Finally Broke Through

[Scott Smith]

Well, it has been a very frustrating fishing season for me so far. With family stuff, work and medical issues taking up alot of my time, I've had little time to devote to fishing. I joined NBAA in early spring, obviously not realizing I would have little time to devote to fishing. In fact, I have been so frustratingly busy, that my every monday night 3 hour NBAA tourney's (inland lake division) are all the fishing that I have been getting in. As a matter of fact, I live 10 minutes from a St. Clair launch and have only been out there once this year.



My partner is my 15 year old daughter. We have had a very tough season in NBAA, fishing mostly lakes I have never been on before. Yesterday, she stood me up for a friends pool party (can't blame her, it was 97 degrees). So off I go, kinda irritated and really sweaty (fat guys sweat alot) to fish alone. So my strategy is to fish offshore structure...water temp was 83 degrees (sweltering for Michigan). So around 6, we blast off, I head to my spot (offshore), I watch most everyone else head to the banks and docks (have I guessed wrong again..?). Within 5 minutes, I catch my first keeper on a senko which it swallows deep, I cut the line and throw it in the well, bleeding bad, it promptly dies. I'm pretty upset with myself, and lose a good 15 minutes trying to keep the fish alive. I then go on to camp out on my spot and go fishless...................until 8:50 when I promptly catch 3 nice keepers in a row, which propels me to first place and my first NBAA victory. So all is good in my world today...even my daughter who stood me up was excited for me.....she asked me if I went "Ike", I advised her that a large framed and big boned man such as myself does not go "Ike", for fear of killing himself and/or innocent bystanders....



smitty

 

[Jody Woodruff]

Congrats Smitty!

 

[Andrew Zuber]

Awsome Smitty!

My son Jake (also 15) and I fish a club tournament every Monday night over on 'this' side of the state...We "cleaned up" last season...1st or 2nd in over 1/2 of them....not as good this year...two seconds and two 4ths....2 "big basses"...we got a 4th last night...12 boats...we were fishing the channels in a local lake....89 degree water!!!! Caught 2 keepers there (had caught 4 in practice the previous week)...moved out to main lake structure and caught 1 more in 84 degree water...finished with 5 lbs and some change...1st had 10lbs, 2nd had 8-1 and 3rd had 8-0.....1-2-3 all had 5 fish limits....

Are 2 'seconds' have come on our 'favorite' lakes and were back to one of those next monday....

Look Out Monday Night Liar's Club!!!



Keep up the good work Smitty!



az

 

[Bill McElroy]

Way to go Smitty!!! ..Congrat's!!!

 

[William H. (Bill) Barham]

Yahooooo Smitty. That's fantastic! Now just keep it up.



Uncle Billy

 

[JD Johnson]

Way to go Smitty, how's the health going?

 

[Aaron Scott2]

Way to go Smitty. As JDJ asked, how's that skin thing?

 

[Scott Smith]

So far so good with the skin cancer...they got it all and so far it does not appear that it has metastisized(sp). I've been a greaseball all summer with the SPF 50 sunscreen...I have'nt had zits like this since puberty...LOL. I have to visit the Oncologist every 6 months for the next 5 years for blood screenings and a yearly scan. Will also be a regular at the dermotoligist for the rest of my life.



I have what my Neurologist is referring to as a lesion of unknown origin on the surface of the right rear hemispere of my brain. It has definately been ruled out as cancer...was thought to possibly be MS related according to the radioligist..but that too was ruled out by my Nuero..right now they are just watching it, it has not changed in 9 months and I'm not having any type of neurological problems, though people that know me would disagree...HAAA>>!! I will have a follow up MRI in a year...if nothing has changed then I should be good to go...if changes occur, then it will be biopsy time.



And last but not least, I have what my G.I. Doc is referring to as a fatty liver...this was discovered through a simple blood test with my Oncologist when he noticed my liver enzymes were slightly elevated....again cancer was ruled out and I was referred to one of the nicest and sharpest Doc's I've ever met, she is the best. Anyhow, after a battery of tests, including a CT and Ultrasound, it is her opinion that I have a fatty liver. So now I'm on a special diet to clean the old liver out.



