by Rachel Chesnes

Picture this: Your everyday to-do list involves traveling to some of the best fisheries in the world, sharing epic angling stories, working alongside some of the top names and brands in the sportfishing industry, and of course, posting impressive fish content across a number of social media platforms. Sounds like the stuff only fantasies are made of? Think again. This is the reality for some of the top sportfishing influencers on the web. These elite individuals have made a name for themselves, devoted to engaging, educating, and entertaining their followers across the sportfishing landscape. While social media has become an effective tool for branding yourself, reaching this influential status doesn’t come as naturally (or easily) as it may sound.

What does it take to earn the title of “Influencer?” How do you put your follower count on steroids? What are the best practices when it comes to fishing social media? We asked some of the who’s who of sportfishing social media to find out.

Elliot Sudal – @acksharks

Iconic for his niche in shark fishing off the beach, Elliot Sudal has made his passion a career – working with a variety of shark research programs on tagging and releasing sharks. Now as a verified member on his Instagram account of over 118k followers, Elliot’s posting philosophy is to set a good example on how to properly catch, tag, and release these sharks. He also uses his platform for educating people about the different species he’s catching, and the best tackle and approach for landing a shark from shore.  We talked with Elliot about his journey and how he’s become known as the “Shark Wrestler” today.

Q: When did your Instagram account really take off?

A: It’s a funny story actually. I was living in Nantucket during the summer five years ago, and I was surf casting blue fish from the beach when a shark chomped my fish right in half in front of me. At this point, I knew nothing about shark fishing, so I basically threw out a little wire leader and hooked this giant shark. I fought it for an hour and people were showing up to video it, then I landed the shark and grabbed it by the tail, pulled the hook out and let it go. I had no idea what I was doing, knew nothing about shark fishing, but these were the heydays of viral videos and someone posted it on Facebook. The local newspaper reposted it, and three hours later Good Morning America flew a crew out. It was a really cool video and was right before Shark Week, it got like over ten million views in a week.

Q: What factors do you attribute to your main account’s growth and popularity?

A: Viral videos have always been a huge spike in likes and followers. I took the Vice President out, and we caught a 15-foot sawfish that fought for 11 hours, that got all sorts of attention. Then the following year, I caught a 13-foot hammerhead. People Magazine posted this whole “sexy shark wrangler” thing, which got me like 20,000 followers almost overnight. And then just recently, I caught an 1100-pound tiger shark, the biggest shark I’ve ever caught, and that got picked up by News Week. I got Instagram verified and that blue check mark – that’s helped a lot. The biggest thing is doing crazy videos that get reposted a lot. Also, what I do is super unique and you don’t necessarily have to be into fishing to be fascinated by sharks.

Q: What central message do you hope your audience takes away through following you?

A: I always say the ocean is in a state of change and just being aware of what’s going on in the world of shark research and shark conservation. In the beginning, it was more about the crazy catch and making it look cool. Now, I’ve shifted everything towards shark education, awareness, research and information – it’s the message I want to be promoting.

Leo Chapman – @billfish.inc

Though only in his early 20’s, Leo Chapman is the founder of Billfish Inc. A highly recognized offshore fishing page established on Instagram and Facebook, Billfish started out as a small hobby that has grown into a well-respected social media brand. Founded in 2014, Billfish specializes in sharing emerging trends in the fishing and boating industry. Billfish and its activities are guided by a singular mission – providing value in the form of entertainment and sharing information to the offshore fisherman. The company’s latest venture, Billfish Gear, started by selling out on their first run of stickers – and reinvesting every penny earned – in the course of launching a line of performance fishing apparel. Established as one of the premier Instagram accounts on the billfishing landscape, this is just the beginning for Billfish.

Q: Can you tell us a little bit about your background and how you got started fishing?

A: My grandpa always believed that the best way to keep a family together is to invest in a boat. So that’s where it all started. Growing up, my family owned a 46-foot Bertram known as the Hey Chama. I took my first steps on that boat. I started fishing when I was about ten years old with my dad in his 21-foot Contender and later on a 54-foot Bertram. We ultimately upgraded to the latest Hey Chama, a 64-foot Bayliss. On the Bayliss, we travel around the world and fish from the Dominican Republic, Costa Rica all the way to North Carolina.

Q: What type of posts are your followers most interested in?

