(Editor's note: This short feature came from Alan McGuckin of Dynamic Sponsorships.)
The fact that Florida’s Terry Scroggins racked-up another Top-10 finish on the St. Johns River during the first Bassmaster Elite Series tournament of 2016 was no great surprise, but the fact that he chose to wear a lifejacket designed for kayakers during the competition certainly caught the attention of fans and media who lined the dock in his hometown of Palatka before the morning launch.
“I’ve always had more trust in a traditional fishing vest-style of life jacket than the inflatable type, but I never liked the bulkiness of a vest style and the way it rides up on your neck when you’re running down the lake,” said Scroggins. “I was walking through the Gander Mountain store in St. Augustine back in December, killing time while my girlfriend shopped, when I spotted this kayak lifejacket and I thought “Heck, that’d be the perfect combination between a vest-style lifejacket and the newer style of inflatable SOSpenders."
Knowing his reputation for spontaneous purchases – Scroggins' recount of the story brings a grin, but for him it’s a serious satisfaction to a longtime frustration tied to his daily wardrobe as a pro bass angler. Not to mention that drowning is the single biggest cause of death in boating accidents, and 80 percent of the casualties were not wearing life jackets when found.
“I also like the fact that because the kayak style isn’t bulky in the shoulder area, your arms have a greater range of motion,” Scroggins added.
Scroggins doesn’t wear the lifejacket while actually fishing, but he’s as happy as a bed of St. Johns River clams, and a few thousand dollars more comfortable as a result of yet another strong tournament finish while wearing his unique new life jacket.