Things I also learned through the CT of my abdomen and pelvis, was that I have unusually bad osteoarthritis in my hips for a person my age(39) (was wondering why they ached so much at times). My Doc feels this came on so early due to my large frame, wrestling from 6 years old through college and carrying around a 30lb gun belt at work for the last 17 years. Oh.....I also have a hiatal (sp) hernia...which apparently should fix itself with a little weight loss...



So...there you have it....a little peek at smitty's chart if you will....I'm much older than my 39 years would indicate...I told my primary care Doc to just go ahead and diagnose me with Progeria (premature aging), so I can get my free trip to Disney World....LOL (sorry if that offended anyone, but as I'm sure JDJ knows...u gotta keep your sense of humor to get through this stuff....and your faith in whatever God you believe in)...



Stay healthy y'all....wear yor sunscreen (30 or more on the water)...and get your yearly physicals....thanks for inquiring about my health...I'm gonna be okay no matter where life takes me....



- smitty

 

[William H. (Bill) Barham]

Good grief Smitty, it sounds like your as healthy as I am... I'm certainly glad you're feeling better and you are still on my prayer list. I was one of those people who loved the sun and did anything I could to get a deep tan. Even before I had my pool I would lay out on my deck with Panama Jack Trophy Oil spread all over and a big fan blowing on me to keep cool. Absolutely idiotic! I grew up living on the water and when having a good tan was cconsidered healthy. I worked some summers in Ocean City walking the sand/beach all day taking telescope pictures of people. I used to turn so dark some people thought I was bi-racial.

It has taken a long time but I've learned my lesson. About three months ago, on top of everything else, I had a biopsy scraped from just below my right eye and it turned out to be cancerous so they dug it out. Now, on Thursday or Friday I go back to that Doctor for a full body scan. I thought that meant getting in some sort of machine but it's just me laying on a table with just my underwear on while they poke, prod, and look me over.

So now, I'm like smitty. I spread sun screen on anywhere the sun might get to and on the water, when I get back out, I'm going to wear a bigger hat instead of a baseball cap.

I hope at least some people take your advice



Uncle Billy

 

[Mini]

Congrats Smitty.



FYI Recent reports say that sunscreen has no effect on skin cancer.



Mini

 

[Scott Smith]

Thanks Billy.......seems we frequently end up paying for our foolish younger days in some way.



By the way, another little sun protection tidbit....wearing a T-shirt of virtually any color is of pretty much no use....a white t-shirt provides an SPF of approx 2 while the darker ones can get you as high as maybe a 6 or 7....so the sunscreen should be applied to your upper body as well...oh and by the way...they have spray on types now so you and your fishin buddy don't have to get caught rubbin each others backs up....HAAA.....gotta be 30 plus SPF on the water cause your gettin it twice as bad with the reflection....

 

[Scott Smith]

I heard about that Mini.....FDA just approved a new sunscreen that has been in use for some time overseas...I can't remember the ingredient at the moment, but Nutrogena is just beginning to get it into the stores. Apparently this is a true sunblock rather than a sunscreen...claims are that this is a true cancer blocker and is nearly 100% effective in stopping the altering of the normal skin cell.



My Dermotoligist gave me a small sample bottle which I promptly misplaced.



Nothing however should replace an annual visit to the Dermo....especially us outdoorsman..

 

[William H. (Bill) Barham]

I hadn't heard that Mini, Thanks. I'll ask more about it Friday when I see my Dermatologist and find out what I can do or wear to lessen the harm that the sun can do.



Uncle Billy

 

[JD Johnson]

Smitty I'm glad to here they have your cancer under control. Keep an eye on the brain leision, I'm going at 3:30 tomorrow to get two brain leisions radioknifed out of my right front and right rear lobes. I pray that God guides the docs hands with that radiation knife.

Take care

jdj