“You see that stand of cypress trees over there?” asked Davy Hite as we idled through the safety lane of South Carolina’s Lake Marion. I had been sharing a boat with the Bass Fishing Hall of Famer for an upcoming “Day on the Lake” piece, and by that point, I had already learned plenty about Santee Cooper Lakes. Still, when Hite points at something, you pay attention. I nodded.
“That island is where many people believe Francis Marion [for whom the lake was named] was based when he masterminded the hit-and-run attacks on the British army during the Revolutionary War.”
Today, that “island” is little more than a stand of flooded cypress trees. But Hite encouraged me to picture it as it once was — dry ground, dense cover, a strategic hideout for a militia leader who earned the nickname “Swamp Fox.” As we floated above it, it was hard not to feel the weight of history beneath the hull. Somewhere below us was ground where salt-of-the-earth Americans disrupted British operations and helped turn the tide of the war in the South.
It’s not every day you get a history lesson while easing toward your next fishing spot.
As we approach the 250th anniversary of our country, moments like that one carry a little more meaning. And spending a day on the water with Hite gave me a deeper appreciation not just for the fishery — but for the man himself.
Most fans today know Hite as the steady, insightful voice on Bassmaster LIVE — the guy who can break down a pattern in two sentences. But there’s a layer to him most fans don’t know. For starters, he spent 14 years as a full-time member of the South Carolina National Guard. That American flag hat he wears on LIVE? That’s not a wardrobe choice. That’s who he is.
Hite grew up near Lake Murray, but much of his upbringing played out in the cypress-lined backwaters of Santee Cooper, often fishing with his grandfather.
“We didn’t have a lot of money when I was growing up,” he told me. “So I’d spend my spare time catching catfish to sell so I’d have some spending money. I can’t tell you how many thousands of hours I spent crawling around these cypress swamps fishing and hunting.”
That bit stuck with me — crawling around cypress swamps. It felt fitting, considering where we were and who we had just been talking about. In a way, Hite’s roots in these waters mirror the same resourceful spirit that once defined Marion’s militia.
Different mission. Same kind of grit.
Of course, younger fans may not fully realize just how accomplished Hite is on the water. He’s the only angler in history to win the Forrest Wood Cup, the Bassmaster Classic and two Bassmaster Angler of the Year titles. Add in seven other Bassmaster victories and nearly $2 million in B.A.S.S. earnings, and you start to understand the scope of it.
But here’s the thing — you wouldn’t know any of that sitting in the boat with him. There’s no chest-thumping. No bragging. Just a humble guy who still loves being on the water, remains grateful for his opportunities and still gets fired up when talking about a stretch of cypress trees where he’s caught ’em in the past.
And maybe that’s the tie that binds all of this together.
As we celebrate 250 years of this country, we tend to look back at the names that shaped its history — men like Francis Marion, who did their job without a need for recognition.
Davy Hite carries that same spirit. And on a quiet stretch of Lake Marion, he reminded me that sometimes the most inspiring stories in America aren’t just found in history books. Sometimes they’re sitting behind the console of the boat, pointing toward a stand of cypress trees.