Dobyns injured, recovering

Longtime Western powerhouse Gary Dobyns of Yuba City, Calif., was injured in a boating accident Monday while practicing for the Wal-Mart FLW Series event on the California Delta. According to Dobyns, he was coming out of Big Break and caught a cruiser boat wake wrong as he was making a wide turn.

He was thrown from the boat, hitting the passenger-side gunwale before entering the water. He says he sustained several cracked ribs and compression fractures to his spine but does not appear to have any spinal cord injuries. Steve Hayashi of Tracy, Calif., another FLW Series angler, was the first to find Dobyns. At Dobyns’ request, Hayashi called fellow pro Phil Strader of Glide, Ore., who was fishing a few hundred yards into Big Break. The two anglers towed Dobyns’ boat to the Big Break Marina and called an ambulance.

Dobyns is resting in the hospital, awaiting the results of an MRI performed Monday night. Prognosis is good thus far, Dobyns says, and he likely will not need surgery. “I’ll be back fishing in a couple months if not sooner,” he said. “I’m just in a tremendous amount of pain right now.”

Many of his fellow Western anglers and friends have expressed concern over his accident, calling FLW Outdoors for details. Dobyns said he did not hit anything in the water; his boat and motor did not flip or sustain any damage. His ignition shut-off lanyard shut the engine down when he was thrown free. Dobyns did express his concern that anglers always wear their life jackets and ignition shut-off lanyards when on the water.

Everyone at FLW Outdoors and our angling community wish Gary a speedy and full recovery, and our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family.