Photo: Pflueger More time on the water and a more conservative strategy is paying dividends for Davy Hite.

Hite Ready For Toho Too

Wednesday, December 12, 2001

This year Davy Hite decided to get serious again about his fishing. So far he's been literally unbeatable, winning the two BASSMASTER Tour events at St. Clair and the Red River.

His strategy was simple: spend more time on the water, including pre- practicing. He's stuck with that sound strategy for Toho.

Get a Good Feel

"Obviously, to try to improve your fishing you spend more time on the water," Hite says. That means pre-fishing, but not to find a winning pattern. "You don't go trying to find a winning pattern 2-3 weeks before a tournament," he says. "You just get a good feel for the water and the cover, and you learn your way around.

"For example, at Lake Toho they spray the vegetation a lot so the lake changes. Toho also has a lot more hydrilla in it than I've ever seen there." Pre- practice "gives you a heads-up about stuff like that before you get there for the tournament."

No Big Stringers Every Day

Last year Hite says he fell into a routine of "trying to catch big stringers every day. People laugh when I say that. They say, 'When are you not trying to catch a big stringer?' But there's a different mindset there. I tried to catch 20-25 pound stringers every day, and I learned from that."

Rather than constantly swinging for the fences, now Hite "just tries to have a good day -- to survive until the end."

For example, on the Red River his first limit was 9-04 and he was tied for 18th place. "Who would have thought I could go from there to win by 5 pounds," he says. "But 18th place is a good place to be. The biggest change I've made mentally is to focus on catching enough fish to stay around until the last day."

"You can get too conservative also," he notes. "You can try to catch five fish that weigh 5 pounds, but it might take 15 pounds a day to win. You have to have a general knowledge of what it will take to win."

Hite's "stay in the hunt" strategy has paid off, and in an unusual way: he actually improves his catches over the course of a tournament. In both tournaments this year, his strongest catches were on the final day.

No Pressure

Even with two wins already under his belt and the B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year title in his sights, Hite says he will feel no pressure at Toho.

"One of my best assets is not letting that stuff bother me," he says. "Sometimes people think I'm a little too lackadaisical about things, but to win tournaments you have to be able to deal with the pressure well.

"So many good fishermen are out there -- it's incredible. So you have to be able to deal with (the mental) stuff a little differently than some people who might be really, really good fishermen. Winning and talent are two different things," he says.

He adds that he believes his stint working as a civilian in the Army National Guard -- which he did for 8 years before he became a full-time pro angler -- helped in that regard. "I think being in the military disciplined me and helped me deal with pressure."

If He's In the Running...

"If I'm in the running when it gets near the end (at Toho), I feel like I have as good a chance as anyone there," Hite says. "But we're all human and will stumble once in a while."

He adds that while he feels no pressure, he does have a few things on his mind - - "like possibly (winning) Angler of the Year. By no means am I saying that I have a great advantage or great lead because there's so much fishing to go, but it is in my mind."

He's also thinking about qualifying for the BASS Masters Classic, which he missed out on this year. "I don't have that made yet, but I have a really good start," he says.

"If I'm fortunate enough to have a few more good tournaments, good things might happen to me."