Luke Nichols
Luke Nichols is an American lawyer and YouTube creator known for leading the outdoor-focused channel Outdoor Boys. He also developed the fishing channel Catfish & Carp and has worked as a criminal defense attorney.
Personal life
Luke Nichols is married to Rebecca Nichols, and they have three sons, Thomas, Nathan, and Jacob. The family relocated from Virginia to Alaska during the COVID-19 pandemic.
His sons became active participants in Outdoor Boys, appearing with him in fishing, bushcraft, camping, and wilderness-survival videos. The family-centered format helped introduce younger viewers to practical outdoor skills, including fire-making, animal tracking, and wilderness navigation.
Outdoor Boys and fishing channels
Nichols began posting videos on Catfish & Carp in 2013. The channel was initially created to promote his law firm in northern Virginia before it shifted toward fishing and outdoor content. He launched Outdoor Boys in May 2015, focusing on backcountry camping, bushcraft, survival, outdoor cooking, fishing, and family activities.
Nichols began working on YouTube full time in 2020, when his channels outpaced his law practice. A viral TikTok trend in December 2023 brought Outdoor Boys to a younger audience, and the channel gained approximately 12 million subscribers during the 18 months before his May 2025 announcement that he would step back from YouTube.
Nichols said that privacy concerns and the desire to spend more time with his family influenced his decision to step back. He later released unfinished videos and appeared on his son Tom's channel, Outdoor Tom. He also filmed a guest video for MyLifeOutdoors during its host's family medical crisis.
Education, political consulting, and law
Nichols briefly studied engineering at Brigham Young University before earning a bachelor's degree in political science in 2004. After graduating, he started a political consulting firm and ran 20 campaigns over three years.
He and Rebecca later moved to Virginia, where he attended George Mason University and earned a Juris Doctor in 2009. He subsequently founded Nichols & Green, a criminal defense practice that focused on traffic law.
Religious service
At age 19, Nichols served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Fukuoka and surrounding areas of Japan.
In December 2025, he was appointed to the Young Men General Advisory Council for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Quick facts
- Luke Nichols launched the YouTube channel Outdoor Boys in May 2015.
- He began posting on Catfish & Carp in 2013, initially to promote his law firm before focusing on fishing and outdoor content.
- Nichols began working on YouTube full time in 2020 after his channels outpaced his law practice.
- He gained approximately 12 million subscribers during the 18 months before announcing his decision to step back from YouTube in May 2025.
- Nichols featured his sons in practical outdoor activities such as fishing, bushcraft, fire-making, animal tracking, and wilderness navigation.
- He started a political consulting firm after graduating from Brigham Young University and ran 20 campaigns over three years.
- Nichols earned a Juris Doctor from George Mason University in 2009.
- He founded Nichols & Green, a criminal defense practice focused on traffic law.
- At age 19, Nichols served a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints mission in Fukuoka and surrounding areas of Japan.
- Nichols was appointed to the Young Men General Advisory Council for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in December 2025.
- He studied fishing techniques in the United Kingdom and incorporated elements of British and American methods into his approach to catching lake fish.
FAQs about Luke Nichols
How tall is Luke J. Nichols?
Luke Nichols is 1.94 metres tall, or 6 feet 4½ inches.
Suggest an edit to this profile
Spotted something wrong or missing? Tell us what should change and, if you can, where you saw it.