But, for pros like Hite the off-season is not all about play. Although the competition season is on hiatus there is still plenty of work to be done.

“Recently, I was in Texas for a week with one of my sponsors, then I went to Minneapolis to the Rapala Headquarters. I will go back to Rapala in January, too. Then there are the outdoors shows starting in January just about every weekend. I occasionally have to work for my sponsors,” Hite said with a chuckle,” adding, “but that’s a good thing.”

When he is not working for sponsors, Hite said he sneaks in some hunting, mostly for deer and some for ducks.

“One of the cool things about traveling all over the country fishing I get to meet a lot of people who don’t necessarily like to fish, but they like to hunt. And I enjoy hunting.”

Earlier this fall Hite hunted with a fellow who was his marshal in a tournament last year. Later, he drove to Louisiana – where he won the Bassmaster Classic in 1999 – to do some deer hunting and duck hunting with one of those people he has made friends with.

“It seems like there are a lot of good people in the hunting and fishing community who invite you to go on their land, stay in their hunt cabin – or even in their home – and enjoy the outdoors with them,” Hite said.

Hite himself is one of those friendly outdoors people who invites friends to his hunt cabin and hunts with them on his land along the Salud River near his home in South Carolina.

“I had Casey Ashley over to my river cabin a while back and I got him to get out his guitar and play it. I like doing fun stuff like that – hunting and fishing in the off-season, sitting around the campfire, enjoying good food. That’s all part of it and the guitar playing made it even more enjoyable.”

This has been an especially enjoyable off-season for Hite because he got to have some quality time with both of his boys.

“I did not leave for Louisiana until I was able to spend some time with both boys at home,” Hite said. “Peyton is at Newberry College and Parker was home after finishing Ranger School at Fort Benning, Ga. I was not going to leave until Parker was ready to leave.”

Parker, the oldest son, played football at Newberry College until he got an appointment to West Point. On Nov. 6, Hite was a proud Ranger Dad, pinning the tab on Parker at Fort Benning.

“I am proud of both boys, proud of how good both of them have done in school and Parker is now in the military. I am really proud of him,” Hite said.

Hite is a two-time B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year, won the 1999 Classic and was the first winner of the FLW Championship. He has won nine national tournaments and qualified for the Classic an impressive 14 seasons.

In a Bassmaster Elite season a pro angler may travel from Florida to the Great Lakes to California to Texas and back to the East Coast in a period of seven months, logging hours, days and weeks on the road and 12-hour-plus days on the water practicing for tournaments. There is no time for hunting or recreational fishing – and little time for family.

So, when that opportunity arises during the off-season Hite tries to make the most of it.