By Todd Ceisner
BassFan Editor
After competing in each Bassmaster Classic between 2005-13, Terry Scroggins didn’t enjoy sitting last out last year’s Classic and he’s certainly not going to enjoy being on the sidelines again next week.
“It doesn’t sit well with me,” the usually glass-half-full Scroggins said.
The man affectionately known to BassFans as Big Show is ready to turn things around and put an end to this Classic slump. One of the most consistent performers on the Elite Series over the past decade believes this year’s schedule is tailor-made for him to have a bounce-back season.
Between ’05 and ’13, Scroggins finished in the Top 10 in Angler of the Year points five times and was the points leader with two events go to in 2005 and 2011. He’s yet to win an Elite Series trophy, but he was consistently in the hunt, posting 23 Top-10 finishes over those 9 years.
Last season was the worst Elite Series points finish of his career (60th place) as he cashed checks in just three events and had to absorb a 109th-place finish at Lake Guntersville, his worst outcome in 10 years of Elite Series competition.
He’s taking a positive attitude into the 2016 campaign, which will feature stops at three tidal fisheries, starting with the St. Johns River, his home waters.
“This year’s schedule fits my style,” he said.
What Went Wrong
Scroggins was blunt in his self-assessment of the last two seasons. He’s still haunted by some key missed opportunities in 2014 that cost him while he summed up his 2015 season by saying, “It just didn’t happen at all.”
“Two years ago, I lost four key fish during the year,” he said. “If I’d have caught those fish, I’d have been in the low 20s in points. I feel like I was so close to being (in the Classic). Any time you lose a fish it hurts, but you don’t know how bad it is until it’s all over.”
A fish he believes was close to 7 pounds eluded him at Lake Seminole to start the ’14 season. A fish of that quality would’ve turned a 55th-place finish into a money showing or better.
“Last year, I wasn’t around anything that would’ve made a difference,” he added.
He pointed to the schedule as one of the reasons he never settled into a rhythm.
“The schedule has a lot to do with AOY points and I always pride myself on being versatile,” he said. "Last year, we went to California and Arizona and it seemed like the other half was up north. I can catch them up north, but so can everybody else. It seemed like you could catch 16 pounds and be in 90th place or have 18 and be in 1st.
“Scheduling was the reason I didn’t do so well. It’s like the old saying, ‘Preparation is the key to success.’ If you study for a test you’re going to score higher most times. What happened last year is I didn’t pre-fish any of those places. I felt like I’d be okay, but that wasn’t the case.”
Needs to Capitalize
Scroggins said his prolonged success played an indirect role in his not being able to amply prepare for last year. This season, he’s recommitting himself to learning the lakes beforehand. Last week, he spent 4 days at Winyah Bay, getting a feel for the coastal fishery in South Carolina that will be the second stop on the Elite Series docket.
“What happens is the longer you’re in the sport and the more people who know you and more popular you become and the more boat shows you do, it becomes harder to practice and prepare,” he said. “Your time becomes less and less. I guess I got complacent. These last 4 or 5 years, the competition level has gone up a bit and I have to rise up with it. I’ve got a different look at it this year. I hope to not be in the same position again this year.”
He has a prime opportunity to get a good foundation with the season opener at the St. Johns River. It’s a fishery he knows as well, maybe better, than anyone who will be in the field. He knows he has to take advantage, even if it turns into a sight-fishing shootout, which is quite possible.
“I know it as good as anybody on earth,” he said. “I went out there before cutoff and a lot of guys were riding around. These guys learn these places quick. I don’t care how much they get showed, I know it better than anyone, but some guys were being shown around on my stuff.
“Anyone can win this thing, especially if it’s a sight-fishing deal. If it’s cold and nasty, I could have a pretty big advantage. If we do have a late winter or a front that week, that could benefit me. I’ll feel comfortable either way.”
After Winyah Bay, the schedule shifts to Arkansas for an Elite Series first – a tournament contested on two different bodies of the water (Bull Shoals and Norfork lakes). Scroggins finished 6th at Bull Shoals in 2013.
“Fishing is a mind game,” he said. “Ninety percent is making decisions and what to do and when to do it. The first two tournaments are in my comfort zone and when you have confidence, good things happen. When you go somewhere foreign and can’t make things happen, that’s all in your mind.
“I think I’ll do well this year,” he added. “I’m feeling good about it. It’s fishing and I’m fishing against the best 112 guys in the world. Saying that, if you put your time in and study hard, good things will happen and that’s what I’m doing.”
Notable
> Scroggins will be in Tulsa, Okla., for the Classic next week. He’ll be assisting The Weather Channel, which will have a crew on site for live conditions updates at blast off.
