Heiko Winkler here! Some of you know me as the Host of the South Florida Fishing Channel where I have filmed & edited hundreds of fishing and hunting videos. I try to bring a fresh look of what it's like to step into new activities for the first time. Many times when I'm targeting a new fish species like the peacock bass I'll be filming the whole experience from beginning to end. So you get the raw and uncut version of what it's like for me to learn something new. You see my mistakes, frustrations and most of the time my success. Except for those freaking swordfish, almost 20 trips in a row where they managed to stay away from my hook. But I'm learning from every trip and only getting better!
This is my desk where I spend roughly 6-8 hours of editing on every video that you find on the South Florida Fishing Channel. Can you see my fishing rigs in the background?
Sometimes while editing a video I'll take a little break and look at my wall of fishing rigs and try to think about what fish I want to target next!
My videos on the fishing channel are focused mainly on entertainment, but I do try and bring a touch of education. This way my viewers can follow my footsteps whether it be catching a certain fish or going duck hunting for the very first time. On the fishing youtube channel my goal is to make my videos appealing to a broad audience and with close to 300 videos I have found that my particular audience on the fishing channel love 45+ minute long videos that are more entertaining than educational. The stats don't lie!
But a 45+ min long video?!
Some viewers want tutorials on how to tie certain knots, what gear to use, what rigs to use, where to fish and how to fish. How to rig a ballyhoo for trolling or how to rig a squid. The list goes on and on of requests I receive on the daily from my more serious subscribers who want to recreate my adventures on their own.
The problem is the majority of my fishing channel audience on youtube doesn't want to see a 3 minute video explaining how to rig something like the infamous weedless squid rig. So instead of cluttering my youtube channel with hundreds of 3-5 minute tutorial videos on setting up fishing gear, rigging up baits, finding fishing spots, and trying new hunting and camping gear I have gotten together with some great people to create this....
Red White & Blue Outdoors
Here is the very first video that I have uploaded to the RWBoutdoors youtube channel going more into detail about my past, the upbringing of my fishing channel and now the start of this new channel. Give it a watch!
Over the years I have got to work with some great people in the fishing and hunting industry and when I find products that I love to use and use often in my videos I want them to be available to my viewers. So we have expanded our warehouse here in Florida to not only manufacture our South Florida Fishing Channel brand rigs but also stock and fulfill some of our favorite brand partners to offer our viewers one place to get all the gear I use and test in my videos.
If you've seen my videos you know that if I don't like something about whatever gear I might be using I'll say it. All my feedback from products I test is honest and if there's a product I've been using a long time and I'm always satisfied with it then it's a product I want to have available to anyone visiting the shop.
But RWBoutdoors isn't just a collection of 'how-to' tutorial videos and super awesome fishing and hunting gear shop. I am working with people just like you to write weekly informational publishing's. Sort of just like this article... I'm thinking about writing the next article on 'How to fish the Key Largo Patch Reefs'. Then I may write an article on 'How to catch blackfin tuna in Florida'. If you have a cool fishing/hunting story with pictures, a recipe you want to share or a fishing technique you're willing to help this community with I would love to hear it and work with you to put together an article.
I am checking my emails daily at heiko@rwboutdoors.com
In the future I am also looking to incorporate a forum to this site where helpful discussions can take place. These forums will allow for public discussion on all your favorite things like rigging methods, fishing tackle, hunting gear, pics of your best catch and your favorite recipes. All the way to the more serious topics like regulations in your areas, fishing limits and rules and current topics in the great outdoors industry.
Heck, maybe the forum may even be a great place to find a new fishing or hunting buddy.
The best way to keep the fishing and hunting tradition alive is by allowing open discussion and letting new people to fishing or hunting have a chance to learn how it's done right and find friends along the way.