Becoming a guide/fishing teacher?

[N Florida Mike]

I've been thinking about doing some guiding or teaching fishing classes.Nothing too serious, at least at first,then see what happens.I would need to make some profit to supplement my full time job.I live on a small lake with good fishing.I could start here and branch out to other areas I'm experienced in.Any ideas y'all have would be appreciated. I also enjoy working with kids and maybe wounded vets.

[Fishin Ethan]

For a good simple buisness for you in Flordia would be to take kids/vets to local ponds. You could almost become a babysitter in the summer with kids and fish with them at local ponds and teach them how. Plus you could fish youself. Also look for local kids in your area ex- make flyers. And make sure you have a good reputation in your area. But flyers and giving interest to parents would be good. You could make extra cash and teach kids what your passion.

[Sam]

Mike, as an impartial observer to your query may I offer the following?

1. If possible, go with different guides to see what they do and what works for you.

2. Find out if you need a business license.

3. You will need to check with your watercraft insurance company to make sure they will cover your guiding adventures. There is a marked difference between a pleasure boat and using your boat for a business oriented operation.

4. Consider purchasing another $1,000,000 of third-party liability insurance in the form of an Excess Liability Policy for your home, vehicles and boat. The added protection, coupled with your basic $500,000 watercraft liability limits will give you peace of mind when on the water hosting others.

5. Know places to go where the clients can catch fish, bass, bream, crappie, catfish, etc.

6. Know how to obtain and keep alive your live bait. Shiners and shad are great live bait as are Nightcrawlers. But worms are gooey and many people don’t like them. Plan for some mortality of your live bait, too.

7. Remember, live bait is best as plastics and moving baits can leave a person unhappy when they do not catch something on every cast.

8. Try to price your service based on your overhead expenses. After all, you do want to make enough to cover your expenses and a little left over for a Twinkie on the way home.

So check everything out and if all the pieces fall in place go for it.

Good luck.

Sam

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

Guiding is hard work and there's significant overhead. Don't expect to fish much yourself on a guided trip. In NY you need a Captains lisence to have paid customers on board. This requires CPR along with passing a written competency test. Your state board of lisencing and DEC are a couple to check with. 

[dave]

On 3/1/2016 at 8:31 PM, Delaware Valley Tackle said:

Guiding is hard work and there's significant overhead. Don't expect to fish much yourself on a guided trip. In NY you need a Captains lisence to have paid customers on board. This requires CPR along with passing a written competency test. Your state board of lisencing and DEC are a couple to check with. 

Captain's License required on all navigable waters of the US and the Great Lakes.

The whole shabang is quite the undertaking.  

Most guides don't do it for the money,  they do it because they love doing it.

[Esoxfreak]

Contrary to popular belief guides don't make a butt ton of money(some do but that's a different topic). It's expensive. You have permits, and insurance, boat maintenance, food ( providing lunch is a very good thing) all the safety stuff, lures,rods, line...there is a lot to consider. More than most think. There really ain't a whole lot of people who will pay you to help them drown worms,they wanna learn stuff too. YOU SHOULD NEVER FISH WHILE YOU ARE WITH CLIENTS EITHER! This is just the tip of the iceberg...but once it's done it's done and you can make a decent career, for however long your season is...you also need to consider that to. As a guide you only work hard 4 maybe 5 months. It will really be hard to do if you have a full time job though.

[N Florida Mike]

Thanks for the reply. I was thinking about teaching  kids how to fish in ponds, and guiding adults occasionally.

I probably won't ever do it full time though.

Taught my kids and grandkids to fish and guided a few friends. But I can be tearing em up the day before by myself and the next day or so when I take a friend they dont bite.

I suspect guiding is often that way.

 

[Bruce424]

Could always do this under the table. Just to supplement yourself. Ive had people (that ive delclined) even ask me to go on THEIR boat and show them around a lake that they never fished before. Offered me some money. But he kind of creeped me out, soooo...haha

[N Florida Mike]

Nah not me.All it takes is a hook in the finger or worse and theyd be a lawsuit or settlement without insurance.

[Topwaterdog]

Get some kayaks. No captains license needed.

 

Edit: just saw the last post was a few years old, my bad

[Troy85]

I met a guide who sold brushpile waypoints for $500 a pop, mostly to guys who fish the bass opens.

[Hower08]

On 7/1/2019 at 12:42 PM, Troy85 said:

I met a guide who sold brushpile waypoints for $500 a pop, mostly to guys who fish the bass opens.

I'd be rich doing this! Not a bad idea really but probably illegal in some way shape or form since "the man" wouldn't be getting his fingers on some of that cash

[dave]

On 7/1/2019 at 11:34 AM, Topwaterdog said:

Get some kayaks. No captains license needed.

 

Edit: just saw the last post was a few years old, my bad

Depends on the state in which you'd like to guide and if the waters are navigable..  Some states do not require a guides license.  The states that do require a guides license,  won't issue it without a USCG license.