Talk about a double-edged sword.
On one hand, it’s nice to see the Major tours heading to new venues like Hartwell and the St. Johns River. On the other, it makes it a tough task to pattern pros with so little data (only three Major or Minor events have been held on the St. Johns since 2000).
But we will try our best. So let’s dive into the BASS Elites Series on the St. Johns River.
We’ll start with a big number: 986.395. I wish it was my credit score, but it’s actually Terry Scorggins’ average in all three events on the body of water since we hit the 2000s. Go ahead and read that number over again … take your time to let it sink in … 986.395. He’s finished second, seventh and first. That’s what we call a pattern of success. Only four pros have fished all three events since 2000, and Scroggins is clearly the best of them. If you don’t have Scroggins on your fantasy team, you’re just not trying.
What about Edwin Evers? He’s currently No. 1 in the world and the defending champ at the St. Johns River. He’s a lock, right? Eh, we wouldn’t say that. His 11-year average in the state of Florida: 567.642. Scroggins’: 846.130 (did we mention he’s someone to watch?!).
Chris Lane wouldn’t be a bad pick considering how hot he’s been. Not to mention his 683.673 average on the St. Johns, but statistically, brother Bobby would be better (892.858).
So who’s been hot lately in the Sunshine State? That would go to Kevin VanDam. In the last five years, KVD has an 884.269 average, the best on the Elite Series. Two others close behind him are Todd Faircloth (870.187) and Alton Jones (840.286). Faircloth has been slumping in recent years, but his last top ten: St. Johns River. As for Jones, he finished third at the river last year.
