Someone else who already owned seven Bassmaster titles maybe wouldn’t have shown such emotion. Hite did as he took the Alabama Charge trophy.
“I don’t take for granted winning No. 8, I promise you,” he said. “This is as meaningful to me as the first one I ever won. It’s like a drug; I can’t describe the way it feels to win one of these things.
“I wanted it really bad. I’m just going to be honest here, although I hate to admit it: Probably at No. 4, 5 or 6 — somewhere in there — I kind of took it (winning) for granted. I wanted this one as bad as the first one I ever won.”
In Bassmaster terms, that was in 1994 on another Alabama fishery, Lake Eufaula. He went on for six more over the years, including a Bassmaster Elite Series win and the 1999 Bassmaster Classic title, plus two Bassmaster Angler of the Year crowns, 1997 and 2002.
Hite’s latest victory was worth $100,000 and an instant entry into the 2012 Bassmaster Classic, his 14th qualification and first since 2009.
He said the Classic qualification, his 13th, makes him rest easy on that score for the rest of the season.
“It’s huge for me,” he said. “I’ve missed one or two, barely missed them, and I don’t feel like I’ve done my sponsors justice if I don’t qualify each and every year. It starts to wear on me mentally, so it means a lot for me to be there for them, that’s their showcase.”
After leading for two days, Hite won the Pickwick Lake event with a four-day total of 84 pounds, 9 ounces. He ended with 8 pounds more than Bobby Lane, who totaled 76-9 for second place, and 9-4 ahead of Day One leader Denny Brauer, who finished third with 75-5.
Fourth place went to Keith Poche, who gave Hite a scare Friday by getting within 12 ounces of him on Day Three. Alton Jones secured fifth place with 73-6, a finish that helped him keep his lead in the 2011 Angler of the Year race.
Hite’s wide margin of victory was deceptive. He had to fight all week, staving off hard-chargers that included Poche in the No. 2 spot for two days running.
Falling water levels changed the game at Hite’s primary area, the tailwaters of the Wilson Dam. He said he knew the water had dropped even before he arrived at the dam Saturday morning. He had marked an object at the water’s edge Friday, and checked it Saturday morning before takeoff. That’s how he knew the bite was not going to be quite the same for the final round.
The tip-off helped him quickly adjust and decide to stick with the dam.
“I went there and knew there’d still be fish there, that I’d just have to learn how to catch them with slower water. I knew it would be harder and I wouldn’t get as many bites. It had worked for three days, I couldn’t go looking for flipping fish the last day.
“It was a grind. I knew God shined on me bright when I heard that horn go off at 11 o’clock. I knew then I had a real chance.”
Hite’s first fish of the day came to him at 9:30 a.m., a short distance downstream from the dam. It was a 14-incher. When the horn blew at 11 o’clock, Hite positioned himself close to the dam and got ready to key in on bass after the shad that the dam water was producing.
“When the water started moving, I grinned from ear-to-ear. I knew I had a great chance to make it happen. They (bass) sit in the slack water, and those shad come by, just thousands and thousands of big shad. (Bass) sit at the buffet, and when the filet comes by, they eat it.”
But it took him almost four hours, until 3 p.m., to fill his livewell, an average of one bass an hour. Just before he had to call it a day and head back to the docks, he was able to cull the first squeaker with a 4-pounder.
Every fish he weighed in was on a 5-inch Berkley Hollow Belly, he said. He rigged it with either a 1/2- or 3/4-ounce Gary Yamamoto swimbait head with a 5/0 hook, using glue to secure the bait to the lead.
The rotating action of the out-of-bait weight was a key to his bites, Hite said. Lure size was important, too; he matched his lure to the average size of the shad he was seeing.
The big fish of the day was a triplet deal: three 5-11’s by Greg Hackney, Alton Jones and Bobby Lane. But a 5-11 didn’t come close to Jared Lintner’s 8-10 of Day One, and Lintner claimed the Berkley Big Bass of the Tournament award of a $500 bonus.
Next up for the Bassmaster Elite Series is the TroKar Battle on the Bayou, April 14-17 on Toledo Bend Reservoir out of Many, La.
