Summer 2026
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Looking to benefit your sponsors? You can do one of those or all of those, but figure out which ones are the priority and develop content with that in mind. The goal is always to be different and/or better than everyone else. After all, how many “How to rig a Coike” videos can we stand?
CHANNEL AUTHENTICITY
The threshold question is always, “Why does anyone care what you have to say?”
It’s not an insult. It explains your “why” and also your “how.” Position yourself as an expert, or a regional expert, or someone who is non-sponsored and therefore able to be impartial.
Also, if there’s something that differentiates you, get after it. Are you the only left-handed Taiwanese angler out there? Disabled in some way? Do you possess some skill or ability or background that others don’t. I’m not recommending that you utilize those differences randomly, but if there’s a way to tie them into your content authentically, go for it.
And “authenticity” is the key word here. If you don’t have Gerald Swindle’s gift of gab, don’t try to mimic it. If you don’t have KVD’s long list of achievements, don’t act like you do. People will see through it and on social media the keyboard warriors can be cruel – it’s not fair, but it’s true.
DO WHAT YOU DO WELL
Are you a great extemporaneous public speaker? A cartoonist? The best jig skipper on the planet. Again, lean into and exploit those existing skills.
If memes or shorts or long-form content are you jam, go heavy on those, especially if the numbers bear you out.
The goal should be to distinguish yourself from everyone else with the same goals. Do you know how many
lookalike/soundalike pros there are on the tours from Alabama/Georgia/Tennessee? They’re interchangeable at times. Which means they’re disposable or forgettable.
EMBRACE WHAT YOU DON’T DO WELL
Be realistic about the things you don’t do well. Terrible public speaker? Not photogenic? Don’t have access to prolific or trophy waters? Don’t (initially) build content that banks on those skills or opportunities. At the same time, that doesn’t give you license to ignore them. Public speaking, in particular, is critical. If you stumble and give non- meaningful, non-descriptive answers, you will suffer across the board. Resolve to get better. Take a public speaking course at a local college. If that’s not feasible, practice in front of a video camera (again, you already have one in your pocket) and then analyze the answers. Ask for feedback from friends or members of the media. Watch anglers like Wheeler or KVD or Palaniuk and see how they put together information verbally.
This one is non-negotiable and yet the one that the fewest number of aspiring pros and influencers will follow – to their detriment.
JUDICIOUSLY PICK FROM THE WHOLE ARRAY OF OPPORTUNITIES
The world of media, social media and content creation can seem overwhelming. Every day it seems that a new platform rises up that you must be on. It can be a full-time job and most of us have neither the bandwidth to do it full- time or the means to hire someone else to do it.
So what should you do?
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