The Reality Behind the Content
I watch a lot of fishing YouTube—probably too much—and I’ve always wondered what gear the successful vloggers actually use. Not the sponsored gear they’re contractually obligated to mention, but the cameras and setups they trust when they’re building their channels. So I started asking. Over the past year, I’ve talked to a dozen fishing content creators with subscriber counts ranging from 10,000 to over a million, and their answers surprised me.
The short version: iPhone dominates, GoPro fills a niche, and drones are aspirational more than essential. Let me break down what I learned.
The iPhone Revolution
Eight of the twelve creators I interviewed shoot primarily on iPhone, specifically the Pro models from the last two to three years. The reasons are practical: iPhones are waterproof enough for fishing, the video quality is excellent in good light, and the editing workflow is streamlined. You can shoot, edit, and upload without ever touching a computer.
One creator with 400,000 subscribers told me he shot his most viral video—a tarpon fight that got 3 million views—entirely on an iPhone 13 Pro in a $40 waterproof case. No gimbal, no external mic, just a phone on a suction mount. “I’ve spent $10,000 on camera gear over the years,” he said. “The stuff that performs best is the phone.”
The downsides of iPhone are real but manageable. Battery life is short when shooting 4K video—bring a power bank. Storage fills up fast—offload footage nightly. The wide-angle lens can distort fish shots—step back and zoom in slightly to compensate.
GoPro: The POV Specialist
Almost every creator I talked to uses a GoPro as a secondary camera for POV footage—the chest-mounted shot during hookups, the rod-tip camera for fight footage, the underwater housing for release shots. GoPros are tiny, incredibly durable, and purpose-built for action filming. For that specific use case, nothing else compares.
The current recommendation from most creators was the GoPro Hero 11 or 12, though several noted that image stabilization improvements make older models less attractive as backup options. The GoPro Max (360-degree camera) has a cult following for its ability to capture everything and reframe later, but the learning curve is steeper.
Where GoPro struggles is as a primary camera. The wide-angle distortion looks amateur if overused, audio quality is marginal without external mics, and the small sensor can’t match phones or dedicated cameras in challenging light.
Drones: The Aspirational Purchase
Every fishing YouTuber wants beautiful drone footage of their boat running across open water. Few actually use drones regularly. The operational burden—FAA rules, flight time limits, battery management, learning to fly while also fishing—means drones are special-occasion equipment for most solo creators.
The DJI Mini series (currently the Mini 4 Pro) is the most common choice because it’s under 250 grams, which simplifies registration and rule compliance. Larger drones like the Mavic 3 produce better footage but require more planning and add significant weight to already-crowded boats.
Three creators told me they bought drones, used them excitedly for three months, and now only pull them out for specific shots that justify the hassle. One sold his drone and now just licenses aerial footage when he needs it.
Audio Matters More Than Video
Surprising consensus from every creator: audio quality separates amateur content from professional content more than video quality does. Viewers will tolerate imperfect video shot on a phone, but they’ll click away from great footage with wind-blasted or muffled audio.
The most common solution is a wireless lavalier mic—the DJI Mic and Rode Wireless Go II were mentioned repeatedly—clipped to a hat or collar and recording to either the phone or a separate recorder. Wind screens are essential on boats. Some creators just voice-over their footage later in a quiet room, which sounds better than any on-water recording.
The Bottom Line
Start with your phone and a basic mount. Add a GoPro when you want POV variety. Invest in audio before you invest in video upgrades. Consider a drone only if you’ve solved all the other production challenges and have specific creative needs that require aerial footage.
The creators building the biggest audiences aren’t winning on gear—they’re winning on consistency, personality, and storytelling. A phone in a waterproof case, used well and often, will outperform a $5,000 rig that stays home because it’s too complicated to deploy.
