Drew Benton
Long time Bassmaster Pro and Huk angler, Drew Benton provides a quick glimpse into the life of a tournament angler.
Drew began fishing at 3 years old when he was barely big enough to hold his own rod. As a youth, he always dreamed of being a professional angler. He has always loved to be outside and enjoys the challenges of the tournament trail, fishing different water and different conditions.
He made his professional debut with B.A.S.S. ten years ago and is most recognized for being an expert sight angler. His largest bass to date tipped the scales at a whopping 13 lbs. 4 oz. Although he has fished all over, Lake Seminole remains his favorite destination.
One of the most notable highlights of Drew’s career was recorded in the pages of Basstimes in 2019. Drew was fishing at a BASS tournament on GA’s Lake Lanier. He was battling a kidney stone, and he just missed the cut. As he was packing up to leave, fellow angler David Mullens snuck all of his trash in Drew’s cooler. Drew was able to sneak the trash back into David’s boat and hide it in his livewell. The next morning David went to the boat check and found his livewell full of his trash. They still laugh about this today.
Drew’s advice to young anglers looking to get into the sport professionally is to first become the best angler you can. Don’t worry about the business side and sponsorships, they will come.
Drew’s favorite snack is cheddar jalapeno summer sausage. He jokingly remarks that summer sausage can be eaten even when wet. He isn’t very superstitious but tries to stay in the same routine if he’s on a hot bite. When not on a tournament trail, Drew enjoys hunting all types of critters.
Jacob Powroznik
Jacob Powroznik made his first splash on the B.A.S.S. scene in 2004. The Bassmaster Pro and Huk angler gave the Huk team some inside thoughts on his career, fishing, and life.
Jacob compares the tournament competition to a card game. Him and his fellow anglers get locked in on a high-stake game for big fish and big money. The rush of not knowing when the next big bite is going to happen is akin to drawing that winning card on the last deal. This kind of thrill is what keeps him coming back.
He fishes all over the country and loves using his signature technique, sight fishing, whenever possible. Not a stranger to big bass, the angler has boated several giants, including one hog that tipped the scales at 12lbs. 2oz. He insists that his favorite lake is Lake Champlain.
He loves to interact with young anglers. Although he mostly talks about fishing, he encourages them to get a college education. He thinks it’s really cool to see the growth of college fishing and how that allows kids to pursue both avenues.
He is one of the few anglers that doesn’t have any superstitions, trusting more on skills. But no one can either confirm or deny if there are any bananas on board his boat!
All anglers seem to have a boat launching or ramp mishap and Jacob is no exception. One unforgettable day, as he was backing up his truck, he had his door open to better see the ramp. Unfortunately, it got caught on the pier and was bent wide open!
When not on the B.A.S.S. tournament trail, Jacob enjoys hunting. Jacob loves working with equipment, building food plots, and getting ready for hunting season. Turkey hunting is one of his biggest passions of all.
Brandon Lester
Nine-year Bassmaster Pro veteran and Huk angler, Brandon Lester opens up to fans. He shares some insight into his life, bass fishing and his fishing career.
His passion for fishing began when he was very young and he was drawn to the challenge of the sport. To him, every day on the water represents a new challenge. Like a puzzle, he loves to try to put all the pieces in place for a winning combination.
Brandon has fished all over, but Lake Champlain remains his favorite destination. Brandon’s signature fishing technique is punching matted grass and he often ties into larger fish with this technique. His largest bass to date, a behemoth 9 lbs. 13 oz. bruiser came as a result.
Brandon enjoys engaging with all fans but particularly likes to speak with young anglers. Maybe that’s because they usually love his favorite snack, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. He constantly encourages them to fish every chance they can get.
One of his top stories to tell is about the one day before he was a professional angler. He got off work early and headed to the lake as he had done hundreds of times prior. Suddenly, he looked in his rearview mirror and saw police lights everywhere. For a moment, he thought they were after him, just as a little beat-up car blew past him with the police in hot pursuit. Moments later he drove up on the stopped police cars and the beat-up car had wrecked in the ditch. To his surprise, there were piles of money all over the road and flying in the air. He even saw onlookers jumping out of their cars to grab some of the loose bills. As it turned out, the driver of the little car had just robbed a bank!
When not on a tournament trail, Brandon can most likely be found chasing spring turkeys and deer hunting. He often jokes that a bad day on the water or in the woods beats a good day at work. We at Huk would have to agree!