FINAL STANDINGS- ALABAMA CHARGE
2011 Alabama Charge - Florence, AL 04/06-04/09 Pickwick Lake, Florence Ala.
(PRO Division) Standings Day 4
Angler Hometown No./lbs-oz Pts Total $$$
1. Davy Hite Ninety Six, S.C. 20 84-09 315 $101,000.00
Day 1: 5 23-08 Day 2: 5 19-07 Day 3: 5 20-09 Day 4: 5 21-01
2. Bobby Lane Lakeland, Fla. 20 76-09 295 $25,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-12 Day 2: 5 20-09 Day 3: 5 19-02 Day 4: 5 17-02
3. Denny Brauer Camdenton, Mo. 20 75-05 295 $20,000.00
Day 1: 5 23-10 Day 2: 5 14-02 Day 3: 5 19-06 Day 4: 5 18-03
4. Keith Poche Troy, Ala. 19 74-02 285 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 20-03 Day 2: 5 21-10 Day 3: 5 20-15 Day 4: 4 11-06
5. Alton Jones Waco, Texas 20 73-06 280 $15,000.00
Day 1: 5 16-11 Day 2: 5 14-02 Day 3: 5 22-03 Day 4: 5 20-06
6. Greg Hackney Gonzales, La. 20 71-13 276 $13,500.00
Day 1: 5 18-13 Day 2: 5 16-11 Day 3: 5 18-04 Day 4: 5 18-01
7. Matt Reed Madisonville, Texas 18 70-12 272 $13,000.00
Day 1: 5 19-08 Day 2: 3 10-11 Day 3: 5 22-12 Day 4: 5 17-13
8. Terry Scroggins San Mateo, Fla. 20 70-08 268 $12,500.00
Day 1: 5 15-06 Day 2: 5 18-10 Day 3: 5 20-15 Day 4: 5 15-09
9. Kelly Jordon Palestine, Texas 20 65-13 264 $12,000.00
Day 1: 5 17-13 Day 2: 5 15-11 Day 3: 5 20-00 Day 4: 5 12-05
10. Nate Wellman Newaygo, Mich. 20 63-14 260 $11,500.00
Day 1: 5 20-01 Day 2: 5 15-06 Day 3: 5 18-15 Day 4: 5 9-08
11. Michael Iaconelli Pitts Grove, N.J. 20 63-04 257 $11,000.00
Day 1: 5 12-13 Day 2: 5 19-11 Day 3: 5 19-11 Day 4: 5 11-01
12. Shaw Grigsby Gainesville, Fla. 20 63-02 254 $10,500.00
Day 1: 5 18-11 Day 2: 5 15-12 Day 3: 5 17-12 Day 4: 5 10-15
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Big Bass of Tournament
Jared Lintner Arroyo Grande, Calif. 8-10 $500.00
Power-Pole Captains Cash
Day
4 Davy Hite Ninety Six, S.C. $1,000.00
Toyota Tundra Angler of the Year Leader
Alton Jones Waco, Texas $1,000.00
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Totals
Day #Limits #Fish Weight
1 95 490 1451-08
2 94 486 1442-05
3 48 246 751-08
4 11 59 183-06
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248 1281 3828-11
BASSMASTER ANGLER OF THE YEAR POINTS
2011 Alabama Charge - Florence, AL - Alabama Charge -
Florence, AL Pro Points After Pickwick Lake, Florence, Ala.
Ending 04-09-2011, Day 4
-------------------------------------------
Place Name St Pts
-------------------------------------------
1 Alton Jones Texas 853
2 Terry Scroggins Fla. 823
3 Kevin VanDam Mich. 773
4 Shaw Grigsby Fla. 740
5 Jeff Kriet Okla. 707
6 Pat Golden N.C. 701
7 Jared Lintner Calif. 690
8 Ott DeFoe Tenn. 689
9 Edwin Evers Okla. 687
10 Kelly Jordon Texas 675
11 Keith Poche Ala. 671
12 Greg Hackney La. 664
12 Steve Kennedy Ala. 664
14 Chris Lane Ala. 662
15 Jason Williamson S.C. 657
16 Dustin Wilks N.C. 654
17 Michael Iaconelli N.J. 653
18 J Todd Tucker Ga. 646
19 Fred Roumbanis Okla. 645
20 Davy Hite S.C. 633
21 Casey Ashley S.C. 630
21 Stephen Browning Ark. 630
23 Peter Thliveros Fla. 629
24 Bill Lowen Ind. 625
25 Bobby Lane Fla. 623
26 Brent Chapman Kan. 621
27 Billy McCaghren Ark. 616
28 Todd Faircloth Texas 609
29 Cliff Crochet La. 606
30 John Crews Va. 601
31 Dean Rojas Ariz. 595
32 Aaron Martens Ala. 589
33 James Niggemeyer Texas 588
34 Gerald Swindle Ala. 583
35 Cliff Pace Miss. 581
36 Gary Klein Texas 573
36 Dave Wolak N.C. 573
38 Matt Greenblatt Fla. 572
39 Andy Montgomery S.C. 569
40 Kevin Wirth Ky. 563
41 Randy Howell Ala. 555
42 Matt Reed Texas 554
43 Clark Reehm Texas 553
44 Zell Rowland Texas 549
45 Timmy Horton Ala. 547
45 Jason Quinn S.C. 547
47 Greg Vinson Ala. 543
47 Skeet Reese Calif. 543
49 Rick Clunn Mo. 539
50 Charlie Hartley Ohio 538
51 Matt Herren Ala. 537
52 Jami Fralick S.D. 533
53 Keith Combs Texas 524
54 Brandon Palaniuk Idaho 517
54 Mike McClelland Ark. 517
56 Jonathon VanDam Mich. 514
57 Craig Schuff Texas 511
58 Nate Wellman Mich. 508
59 Paul Elias Miss. 505
59 Denny Brauer Mo. 505
61 Mark Menendez Ky. 503
62 Rick Morris Va. 501
63 Mark Davis Ark. 485
64 John Murray Ariz. 483
64 Jeff Connella La. 483
66 David Walker Tenn. 479
67 Kenyon Hill Okla. 477
68 Grant Goldbeck Texas 475
69 Kevin Short Ark. 469
70 Marty Robinson S.C. 463
71 Brian Snowden Mo. 461
71 Lee Sisson Fla. 461
73 Russ Lane Ala. 459
73 Ben Parker Tenn. 459
75 Travis Manson Wisc. 447
75 Dean Alexander Texas 447
77 Tommy Biffle Okla. 429
78 Chad Griffin Texas 425
79 Yusuke Miyazaki Texas 423
80 Bradley Roy Ky. 413
81 Russell Parrish Texas 411
81 Ish Monroe Calif. 411
81 Takahiro Omori Texas 411
84 Boyd Duckett Ala. 407
85 Ryan Said Mich. 403
86 Britt Myers S.C. 399
87 Bradley Hallman Okla. 389
88 James Stricklin Texas 377
89 Pete Ponds Miss. 375
90 Bernie Schultz Fla. 361
91 Terry Butcher Okla. 351
92 Scott Ashmore Okla. 345
93 Scott Rook Ark. 341
94 Morizo Shimizu Japan 339
95 Kotaro Kiriyama Ala. 305
95 Dennis Tietje La. 305
97 David Smith Okla. 263
98 Brent Broderick Ohio 261
99 Derek Remitz Ala. 240