A: Our slogan is by fishermen for fishermen. That’s because the people in our community really are out there doing this on a weekly basis. For us, the best piece of content is one that provides information – whether it be in the form of education, inspiration or just debating on a subject. And it’s always fun to talk to our followers in the comments and hear everyone’s opinions and see each other’s points.

Q: What’s the #1 key to a successful post and someone looking to build their influence?

A: A successful post in our eyes is not based on how many likes or comments you get. For us, the most successful posts are the ones that provide the most value to our audience. This value can take the form of entertainment or sharing useful information, but it should not come at the expense of moral boundaries. Lust for growth won’t make us stray away from our content strategy, we’d rather grow more slowly and be respected than share attention grabbing posts that don’t actually have a goal except maybe going viral. What separates us from the rest is that we’re one of the only brands or pages that are run by fishermen who are out there competing and placing in top tournaments like the Triple Crown in Costa Rica.

Photos courtesy of Pepper Ailor/ Los Suenos Resort and Marina 

Captain Nick Stanczyk – @captnickstanczyk

Captain Nick Stanczyk is one of the most recognizable and fastest-growing names in the sportfishing industry. From being central to pioneering daytime swordfishing in the Florida Keys, to having a show on the Weather Channel, and not being afraid to bring bananas on the boat – there’s a lot to like about Capt. Nick. Beyond the consistent swordfish action in his own backyard, Nick also frequently travels the world in search of monster broadbill – fishing in such far-flung destinations as Tasmania. Sharing his impressive catches on social media, with a following of over 99,000 people, Stanczyk has effectively optimized his charter business. Nick also manages the social media accounts for Bud N’ Mary’s Marina (the Islamorada institution that is owned by his family) that have over 80,000 followers on Instagram.

Q: What factors do you attribute to your main account’s growth and popularity?

A: I do fish a lot, so I have a lot of content, pictures and videos. Taking the time to put together a decent shot and composing something that looks really good is important. And then, working with other companies in the same industry, they kind of help promote you as well as you promoting them. So cross promotion helps everyone to grow their sales and accounts.

Q: What has been your biggest or trendiest post?

A: We caught a giant 757-pounder swordfish on March 31^st. This got the most traction of any social media posts I’ve done. Probably because it was a huge fish, one of the biggest ever caught by a recreational fisherman in the United States, that post got a lot of attention and engagement. We made a couple YouTube videos from it and quite a few news stations picked it up. It got a lot of views for us, one video had over 500,000 and another 350,000 views.

Q: In some form, every account has critics. What’s your advice for handling criticism?

A: Sometimes you receive some negative comments. For instance, I put up a video once of cleaning a fish and nine out of ten people would say, “WOW, that was really good,” and I thought I did a decent job fileting it. But of course, some people would critique it and comment things like, “Oh, what a waste. You left so much meat on there.” So, people are going to try to pick you a part, but I guess you kind of just have to let it go in one ear and out the other. Even if you have a post with a little bit of backfire, it usually doesn’t last very long. Stay positive, keep doing what you’re doing, and the audience that likes watching your stuff will continue to support you.

Darcie – @_darcizzle_

Darcie Arahill, better known as Darcizzle on her social media accounts, didn’t originally set out to be a woman figure in sportfishing. She initially started out on Instagram, where her account really took off by posting catches from offshore fishing trips with her boyfriend Brian. As her likes and followers began to grow, Darcizzle Offshore was born on Facebook with a page-like count of over 120,000. Darcizzle is recognized most on her YouTube channel, where she posts videos two times a week and has a subscriber count of over 265,000.

Q: What factors do you attribute to your main account’s growth and popularity?

A: Well, number one, being a girl in a predominately man’s sport. Two, I mean it’s hot in Florida so I’m also wearing a bikini which can be a draw of course. But also, I think my passion for fishing really comes through in my videos. My fans tell me this all the time, that I get so enthusiastic and upbeat whether it’s a big fish or a little fish, I’m super excited. People really like the passion I express for fishing. Also, that I’m out there following my dreams, and if I can do it, they can do the same for theirs.

Q: In what single way has social media most changed the sportifshing industry?

A: It’s definitely brought more eyes to the sport. I feel like a lot more people are fishing these days which is amazing. Social media has provided so much more content, whether it be how-to information, tips and techniques. For instance, I have a cast net video that’s gotten a great response. Not only has social media put eyes on the sport, but really giving others advice and the skills for different types of fishing so they can do it, too. It’s bringing positivity to the sport and not just the catches.

