that was a short trip. I did not, repeat, not feel like a badass on the way back to the car ha!

And I've taken numerous short diggers into the rocks at the canal, I can't be sure which one it was but over the this past fall into winter after working out for a few weeks I almost couldnt walk on my left knee so I got it checked out and had a fracture in my left tibia... stupid ditch

I wanna hear new jack chime in on this, I helped him out with hook in the thumb few weeks ago thatll be a good post!

[DZ]

Lost two friends to drowning while casting in the past two years.
Wrote something for The Fisheman mag about the topic which will be published soon.

Just falls and accompanying cuts/bruises for me over the years, a few dorsal fin puntures(treat them quick!), a tweaked back. In the past two seasons I've dealt with tennis/casting elbow, torn knee cartlidge, and recently... an infected toe. I used to bounce back quick from injuries - now as I've aged it is a much longer healing process that puts me out of commission for too long.

DZ

[piemma]

Originally Posted by DZ

I used to bounce back quick from injuries - now as I've aged it is a much longer healing process that puts me out of commission for too long.

DZ

Ditto Dennis, ditto

[Back Beach]

Broken toe whilst running through the woods barefoot with a pail of ill gotten herring many years ago. Karma plain and simple.
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[DZ]

Originally Posted by Back Beach

Broken toe whilst running through the woods barefoot with a pail of ill gotten herring many years ago. Karma plain and simple.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

That's great.

[JLH]

Thankfully nothing too serious.

Bumps, bruises and small cuts are pretty much a weekly/nightly occurrence.

I’ve been impaled by hooks a few times one was pretty bad through my index finger while still attached to a fish but with some help I was able to cut the hook and free myself. That was the only incident that required a trip to the ER for a tetanus shot.

I typically have some kind of elbow and shoulder pain that develops towards the end of the season but so far it's gone away for spring.

I'm not too old (40) but I definitely feel the long nights and the beatings from the surf/rocks a lot more than I did 10 years ago. It's imperssive that guys in their 50s and 60s are still fishing as hard as they do. I hope I'm still fit and healthy enough to be doing this in another 20 years.

[bart]

I should've been hurt on many occasions, but luckily nothing too serious. 2 years ago I was out on a rock in a NE wind with a building surf. I knew I should've got off, but I was doing well and tried to sneak in a few more casts. Saw a big wave approaching and I was screwed. Couldn't get off the rock or I would've been pinned. Tried to take it as best I could. Struck me hard in the chest and luckily dropped me to one knee on the same rock I was standing on. Was sure I re-tore my ACL. MY knee was completely numb and tingling. Once I knew it wasn't torn I still continued fishing. Again, should've got right off. Went back to my truck in pain but still wanted to fish another spot on the drop, but when I tried to take off my waders I couldn't because my knee was the size of a softball. Had a hematoma (sp). When the blood finally left my knee, my whole leg was black and blue from it dispersing. Didn't fish again that Fall....

[tysdad115]

A few impaled hooks here and there, first one last year buried it up to my knuckle, pushed it through crushed the barb and yanked it out. This year buried a 4/0 up to the curve in my right tricep but I was "smart" and crushed the barbs after last years fiasco. This July I tore some calf muscles while fishing and missed a few weeks but overall nothing major (yet).

[OLD GOAT]

Was going to open my mouth but just about everything said has happened to me. All except the mad cow thingie

[jonserfish]

Originally Posted by Swimmer

by the way do you guys know how much stretch there is in the fat part of your hand at the base of your thumb its amazing how much give there is in that area.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

I WAS SITTING ON AN EMBANKMENT TAKING A BREAK NEXT TO MY BRAND NEW POPPER WHEN I SAW A TOP WATER EXPLOSION 10 FEET FROM ME. AS I ATTEMPTED TO JUMP UP PUT MY HAND DOWN TO BALANCE MYSELF AND I SANK A NICE SHARP TREBLE AS FAR AS POSSIBLE (RITE TO THE WELD)
SAT BACK DOWN, DRANK A CPL OF BEERS, DOING THE CHEVY CHASE "THIS IS CRAZY-THIS IS CRAZY" THING TRYING TO BUILD UP THE COURAGE TO REMOVE.

HAD TO HAVE A "FRIEND" STEP ON MY HAND AND PULL OUT THE HOOK! I SWEAR IT LOOKED LIKE A CARTOON. HAD NO IDEA THAT THE HAND WILL STRETCH FARTHER THAN A MEDICAL GLOVE BEFORE GIVING.

NOT SURF FISHING BUT RUMOR HAS IT I BANGED MY SKULL OFF OF EVERY THING I WENT NEAR IN VT ICE FISHING OVER THE WINTER TOO.

[Zeno]

diarrhea in a wetsuit 300 yards off shore..no need more pain than that
torn rotator cuff
torn elbow tendon
bruised ribs
broken finger

[Slipknot]

Just my ego, for me

[Slipknot]

witnessed many hooks in hands and other body parts.

I saw the one Johnny spoke of with new jack, not pretty and tough to do anything about. He is a trooper

I was there when Mikey tried to drown himself in the ferry toilet

[Saltheart]

Many turned ankles and bruises from falling in the rocks but I guess the only real injury was a broken finger down the canal. Finger went wrong way around a conventional reel spool.