Elite Anglers Should Enjoy Phenomenal Sight Fishing On The St. John’s River
The St. John’s River is a special place for B.A.S.S. Elite angler Davy Hite. He carried his new bride, Natalie, there on their honeymoon 27 years ago.
As wonderful as that memory is, however, the place is an enigma to Hite. Although he has won eight B.A.S.S. tournaments and earned more than $1.8 million in Bassmaster competition alone, fishing success has eluded him there.
“That place has been my Achilles heel,” said Hite while practicing for the 2014 Elite Series opener this week on Lake Seminole. The series moves next week to the St. John’s River for the second of eight regular tournaments on the schedule this year.
“I have not done well in the tournaments we have held there,” the Elite pro from Ninety Six, S.C., said. His record in recent St. John’s River tournaments is 86th in March of 2012 and 83rd in March of 2011.
But, Hite added, conditions bode well for a lot of anglers to have outstanding tournaments on the river next week.
“The last time we were down there we had a mild winter and those fish were almost done spawning. There were still a lot of fish caught sight fishing then, but the spawn was almost over. But that certainly is not going to be the case this year.”
The two-time B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year and 1999 Bassmaster Classic champion said he visited the St. John’s River in January before the waters went off-limits for the Elite tournament and he liked what he saw then.
“We’ve had this crazy, cold winter, with the temperature back and forth. It happened to be cold when I was down there, so I just rode around, looking at the grass and seeing how it had changed. It seems to change from year to year.”
Hite saw some bedding bass in January – Florida bass usually spawn a lot earlier than bass further north – but because of the cold temperatures the spawning was limited to natural spring areas where the water is warmer coming out of the ground.
“I think the tournament next week will be a sight fishing tournament,” he said. “When we have been there in the past the bigger stringers have been caught predominately sight fishing and I think we are going to hit it at the prime time next week.”
Hite said a lot of 8- to 10-pound bass will be on the beds when the Elite anglers get to the St. John’s River.
“Those fish can be hard to find, but they are are definitely there on the St. John’s,” he said.
Bassmaster Elite Series at St. Johns River
Mar 20-23, 2014
St. Johns River
Palatka, FL
