Profile: How Charlie Abbing turned her hobby of boat fishing into a career

​The next cast can change everything. For Charlie Abbing, this feeling fits the whole story. Because her journey into fishing didn’t start out as a pre-planned path either. It wasn’t a classic journey from her first fishing rod at the local club lake to the big scene. Rather, it was more like a cast into the unknown. A few fishing trips with her friend Silvian Muizelaar, her first experiences by the water, her first fish, her first questions – and then something grows out of it that’s here to stay.

How to set up your own fishing shop

Curiosity turns into passion. Passion becomes part of everyday life. And eventually, everyday life becomes Charlie’s Fishing. Together with Silvian, Charlie is setting up his own fishing shop. But Charlie’s Fishing isn’t just an online shop for lures, rods, lines and accessories. The name stands for an approach that’s becoming increasingly common in modern predator fishing: not offering everything that’s available, but making a conscious selection. Not chasing the loudest hype, but testing things out in the field. Not just showing products, but explaining why they work, when they work and what you can experience with them.

The water is the real test. Pike, perch and zander form the heart of this world. These are fish that make you search for them. You don’t simply find them by casting your line anywhere. You have to read the water. Understand the structures. Edges, weed, bridges, harbours, plateaus, shade, current, wind. Sometimes a pike is holding in shallow water, sometimes deep. Sometimes perch react aggressively; sometimes they want the bait to be almost dead right under their noses. Zander can save a day’s fishing in a matter of seconds – or fill it with utter silence.

Read more on this topic:

• ​Profile: Babs Kijewski – the world is her fishing ground
• ​Profile: How AngelAnni became a brand and the fishing boat became a classroom

That’s what appeals to Charlie. Predator fishing isn’t a leisurely wait for chance. It’s movement. Decision-making. Concentration. Confidence. Repetition. And, time and again, that next cast.

Fishing for predatory fish in the Netherlands

In the Netherlands, her home country, this type of fishing takes centre stage. The country is criss-crossed by water: canals, polders, rivers, lakes, harbours, brackish water areas, urban stretches and vast open spaces. Here, she fishes in a waterway that is vast, diverse and, at times, mercilessly honest. It gives nothing away. But it gives a lot back if you stick with it.

From the boat, this world feels even bigger to her. Suddenly, the bank is no longer a boundary, but a backdrop. The boat takes her to where the edge drops off sharply, where the weed bed ends, where the wind drives in baitfish, where an open-water spot is only visible on the fishfinder. Charlie Abbing clearly loves being out in this world. Her content thrives on modern lures, predatory fish, the water itself, sessions with other anglers, tests, catches and the joy of trying things out. It’s not just about the photo with the fish. It’s about the journey to get there.

That’s what makes fishing for predatory fish so exciting – and sometimes humbling too. You can do everything right and still come away empty-handed. You can change your bait, even though you’ve actually given up hope, and suddenly you get a bite. You can search for hours and then, in the space of five minutes, realise why you didn’t give up all day.

The secret lies in leadership

Charlie draws on precisely this practical experience. Anyone who fishes with artificial lures knows how important confidence is. A lure you don’t believe in doesn’t catch as well. Not because the fish knows this, but because you handle it differently. If you’re confident, you stay more focused. You work the lure more smoothly. You cast more accurately. You give a spot three more casts.

Charlie links her product range to her personal fishing story. Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, her online shop, trade fair appearances – it all ties together. The result is a modern take on the fishing scene, where it’s no longer just about being by the water, but about sharing experiences, passing on knowledge and getting people involved.

Charlie doesn’t stand on the sidelines asking for permission to be part of the fishing world. She fishes, tests, explains, sells, films, heads out to the water, attends trade fairs and is building her own platform with Charlie’s Fishing. Not as some kind of counter-narrative. But quite simply: this is my way. These are my waters. This is my bait. This is my next cast.

What are the key things to bear in mind when you’re just starting out with fishing?

Her message: Fishing doesn’t have to start with perfection. Not with the best kit. Not with the biggest boat. Not with the most confident demeanour. It often starts with an interest, someone who takes you out, a bait you trust, and the willingness to give it another go.

Charlie Abbing shows where a start like this can lead. To pike, perch and zander. To long days on the boat. To his own shop, a community and a voice in the modern predator fishing scene. Above all, however, to a life in which the next cast is never just a cast. It’s the chance for something to happen.

Profile: Charlie Abbing

• ​Known as: Charlie’s Fishing Adventures.
• Platforms: Instagram (32,000 followers), Facebook, YouTube, charliesfishing.com
• First experiences of fishing: Fishing trips with Silvian Muizelaar.
• Today: Co-founder of Charlie’s Fishing, content creator.
• Key areas: Predatory fish angling, artificial lures, lure reviews, pike, perch and zander.
• Other target fish: Asp, sea bass, catfish, trout, bass and other predators.
• Areas: Above all, Dutch waterways – canals, polders, lakes, harbours and large bodies of water.
• Boat cover: Modern predator fishing from a boat, lure tests on the water, sessions with friends, guides and the community.