For a long time, the classroom was the last place Nicholas Thompson wanted to be.

But a meeting with Australian fishing icon and TV host Paul Worsteling convinced Nicholas that there were plenty of lessons to be had at school that would help him lure the big catch.

The 11-year-old angler now has his own fishing channel on YouTube, provides regular updates on ABC Local Radio, writes a monthly magazine column, and recently hosted a workshop to teach other children how to fish.

Television fishing host Paul Worsteling and Nicholas Thompson. ( Supplied: Samara Thompson )

The theory was simple: if it's maths, you're counting fish; and if it's geography, you're reading maps and navigating your way to the best fishing spots.

"He said relate everything you can to fishing and try and make it as fun as you possibly can, so I did," Nicholas said.

Mr Worsteling said he never expected his words would have such an impact.

"I think you're the first person to actually listen to me, mate," he told Nicholas.

"I had similar issues at school. I was never a big fan because I was daydreaming about going off catching fish.

"I think it's really important, because a lot of kids aren't happy at school, a lot of people aren't happy in their own jobs — you always need to find a path to happiness, because life is long and you want to make sure it's worth living."

He said he was excited to see the next generation taking to the waters.

"Nick is an exceptional young man because he's grabbed the bull by the horns," he said.

Eleven-year-old fisherman Nicholas Thompson says other children often try to compete with him to see who has caught the biggest fish. "Mostly I win," he said. ( ABC Capricornia: Alice Roberts )

"I've checked out his YouTube channel, I've checked out the different things he's doing — his radio, I won't say he's one in a million but he might be one in 999,000 because he's having a crack and he reminds me a lot of myself when I was very similar to his age.

"His passion is next level and I think it's really exciting that he's prepared to put his time up free of charge to try to excite and motivate other kids to go fishing.

Eleven-year-old fisherman Nicholas Thompson puts bait on his line in Rockhampton. ( ABC Capricornia: Alice Roberts )

"If somehow I had a very small part in that, then that makes me very proud because it's nice to know that somehow you made a difference."

He said Nicholas' work was changing the face of fishing.

"I think fishing is becoming an old man's sport," he said.

"I feel young — I've been fishing since I was kid, so nearly 45 years and all of a sudden you realise 'gee if I'm nearly 50, I'm getting old'.

"We are the eyes and the ears of the oceans and the lakes, so we need to have people out enjoying the environment and the more young people we can get into it, the better for society it is in general."

'Kids can do this stuff too'

Nicholas' extracurricular activities, including writing for a magazine, have helped his school work.

"It's obviously helped me with weighing my fish, measuring my fish, writing articles was a big one and learning about the water and the environment," he said.

He recently took a group of 20 children out fishing and is passionate about getting more people out on the water.

Eleven-year-old Nicholas Thompson at his home in Gracemere. The fishing fanatic's room is themed all things fish, including a fish bed and two fish tanks. ( ABC Capricornia: Alice Roberts )

Nicholas hopes his YouTube channel will show other young anglers that age is not a barrier to the sport and offer an alternative voice to the older hosts generally seen on television.

"Kids just go 'oh it's an adult, maybe I can't really do that because it's an adult speaking here and I'm hoping that oh hang on a minute, kids can do this stuff too," he said.

"Hopefully they'll get really excited about it and ask their parents to take them out for a fish."

And rubbing shoulders with his idol has also made him an advocate for education.

"I'd say relate everything you do to your hobby or your passion or say in my sister's case, if they didn't enjoy school, I'd say relate everything to horse riding," he said.

He said his love of fishing has sparked a bit of rivalry among his classmates.

"There's always a few kids that are trying to challenge to me to see if they've caught a bigger fish than me — a lot of the time I win," he said.

Fisherman Nicholas Thompson throws a line in at the Yeppen Lagoon, Rockhampton. ( ABC Capricornia: Alice Roberts )

As for his next big catch, Nicholas said it was always on his mind.