NORTHEAST, Md. — At first, Ivan Morris — brother of Bassmaster Elite Series pro Rick Morris — didn’t realize what had happened. There was a loud pop that startled him, and then some pain below his left eye.
“We were cranking real shallow (Wednesday), and my partner put a gorilla hook set on one. The lure came out of the water at the speed of sound and hit me right in the eyeball. Actually, it didn’t hit me right in the eyeball. It hit my left glasses lens. It broke and fell out of the frame. We never found it. After we looked around we realized I was hooked just below the eye.
“We cut part of the hook off, and I finished the day. I’ll have to get it out tonight. I don’t know if I’m going to a doctor or have one of the guys jerk it out with a string. To me a string would work but some of the other guys are saying I should go to the doctor. We’re still talking about that.
“It was a heck of a thing. If I hadn’t been wearing my sunglasses, it would have been tough. My glasses are prescription so I don’t have a choice. But even if you don’t have to wear glasses I’d suggest guys always wear some kind of high-quality eye protection. It happens in an instant, even when you’re not doing anything wrong.”
To add insult to injury, Morris had a tough day on the water. With two bass that weighed 3 pounds, 13 ounces he currently sits in the 9th spot in the Virginia State Team standings and in 51st place overall. Still, he’s fortunate in some respects. This story could have had a very different, a very tragic, outcome.
Morris is expected to continue fishing the 2012 Cabela’s Bassmaster Federation Nation Mid-Atlantic Divisional.