Huk Performance Fishing apparel isn’t just another mainstream clothing line being marketed to anglers.
From top to bottom, Huk’s performance apparel is designed specifically for fishermen with heavy input from some of Bassmaster Elite Series’ top pros.
Huk (pronounced “hook”) is a relatively new company headed by former Under Armour employees who saw a need to create clothing to meet the demands of anglers. It includes everything from T-shirts to caps and outerwear for inclement weather. The company, based in Charleston, S.C., also expanded into insulated outer wear and layering collections this year.
“Our clothing not only gives anglers protection from the elements, but a brand that reflects their passion for fishing,” said Huk President Ben Verner. “It allows an angler to show his colors on and off the water.”
While the company provides clothing for all forms of salt and freshwater fishing, technical clothing for bass anglers has become a big part of Huk’s focus.
Last fall, the company became a Supporting Sponsor of Bassmaster Elite Series, Bass Pro Shops Bassmaster Open Series presented by Allstate, Old Milwaukee B.A.S.S. Nation events, Toyota Bonus Bucks Bassmaster Team Championship and Bassmaster High School series.
“When you start talking about all the anglers in the world, the Bassmaster events are what everyone’s eyes are on,” explained Verner. “In addition, B.A.S.S. pros have become very aware of the importance of protective performance wear and its role in the comfort of a day of fishing.”
The company has signed sponsor agreements with an all-star lineup that includes Kevin VanDam, Skeet Reese, Gerald Swindle, Brandon Palaniuk, Brent Chapman, Jason Williamson, Chad Pipkens, Cliff Crochet and Brent Ehrler.
“All of these guys have a role in drawing attention to our clothing and are capable of reaching a broad range of anglers,” said Verner. “They also provide valuable input in the products we offer.”
While each article is designed to offer protection from the sun, salt, rain and other elements that anglers face while on the water, wearability and comfort also are major considerations in product design, Verner added.
That’s why Bassmaster pros are asked to test each item and offer recommendations that company officials take seriously.
“Our design team is among the best, but we rely on these pros to tell us what will make each item better,” said Verner. “We create and they edit; we’ve had them tell us that a material needs to stretch more or that the colors need tweaked. We make those changes because – if you can tournament fish in our clothing and it holds up to those demands – it will make everyone’s Saturday spent on the water even better.”
One major advantage to the Huk lineup is that the clothing items are made of the same or better materials as other premium clothing lines, yet the Huk brand sells at a lower price point.
“That’s been a huge goal of this company from the beginning,” Verner insisted.
Verner said Huk’s marketing strategy has been to become a major retail brand that sells where anglers shop. Among others, those include Bass Pro Shops, Cabela’s, Academy, Dick’s Sporting Goods and Sportsmen’s Warehouse, all of whom carry Huk Clothing.
If you want to know more about the brand and people behind Huk, the parent company, Marolina Outdoors, also hosts Money Fish, an outdoor TV show on the Sportsman Channel. The program goes behind the scenes of Huk, sharing reports of the Bassmaster Classic, ICAST, product meetings with Elite pros, and more.
