David Fritts, Davy Hite inducted into Bass Fishing Hall of Fame

The Bass Fishing Hall of Fame has named two Carolina anglers as 2019 inductees into the Hall.

The two Carolina anglers have both won the FLW Cup and the Bassmaster Classic

Last Friday, the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame’s Board of Directors named two Carolina anglers, David Fritts and Davy Hite, as new inductees into the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame. Fritts and Hite, in addition to being top-notch anglers, are both long-time columnists with Carolina Sportsman Magazine.

Fritts, of Lexington, N.C., and Hite of Ninety Six, S.C., have both won the FLW Cup. They’ve also both won the Bassmaster Classic. Not many anglers have done either one of those. And these Carolina anglers are two of a very small number who have done both.

David Fritts

Fritts fished on the FLW Tour for 19 years, won six Tour tournaments in 160 events, finished in the top 10 twenty times, and pocketed $1.37 million in earnings. Fritts appeared in 11 FLW Cups, winning it in 1997. He’s fished 185 Bassmaster Elite Series tournaments. He has won five of those, finished in the top 10 forty times, and has won over $968,000. He’s fished in six Bassmaster Classics. The crankbait specialist won the event in 1993. Fritts was named B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year in 1994.

Davy Hite

Hite fished for seven years on the FLW Tour winning one tournament, which was the 1998 FLW Cup. He finished in the top 10 four times in 38 total events, and won $377,050. He appeared in two FLW Cups. Hite fished in 253 tournaments in the Bassmaster Elite Series. He won eight events, finished in the top 10 forty-five times, and won $1,990,193. He won the 1999 Bassmaster Classic, and fished in another 13 Classics. Hite won B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year in 1997 and 2002.

Fritts is still fishing, Hite is now a commentator for B.A.S.S

While Fritts is still fishing the Bassmaster Elite Series trail, Hite is now a commentator for B.A.S.S., covering the tournaments that Fritts is fishing in. They are both highly-respected anglers who are known for doing as much for the fishing community when they are off the water as on it.

Hite began writing the Lunker Lines column for South Carolina Sportsman in 1994. Fritts started writing Lunker Lines for North Carolina Sportsman in 2006. Since the two magazines merged into Carolina Sportsman, the two anglers have continued writing the same column, with each angler appearing every other month in the magazine.

Three other bass fishing professionals joined Fritts and Hite as Hall of Fame inductees for the Class of 2019. They are pro angler Mark Davis of Mt. Ida, Ark, the late artist/illustrator Chris Armstrong, and the late Ed Chambers, who founded Zoom Bait Company.

John Mazurkiewicz, who is vice president of the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame Board and chairman of the Nominations Committee, said these five new inductees deserve the honor based on their contributions to bass fishing.

“All these men, in both what they have done and continue to do, reflect perfectly on the Hall’s mission to celebrate, promote, and preserve the sport of bass fishing,” said Mazurkiewicz.

Johnny Morris’ Wonders of Wildlife Museum and Aquarium in Springfield, Mo. will host the induction ceremony on Sept. 19, 2019. For tickets to the event and to find out more about the Bass Fishing Hall of Fame, visit www.bassfishinghof.com

About Brian Cope 2726 Articles
Brian Cope is the editor of Carolina Sportsman. He has won numerous awards for his writing, photography, and videography. He is a retired Air Force combat communications technician, and has a B.A. in English Literature from the University of South Carolina. You can reach him at brianc@sportsmannetwork.com.