YouTube Fishing Channel Tips

There’s an experience that’s likely common to any angler who’s landed a beautiful fish when no one’s around. There’s an initial exhilaration followed by the thought: “I wish someone had seen that fight and this fish!” Now, with modern technology, anglers can share their experience and all their greatest fishing moments with the whole world. All an angler has to do is set up a YouTube channel. For those who strike a chord with fellow anglers, it’s even possible to make a living doing it! If the idea appeals to you and you’re thinking of firing up a fishing channel of your own, consider the following suggestions.

HAVE A NICHE

Find a specific niche, like an area, type of fish, or technique that hasn’t been adequately covered by other channels and create videos for that niche. That’s not to say that your channel should be limited to only a single topic, rather it means that you should be offering something unique. That might mean your specific brand of humor or your specific insights about fishing. Maybe it’s about the foibles of anglers in your area of the country or fishing for the species you’re into. You could be the guy or gal who hunts for pike wearing a cool fishing mask. Whatever it is, find the niche and fill it.

KNOW WHY YOU'RE MAKING VIDEOS

An important step that many new channels miss is understanding why you’re making videos. If your reason for making videos is, “I think it would be cool to post videos of myself fishing,” your content may not be particularly engaging. Find a reason that people should watch your content. Are you providing great information on your style of fishing? Are you going to warn other anglers to avoid specific mistakes you’ve made? Do you want to make people laugh? Do you want to share the excitement you feel when you hunt and hook muskies? Consider not only what your niche is, but what you’re going to offer audiences to keep them coming back for more videos.

LOOK THE PART

Those pros wearing high-performance fishing shirts aren’t doing that just to look good. Fishing clothing is generally made from high-performance polyester that wicks moisture away, dries quickly, provides sun protection, and can reduce chafing. The best fishing shirts will also be stain-resistant and antimicrobial, unlike a T-shirt and jeans. Look the part, and you’ll garner more respect from the audience.

KEEP IT TIGHT AND FOCUSED

Explaining what you’re fishing with, where you’re fishing, and what your message is, are the keys to a well-focused video. Too many fishing videos on YouTube include footage of the drive to the lake, conversations with friends, and a variety of other filler. If you don’t have a really compelling reason to include those things, don’t. The viewers are generally there to learn whatever is being taught and watch fishing in action. Keep your videos tight, keep them focused, and, obviously, include as many hits, fights, and landings of lunkers as you can. If you fish in a particularly beautiful area or have particularly funny moments with your friends, feel free to splice in footage of your conversations or of the view throughout the video, but wait until after the introduction.