Since its beginning, competitive fishing has relied on sponsors to help offset the travel and equipment expenses of the sport. In 1997, Hite won Angler of the Year, a title earned by performing well in tournaments throughout the year. Outside obligations can detract from concentration on the sport, Hite and others admit. Hite's antidote to his hectic pace is thorough preparation. He modifies each lure he uses, changing a hook, snipping off parts of soft baits, or adding rattles to another.
Nothing comes out of the package and goes into the water without tinkering.
Each night of the Classic, Hite will change the line on every reel he has. And then there is the mental preparation. While he and his wife, Natalie, drove to Chicago last weekend, Hite ran through every scenario he could imagine. This week, that concern became reality for Hite and the other competitors. The pros had already had an opportunity in early June to fish what for most were untested waters in Chicago.