Q: What’s the #1 key to a successful post and someone looking to build their influence?

A: Number one, always have original content and post your own photos. Also, you want to post newer photos, you don’t really want to go back in the day with really old photos because social media algorithms pick up on that and they don’t perform as well. It’s also important to try and have people react and comment on your photos. Engagement on your page is highly important, more so than the likes and follows. You want to be interactive with your followers by responding to their comments. It shows you care and not just full of yourself.

Capt. Rick Murphy – @captrickmurphy

A fishing guide for 37 years in the Florida Keys, Everglades and Biscayne Bay, Murphy is the CEO of RM Media, executive producer and host of Sportsman’s Adventures, Florida Insider Fishing Report and Texas Insider Fishing Report. Captain Rick Murphy sets the standard for doing it all in the marine industry. Established across Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, each show has its own social media page with a power team of brand ambassadors putting out fresh content daily. Whether it’s through TV or his social media content, Murphy offers fishing tips, techniques, how-to’s for managing your gear, rods, reels and boating maintenance – along with conservation efforts.

Q: In what single way has social media most changed the sportfishing industry?

A: I think the one thing I see about social media, that we didn’t have earlier when I started my career and certainly my fishing career, is the accessibility to touch people. Whether you have only 100 fans or 100,000 fans, you have the ability to put out an idea, message, a new technique or a spot. The key is that you have those people in one click and your message is immediately felt.

Q: Any exciting projects in store for 2019 that your followers should get excited for?

A: We want the younger generation to have somebody affiliated with our company to follow and someone who they can look up to as a role model. So, this year in 2019, we created a YouTube channel called Sportman’s Adventures Reel Life. The YouTube team is made up of young adults in their 20s who are all very good at fishing all different ways. We’re going out and shooting eight- to ten-minute YouTube films of their particular adventures and the way these younger kids talk to each other. They’re covering what’s cool and maybe something to us we forgot about fishing. They’re reinventing it in their own way, which is really cool they’re able to do that.

Q: What makes your pages unique compared to similar accounts?

A: The timeliness of our pages are what makes them so unique. Because we have so many things to do and contractual obligations, with 58 sponsors, we’re busy. Everything we’re putting up on Facebook and Instagram is what’s happening right then and is so relevant because were constantly working at it.

Carey Chen – @careychenart

Marine artist Carey Chen has established an impressive portfolio that merges his love for sportfishing and life at sea. His career as an influencer draws from the perspective he offers through paintings and photographs in some of the world’s most impressive fisheries. With a following of over 68,000 on Instagram, Carey keeps the community on their toes for the next wild photo or video going on across the sportfishing realm.

Q: How did you get started on social media and what do you use your account for?

A: A friend of mine just said to me one day, “Let’s try to get on Instagram.” Before that I’d been on Facebook for a while. I’ve built up a lot of content because I’m always traveling, so I have a lot of photos and stories to tell and Instagram’s really worked out good for me. I do about 40 tournaments a year, and I’m a feature artist for about 60, so I get to travel the islands and see what most people don’t get to see. I enjoy visiting the beautiful Caribbean, beautiful water and getting to fish a lot, so that’s my office.

Q: Can you tell us a little bit about your background as an artist?

A: Well I was a fisherman before I was an artist, so that’s how I’ve gotten to see marlins close up and all the colors of these fish. That’s how it sticks in my head. I get my inspiration from fishing, and the unique thing about sportfishing art, marlins and billfish and stuff like that, is that you only have a few seconds to see the fish. You know, there’s a lot of photos and artwork of lions and tigers out there that you can paint from, but you don’t really get to be in the water and see a marlin coming at you.

Q: What have you found to be most rewarding about working in social media?

A: Let me tell you, it is so rewarding when somebody from Africa messages you or someone from New Zealand, or anywhere, and says, “Hey, I want a painting,” or “Can I buy artwork for my t-shirts?” The new thing that I am doing is digital art which is on the computer or an iPad. I paint all these incredible scenes, and I’m able to email them directly to a client all over the world.

So what does it take to stand out and earn your star as a sportfishing influencer? Like a lot of success stories, it’s a mixture of luck, hard work, actively networking, and being in the right place at the right time — or even better, where the fish are biting!