Terry Scroggins, Kevin VanDam and Dean Rojas all sit in the Top 10 of the Toyota Tundra Bassmaster Angler of the Year race heading into the final regular season Bassmaster Elite Series event at Lake Oneida this week. Here’ a quick Q & A with the three highly accomplished pros.
Coolest thing you did this summer during the long break between the Green Bay and Oneida Elite events?
Scroggins: I went to the Florida Keys to catch lobster with Kelly Jordon, my family and friends.
Rojas: I caddied for my 10-year old son in a Junior PGA Championship event.
KVD: I spent four days chillin’ with family and friends, and smashing the smallmouth on Torch Lake.
Number of Hours you drove to get to Lake Oneida?
Scroggins: I’ve been in that Tundra for two days — about 21 hours of driving all together.
Rojas: Not far, my rig was in Buffalo.
KVD: I worked a charity event two hours this side of home, and then drove another 8 hours to get here.
Three lures you won’t dare leave the dock without at Oneida?
Scroggins: Pad Crasher frog, 1-ounce jig, and 3/8 ounce Texas-rigged Wooly Bug.
Rojas: I ain’t sayin’.
KVD: Frog, Sexy Dawg topwater, and a Strike King Rodent for pitching.
What percentage of the winning angler’s creel will be largemouth?
Scroggins: 70 percent of the winning creel will be largemouth.
Rojas: I’m saying 50 percent.
KVD: Smallmouth will dominate. Only 25 percent of the winning creel will be largemouth.
How many pounds per day will you have to catch to assure yourself a Top 12 finish?
Scroggins: 14 pounds
Rojas: 13 to 14 pounds
KVD: 14 ½ pounds
What do you enjoy most about this particular tour stop?
Scroggins: There’s so many fish in this lake.
Rojas: We always come here at the end of summer, and it’s nice, cool and refreshing outside.
KVD: Catching smallmouth and eating the walleye we catch in practice.
Most memorable Oneida moment?
Scroggins: I broke down and was trolling back toward the dock for service when smallmouth started schooling around me. I caught enough of them to finish in the Top 25 despite my engine issues.
Rojas: Winning here in August of 2008.
KVD: Catching 75 smallmouth off of one spot in one tournament day.
