Elite Series pro Luke Clausen is out indefinitely after suffering serious injuries as a result of a fall at a friend’s shop on Tuesday afternoon.
Clausen was by himself while retrieving fishing tackle he had stored in a friend’s pole barn in Spokane, Wash., when he fell from an elevated platform, reportedly 12 feet high, onto the concrete floor.
When reached at home today, Clausen, 39, said he suffered five broken ribs, a separated left shoulder and a concussion.
“I was digging out some ledge fishing stuff for Kentucky Lake and the best I remember, I stepped off the edge and landed on my head and shoulder,” he said.
He doesn’t remember falling or how long he was unconscious for on the floor.
“Luckily, I had my phone in my pocket, but when I got up, I was hurting pretty bad and felt delirious,” he said. “I didn’t know what had happened.”
He got a ride to a local medical facility, but was later transferred to a different hospital.
“I’m pretty lucky I didn’t break my neck,” he said. “There was a sea anchor down there that we use for steelhead fishing. I missed that by a couple feet, so it could’ve been worse.”
His status for the rest of the season is uncertain. Clausen said he’s spoken to B.A.S.S. officials, but he said it’s too soon to say what his plans will be. B.A.S.S. has a medical hardship available to anglers, but based on when it's used it can impact how an angler can re-qualify for the following season.
Clausen finished 5th at the Elite Series opener at Lake Martin and followed that up with a 32nd-place finish at the Bassmaster Classic at Lake Hartwell last month.
