Inside Elite Boats

Inside Elite Boats: Brett Hite

Tour the boat Hite used to land three Top 10 finishes during his first year as an Elite pro.

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<p>During his first year in the Elite Series, Brett Hite landed three Top 10 finishes including an impressive win at the 2014 Dick Cepek Tires Bassmaster Elite at Lake Seminole. The following boat tour reveals the bait, equipment and electronics Hite depended on during his successful season.</p>
Photo: Seigo Saito - During his first year in the Elite Series, Brett Hite landed three Top 10 finishes including an impressive win at the 2014 Dick Cepek Tires Bassmaster Elite at Lake Seminole. The following boat tour reveals the bait, equipment and electronics Hite depended on during his successful season.
Brett Hite's Ranger Z521C powered by an Evinrude Etec 250 HO.
Photo: Seigo Saito - Brett Hite's Ranger Z521C powered by an Evinrude Etec 250 HO.
Hite trolls with a Minn Kota Fortrex 112 trolling motor.
Photo: Seigo Saito - Hite trolls with a Minn Kota Fortrex 112 trolling motor.
The front deck features a Hydrowave Electronic Feeding Stimulator, a control panel for his two 10-foot Talon shallow-water anchors on the rear of his boat and a Humminbird 1199 unit fixed to a custom mount from Bass Boat Technologies.
Photo: Seigo Saito - The front deck features a Hydrowave Electronic Feeding Stimulator, a control panel for his two 10-foot Talon shallow-water anchors on the rear of his boat and a Humminbird 1199 unit fixed to a custom mount from Bass Boat Technologies.
A closer look at the custom mount from Bass Boat Technologies.
Photo: Seigo Saito - A closer look at the custom mount from Bass Boat Technologies.
Hite says the Rigid Industries trolling motor light is like having a head light on your boat.
Photo: Seigo Saito - Hite says the Rigid Industries trolling motor light is like having a head light on your boat. "When you're coming in at night or running from launch ramp A to the launch site, it's nice to have that to illuminate the buoys with reflective tape," he said. "It helps you see everything you need to see when you’re running."
Hite uses white Rigid A Series lights to illuminate his front deck.
Photo: Seigo Saito - Hite uses white Rigid A Series lights to illuminate his front deck. "Instead of doing colors, I did the white light," he said. "A lot of times, we’re rigging late at night or really early in the morning, and I can turn those on. You’ve seen guys where they’re holding a flash light in their mouth or with their neck against their shoulder. But I can hit one button and all of those come on to make it really easy for me."
The left rod locker carries Hite's weapons of choice from Evergreen International Rods.
Photo: Seigo Saito - The left rod locker carries Hite's weapons of choice from Evergreen International Rods.
Like most pros, Hite has a rod for every occasion.
Photo: Seigo Saito - Like most pros, Hite has a rod for every occasion.
Hite shows off an Evergreen Combat Stick Heracles rod. The rod series includes models as long as 7 feet, 7 inches.
Photo: Seigo Saito - Hite shows off an Evergreen Combat Stick Heracles rod. The rod series includes models as long as 7 feet, 7 inches.
The center box is where Brett keeps the majority of his tackle. He keeps all of his plastics on the side, crankbaits and other hard baits in the middle and a few spinning rods in the middle rod tubes.
Photo: Seigo Saito - The center box is where Brett keeps the majority of his tackle. He keeps all of his plastics on the side, crankbaits and other hard baits in the middle and a few spinning rods in the middle rod tubes. "The majority of my tackle is in there and that way I can just pick and choose," he said.
Evergreen Combat lures feature one of the snazziest finishes in the fishing tackle world.
Photo: Seigo Saito - Evergreen Combat lures feature one of the snazziest finishes in the fishing tackle world. "The paint job, the hooks, everything on the baits, are very high quality," Hite said. "As with most things, you get what you pay for. You spend a little bit more money to get a paint job that’s more durable."
Square-billed, shallow-running crankbaits from the Evergreen Combat Lures line.
Photo: Seigo Saito - Square-billed, shallow-running crankbaits from the Evergreen Combat Lures line.
A box with a little bit of everything, from crankbaits to jerk baits and jigs.
Photo: Seigo Saito - A box with a little bit of everything, from crankbaits to jerk baits and jigs.
Hite helped Evergreen with the design of the Big Shallow 60 Combat Crankbait. It was designed to fish in shallow grass.
Photo: Seigo Saito - Hite helped Evergreen with the design of the Big Shallow 60 Combat Crankbait. It was designed to fish in shallow grass. "It has a real, real heavy thump," Hite said. "If it’s not thumping, you know either a fish has it or it’s clumped up with grass."
A Versus Tackle Storage Box holds more Evergreen lures.
Photo: Seigo Saito - A Versus Tackle Storage Box holds more Evergreen lures.
Hite uses Gary Yamamoto plastics.
Photo: Seigo Saito - Hite uses Gary Yamamoto plastics.
The Gary Yamamoto Senko, one of the most popular bass-fishing lures of all-time.
