Salt Water Sportsman Adventures

Salt Water Sportsman Adventures: Topwater Tuna Madness

Dauphin Island – January 13, 2023

How many YouTube dudes can you fit onto a 39-foot Contender?

This January we sent six YouTube personalities out on one 39-foot Contender, 130 miles into the gulf to fish an oil rig. Fishing with Captain Kurt Tillman, they hit the jackpot, filming the best topwater tuna bite any of them had ever seen. Each guy on the trip posted a YouTube video about it on his channel. I loved their enthusiasm and I love how this package tells their story from so many authentic perspectives.

The crew we used on this trip included Big John McLean, Jack Moran, and Phil Hollandsworth, three guys who you can also watch on our first Salt Water Sportsman expedition. This one was our second, and features a couple of new faces that you may have seen around the internets: Bearded Brad, Ryan Morie, and Tony Faggioni.

Stay tuned for Salt Water Sportsman’s cut from this trip. And look out for the highlights you’ll probably see on social media. Expect to see more content like this from us in the future.

Play Video about Jack Moran with big tuna

SWS Creator Team

Brad Warren (Bearded Brad)
Brad Warren, also known as Beard Brad, grew up in middle Tennessee. He moved to Orange Beach, AL in 2019 and fell in love with saltwater fishing. From whiting off the beach to tuna offshore, Brad loves chasing any saltwater fishing adventure.

Tony Faggioni (FishGum)
Tony Faggioni is known as the “mad scientist” of fishing for inventing a fishing bait (FishGum) and creating a YouTube channel of the same name. Faggioni challenges anglers to try new things to become better anglers and draws on his experience growing up on the Panhandle of Florida to help anglers succeed at land based fishing.

Salt Water Sportsman Tuna Popping Expedition

Ryan Morie
Ryan Morie is a full-time content creator based out of SouthEast Florida. He was born in Jupiter, FL and developed a passion for fishing the local pier, bridges, and jetties. After graduating from the University of Florida, Ryan started making YouTube videos of his fishing adventures. He then served for 4 years as an officer in the United States Marine Corps. During his time on active duty he was able to document some outstanding fisheries near Marine bases on which he served. He now creates a wide variety of fishing content that documents his local and international adventures.

Phil Hollandsworth (SaltSquatch)
Phil Hollandsworth is the Salt Water Sportsman content creator team leader. He grew up in Pennsylvania and began bass fishing in local ponds in high school. It wasn’t until he moved to Pensacola, Florida, after graduating college that he began to fall in love with saltwater fishing. Now Phil takes every opportunity to chase fish from land, kayak, pier, and boat.

Jack Moran (Yakin With Jack)
Jack Moran, known across social media as “Yakin with Jack”, grew up in Pensacola, Florida, and began to develop a passion for fishing at a young age. His grandfather worked at a local catfish farm, so Jack could often be found with a cane pole in his hands catching bream and catfish. Jack’s love for saltwater fishing began on the piers and bridges of Pensacola, but quickly launched into the Gulf of Mexico when he discovered the adrenaline rush of going for a sleigh ride in a kayak.

John McLean (Big John Shark Fishing)
John McLean, known to most people as “Big John” because of his tall stature, is a former professional hockey player. At 6’9”, he was the tallest professional hockey goalie to ever play the position. He played his last year of professional hockey in Florida in 2017, when he was forced to retire due to injuries. After retirement he founded a guide service, Big John Shark Fishing Adventures. He is very active in shark conservation and tagging sharks through NOAA’s Apex Predator Program.

Video ViewsYouTubeFacebookInstagram
Phil Hollandsworth (SaltSquatch)1,8008,90025,500
Jack Moran (Yakin With Jack)1,8006,00015,700
John McLean (Big John Shark Fishing)8632,6009,145
Brad Warren (Bearded Brad)43,00014,6002,567
Tony Faggioni (Fish Gum)2,70060,3005,094
Ryan Morie452,000492,00019,900

Click on a view count to watch each video.

Want to Get Involved?

We’re planning more of these! If you’re a creator who is interested in joining our team, please contact Executive Producer Phil Hollandsworth. If you’re a sponsor interested in integrating products or services into these shoots, please contact our publisher, Scott Salyers.