Rodney Wagley from Baton Rouge, LA suffered two broken fingers, a cracked ring finger and bruised ribs when his boat hit a submerged object during blast-off on the first day of competition. The boat spun around 360 degrees and hit two stumps en route to landing on the shore. The photographer with him was unhurt.
To the credit of Ranger boats, there was minimal damage to the boat and Rodney was able continue fishing, refusing medical attention until after the weigh-in. He was able to catch only a 1-pound bass and was taken to the hospital afterwards.
Rodney was back out on the water the next day in good condition and high spirits. The Ranger boat crew was able to repair the minor damage and he was back in the same boat.
Wagely managed to bring in five pounds of bass, but he says he could have done better.
"I'm getting the bites...no problem there, but I'm not setting the hook. I keep missing them. I've lost count how many bass I missed." Rodney undoubtedly is having trouble fishing with his injured hand.
Even though he is out of contention to win, his perseverance has won the hearts of spectators. His five-pound bag of fish brought some of the loudest cheers of the day.