Terry Baksay is skipping the Kentucky Lake FLW Tour Major this week after undergoing hernia surgery early last week. The veteran pro from Easton, Conn., missed parts of the 2010 and 2011 seasons while he battled testicular cancer.
He remains cancer free, but last week’s procedure was brought on by the after effects of his cancer surgery. He had originally intended to have the procedure done in July, but opted to have it done sooner. He’s on the mend at home and is up and around doing odds and ends. Fishing-wise, his doctors gave him the green light to return to competition at the James River Bassmaster Northern Open next week.
“When you have surgery below the belly button as a guy, you can’t do anything,” he said. “I have to do stuff in very short spurts because I can’t do 2 or 3 hours worth of work. It’s like 45 minutes, then stick a fork in me.”
He was 146th in Anger of the Year points before Kentucky Lake with no finishes better than 100th.
“I’m still just recovering,” he said. “When I’m out there fishing, you know when you have it. You know when you’re on. I’m still not on. I’ve fished around home this spring and we’ve done well in some local tournaments, but I’m still not where I need to be. In every tournament this year, I’ve lost enough fish to make the top 10. When I made (the Forrest Wood Cup) those 3 years in a row, I caught all of those fish. Now, it’s just not there yet.
“I’m hoping the James is going to turn me around and at Lake Champlain, watch out.”
