Will We Witness a ‘Big Show’ Encore in 2019?
New Major League Fishing pro Terry Scroggins feels refreshed.
After three admittedly subpar seasons, Scroggins’ move to the MLF Bass Pro Tour marks a new chapter in the Floridian’s career, a chance to reboot. Opening the Bass Pro Tour season on the Kissimmee Chain will help: Scroggins has collected two Southern Open wins and six tour-level Top 10s on the Kissimmee Chain.
They call him “Big Show” and for most of his 20-year career in professional bass fishing, Scroggins has worn the name well. But he went home with Elite Series checks only six times in the last three seasons, and his solitary Top 10 finish came in 2016 on home water, the St. Johns River.
Always a double-edged sword, that “Big Show” moniker was starting to wear thin.
“It’s a fun name to have when you’re catching ‘em,” he had admitted publicly. “Not so fun when you’re not.”
Ready for a new game
Part of MLF’s appeal is the raw rewards – freedom from entry fees, richer payback to the Top 10. But Scroggins is just as excited about playing a different game.
“For 20 years, I’ve tried to catch the biggest five fish, now every fish counts,” he says. “You’ve got to go in with a different mentality. The roster of MLF is the best in the world by far. It’s going to be challenging to say the least. But it’s going to be fun!”
“Now it’s like a football game. You know the score. You can make adjustments to get back in the game.”
SCORETRACKER updates – immediate feedback on the catches of competitors – have been known to trigger panic. But Scroggins sees their sunny side.
“SCORETRACKER is very cool,” he assesses. “You may have to go out for 50 to 60 bites. But you know what everybody else has, so you can make adjustments. Now it’s like a football game. You know the score. You can make adjustments to get back in the game.”
Built to win
Scroggins believes the MLF format plays to his strengths.
“I think MLF will fit my style and versatility very well,” he says. “I cover a lot of water and probably fish as fast – or faster – than anybody else out there with the exception of VanDam. I’veseen guys milk one spot for a whole event. I might cover 75 to 100.”
A man with a plan
Scroggins says that he’ll be a man with a plan on the Kissimmee Chain. Toho tourneys in winters past have been won with flipping sticks and big fish. This event will be different for Scroggins.
“I’m going to change it up, get on a big school of fish and catch as many as I can,” he predicts. “Then I’ll go flipping and try to catch a big one.”
He praises the MLF braintrust for segmenting its season into “two qualifying events, then a Cup,” where a strong finish can make up for a miserable start.
Does he view this MLF season as a chance to refresh his career?
“Yeah, man!” he laughs “I hope so. For most of my career, I’ve been in the Top 20 or so. The last four years, I’ve caught plenty of fish. I just haven’t been where I needed to be. If I had been fishing in MLF-style events, I’d have been fine. Changing the format might help me a lot. My self-confidence is still there.”
And he’s anxious to get the inaugural season started.
“MLF is just a fun place to be,” he says. “The Bass Pro Tour and MLF have a lot of forward momentum right now. Everyone is passionate about it. I can’t wait to get the season going!”