Photo: Seigo Saito - The Gary Yamamoto Senko, one of the most popular bass-fishing lures of all-time.
Hite uses the right-side rod locker for dry storage. It holds his helmet for long runs and rough weather, his Sunline Fluorocarbon and Braid, all of his treble hooks, his rain gear and his fire extinguisher.
Photo: Seigo Saito - Hite uses the right-side rod locker for dry storage. It holds his helmet for long runs and rough weather, his Sunline Fluorocarbon and Braid, all of his treble hooks, his rain gear and his fire extinguisher.
His treble hook box is neatly labeled for quick, easy access...
Photo: Seigo Saito - His treble hook box is neatly labeled for quick, easy access...
...and there's no shortage of hooks inside.
Photo: Seigo Saito - ...and there's no shortage of hooks inside.
The box closest to Hite's driver's seat is what he calls his
Photo: Seigo Saito - The box closest to Hite's driver's seat is what he calls his "day box." "That’s where I keep all of my terminal tackle," he said. "All of my worm hooks, all of my sinkers and my Reins Tungsten weights."
Weights of all shapes and sizes for every possible tournament scenario.
Photo: Seigo Saito - Weights of all shapes and sizes for every possible tournament scenario.
Gamakatsu hooks for every technique imaginable.
Photo: Seigo Saito - Gamakatsu hooks for every technique imaginable.
Hite's cooler is usually filled with drinks, snacks and Powerbars.
Photo: Seigo Saito - Hite's cooler is usually filled with drinks, snacks and Powerbars.
Hite carries one pair of Titanium Evergreen Pliers and one regular pair of pliers with cutters.
Photo: Seigo Saito - Hite carries one pair of Titanium Evergreen Pliers and one regular pair of pliers with cutters.
Hite runs two Humminbird 1199 units on his console. His reasoning makes good sense:
Photo: Seigo Saito - Hite runs two Humminbird 1199 units on his console. His reasoning makes good sense: "With the side imaging, to be able to see the real detail, you need almost a full screen of the big unit," he said. "It’s like the difference between watching a sporting event on a 25-inch TV or a 60-inch TV. You can see more detail on the 60-inch. If you have one dedicated to side imaging and one dedicated to mapping and 2D, you get a better view of everything than we used to get when we used just one."
The dual custom mount from Bass Boat Technologies holds Hite's Humminbird units.
Photo: Seigo Saito - The dual custom mount from Bass Boat Technologies holds Hite's Humminbird units.
Lakemaster chips help Hite navigate lakes all over the country.
Photo: Seigo Saito - Lakemaster chips help Hite navigate lakes all over the country.
The view Hite gets when he's on the move during tournaments.
Photo: Seigo Saito - The view Hite gets when he's on the move during tournaments.
Hite says the glove box in between the seats is
Photo: Seigo Saito - Hite says the glove box in between the seats is "real handy for your wallet, your phone, your gloves, a microfiber towel for your graphs and your sunglasses, lens cleaner, sunscreen - a little bit of everything."
A lure retriever is kept in an easily accessible spot.
Photo: Seigo Saito - A lure retriever is kept in an easily accessible spot.
Life jackets have their own compartment and never come out of the boat.
Photo: Seigo Saito - Life jackets have their own compartment and never come out of the boat.
The box behind the driver's seat is used as a
Photo: Seigo Saito - The box behind the driver's seat is used as a "utility box." It's where Hite keeps all of his tools - a full socket set, screwdrivers, Allen wrenches and anything else he thinks he might need for making repairs on the go. He also carries a spare prop, a spare hub set, a small tie-up rope and a 50-foot rope.
In his livewell, Hite has installed a small aluminum bar with six slots for culling tags.
Photo: Seigo Saito - In his livewell, Hite has installed a small aluminum bar with six slots for culling tags. "It's so I literally don’t have to open another box," he said. "I can just open up the livewell, grab a tag and put it on the fish."
To keep fish safe and lively during warm-weather tournaments, he uses a pure oxygen cylinder with an air stone that comes in from the back battery compartment and sits in the bottom of the livewell.
Photo: Seigo Saito - To keep fish safe and lively during warm-weather tournaments, he uses a pure oxygen cylinder with an air stone that comes in from the back battery compartment and sits in the bottom of the livewell. "In our postspawn, hotter temperature and hotter water tournaments, I use the pure oxygen all the time and it really helps," he said.
The battery compartment holds four AGM Deka batteries, plus a Minn Kota charger, an oxygen bottle and a spare gallon of XD100 Evinrude oil.
Photo: Seigo Saito - The battery compartment holds four AGM Deka batteries, plus a Minn Kota charger, an oxygen bottle and a spare gallon of XD100 Evinrude oil.
Two 10-foot Talon shallow-water anchors will help Hite stay put when he's fishing shallow this spring on the Elite Series. Thanks for the tour, Brett!
Photo: Seigo Saito - Two 10-foot Talon shallow-water anchors will help Hite stay put when he's fishing shallow this spring on the Elite Series. Thanks for the tour, Brett!