Shift Cable

[whale]

I launched my boat this past weekend and after a bonehead move (forgot to take the transom straps off and couldn't figure out why I couldn't get the boat off the trailer) I realized it would not go in to gear. I had a chance to look at it today and the shift cable is not working properly. I could manually move it in gear at the motor. I looked in at the shift cable through an access hole mounted near it and I can see the whole cable is move back and forth when I move the shifter in to gear. If I hold the cable in place tightly with my handle I can get the shift mechanism to work so it seems that something should be hold the outer sheath of the cable in place. It is a fluch mounted shift stick with the mechanism hidden inside and looks pretty awkward to get at. I did not have the right tools to get in there.....so I am wondering what to expect when I get back there? Will this be an easy fix or I am I going to need a new control assembly?? I can't really see what is really going on back there so it's hard to tell.