Sophomore Peter Mariniello is an avid fisher. But as well as regularly going fishing, Peter runs a fishing based YouTube channel called “Peter M Fishing” where he gives a wide range of tips to his ever-growing audience.

Mariniello started uploading a year ago and has slowly been gaining recognition in the bass fishing community ever since.

“I’ve been fishing for as long as I can possibly remember,” Mariniello said. “I really started admiring people like Gene Jensen, Tacklejunkie81, Andrew Flair, how they had admiration and how they taught people how to fish, they just loved doing it and so, I thought I might give it a try.”

Peter gives tips on a wide variety of fishing techniques, but bass fishing is his prefered style.

“He’s really into it, you can ask him anything and he’ll know anything about it,” Mariniello’s friend sophomore Jack Sullivan said. “I can ask him one question and he’ll name everything you can use.”

In the recent months, Peter has been gaining more and more recognition in the YouTube fishing world, and has even gained a few sponsorships. He attributes his recent growth to a collaboration with one of the highest subscribed fishing Youtubers, Flair.

“It really started to heat up a few months ago when I went fishing with one of the largest fishing Youtubers in the bass fishing industry in a video [Flair]; that’s when it really started cookin’,” Peter said.

Mariniello’s sponsorships help his channel grow, and in turn, he works to get the brands more recognition.

“In the summer, it gets really demanding, it’s when I really have to pick up the pace in terms of social media, and talking to tackle shops across the area to try to get my sponsors products out to them,” Mariniello said.

Mariniello is a self-taught fisherman, and frequents Lake Summit and a small pond by his house. He got himself into fishing without any parental influence as well.

“I’m a 100 percent self-taught fisherman,”  Mariniello said. “I used to fish with my uncle all the time. He’s a farmer in a small town, but I never really knew how I started, though.”

With an ever-growing platform, YouTube is only becoming more difficult to gain an audience on. Mariniello makes sure he’s always growing by engaging with his fans and keeping in touch with his audience.

“It’s awesome because they’re really engaged with me, and they’re always asking questions,” Mariniello said. “My phone is never not blowing up.”

Mariniello plans on continuing his channel in the upcoming years and expanding his reach to a broader audience.

“In the tournaments this year, I run against 60 people now, per tournament every other Wednesday,” Mariniello said. “My goal is to come in the top ten at least once or twice. I’m also trying to get a couple more sponsors and hit that 1000 mark as far as YouTube subscribers.”