mafishing21 Posted March 24, 2008 Posted March 24, 2008 Hey guys i'm 18 years old and looking to become a fishing guide does anyone know where i could maybe shadow or what measures i would need to take to become a guide and by the way i live in North Carolina so looking to guide somewhere on the east coast. Quote
Low_Budget_Hooker Posted March 24, 2008 Posted March 24, 2008 Caution- Shadowing a guide is never a good thing, shadowing him and then becoming his competition is worse. Many guides in the south don't mess around, you're inching in on their bread and butter. This is how they feed their families. The fact that you want to shadow a guide to learn has me concerned with whether or not you can make the cut to begin with. Nothing against you, but guides become guides by mastering a lake, usually not by copying other guides. Just be careful, they don't alwyas take kindly to new comers. If you do shadow a guide,.....don't get caught. I suggest you hire one for the day and pick his brain regarding ALL the aspects of guiding. I ain't just fishin',lol. Learn a place on your own, well enough to guide it. Earn a name with the locals then get your captains license. Quote
Super User MALTESE FALCON Posted March 24, 2008 Super User Posted March 24, 2008 Very good advice Russ. Falcon Quote
Fish Chris Posted March 24, 2008 Posted March 24, 2008 I agree with what's been said and, I have one more thing you should consider, if you haven't already.... Do "you like to fish" ? I can't tell you how many guides (well just about all of them in these parts) that have told me, "Geeez Fish, I sure wish I could focus a little more on trophy sized fish like you do..... But I have clients I have to please.... You sure have it made"..... Uhhh.... well yes. I planned it this way. And I wouldn't change a thing. I used to consider guiding, but then I decided I love to fish too much. Peace, Fish Quote
Low_Budget_Hooker Posted March 24, 2008 Posted March 24, 2008 G Welcome has really helped to open some eyes in regards to guiding. He has a thread somewhere, just tried to find it with no luck, that goes into detail explaining "a day in the life of.....". It REALLY puts things into perspective in regards to COST Gas, insurance, licenses, food, bait, gear, etc etc TIME- sunrise to well after sunset. Lots of bookwork, accounting, scheduling, communicating, etc SUCCESS- You can't just know a lake, you have to have it mastered. ABILITY- You need to be a better teacher than you are a fisherman and you need to be one heck of a fisherman. Anyone can go be a guide for a year, but to have a 20 yr successful biz, like GWelcome or TRedington etc, you need to be a special breed. I love fishing, obviously. I already have a captains license. I put people (strangers often ) on fish all the time. I get up at 430-500 everyday, naturally. I fish 6-9 shifts/week in season. (about 35-40 hrs wk) All that said, I still do not have what it takes to be a guide I could probably get to that level eventually, with proper guidance, but like Fish said,.....I like to fish too much. When fishing becomes work, the client comes first. Quote
key chain bass guy Posted March 24, 2008 Posted March 24, 2008 I don't know anything about being a fishing guide, but I think this story relates. My brother loved to play golf, so he made it his business. He is now a club Pro in New Jersey, the worst part about his job he says is that he doesn't get to play that much golf anymore. I would think that being a fishing guide would be pretty much the same thing. Quote
fishizzle Posted March 24, 2008 Posted March 24, 2008 Maybe a good place to start is in Orlando working for Disney guiding on 1 of their 3 lakes. They have 4 two hour sessions per day and their lakes are not overly pressured. I have been out with them twice. Or get a half day guide a couple times far from your home so there is no competition. I have had a guide three times in Florida not including Disney. PM me if you need more info. May the force be with you. Quote
Low_Budget_Hooker Posted March 24, 2008 Posted March 24, 2008 Maybe a good place to start is in Orlando working for Disney guiding on 1 of their 3 lakes. They have 4 two hour sessions per day and their lakes are not overly pressured. I have been out with them twice. Or get a half day guide a couple times far from your home so there is no competition. I have had a guide three times in Florida not including Disney. PM me if you need more info. May the force be with you. The guides Disney hires all are long time proven guides. I doubt they would hire a guide with zero guiding experience. Quote
fishizzle Posted March 24, 2008 Posted March 24, 2008 They didn't impress me much-- they were all in their late 20's and early 30's. Thats not a long time guide to me. If they were that good they should have their own business, not share it with Mickey Mouse Quote
fishizzle Posted March 24, 2008 Posted March 24, 2008 you can buy bennies for $350 an day I still don't think Disneys guides are that good I think they hire based on personallity 3 years ago the fished from pontoon boats without trolling motors FINALLY they got bass boats Quote
hamer08 Posted March 24, 2008 Posted March 24, 2008 You better go talk to some guides. I've used guides several times and generally have had good experiences. But, it is beyond me how they can make enough money to have a decent standard of living. I'm sure the number of guides that can command prices high enough to enjoy a decent standard of living with a reasonable number of hours of work is very few. If you really enjoy fishing, you'd be better off to get a job that provides the money and time off to enjoy it. I am much happier to be able to afford a guide, rather than be a guide. Quote
thetr20one Posted March 24, 2008 Posted March 24, 2008 I hate it when people shadow me waiting for me to move or something. I could imagine a guide having someone shadowing him Quote
Super User fishfordollars Posted March 24, 2008 Super User Posted March 24, 2008 Do to your age I will chalk it up to inexperience. I highly recommend that you think otherwise. Quote
Guest muddy Posted March 24, 2008 Posted March 24, 2008 Caution- Shadowing a guide is never a good thing, shadowing him and then becoming his competition is worse. Many guides in the south don't mess around, you're inching in on their bread and butter. This is how they feed their families. The fact that you want to shadow a guide to learn has me concerned with whether or not you can make the cut to begin with. Nothing against you, but guides become guides by mastering a lake, usually not by copying other guides. Just be careful, they don't alwyas take kindly to new comers. If you do shadow a guide,.....don't get caught. I suggest you hire one for the day and pick his brain regarding ALL the aspects of guiding. I ain't just fishin',lol. Learn a place on your own, well enough to guide it. Earn a name with the locals then get your captains license. Money changes everything, guides can get ugly Quote
thetr20one Posted March 24, 2008 Posted March 24, 2008 No, if I get too irritated I will throw out the anchor pull up the trolling motor and sit on a hole on purpose. I hunt too and patience is one thing I have going for me. Have you ever had a boat pull within 20 feet and cast to the same area? That tries the old patience. Most tourneys here if you are anchored with the tm up others must give you at least 50 feet some circuits 50 yards! The biggest lake in Ohio (besides Erie) is only 10,000 acres. And the next biggest is about 6000 at full pool, the rest are 4000 and under. Quote
thetr20one Posted March 24, 2008 Posted March 24, 2008 YES MUDDY, MONEY CHANGES EVERYTHING!!!!!! when I fun fish I could care less how close another boat is!! Quote
farmpond1 Posted March 24, 2008 Posted March 24, 2008 By "shadowing a guide" do you mean you want to be mentored by one? That's a completely different story than attempting to stealthily follow a guide to his/her favorite haunts. If the former is the case, you might find a guide who is willing to show you the tricks of the trade if, in exchange, you were willing to do the "dirty work" at the beginning or end of the day. By that I mean cleaning/vacuming the boat, trading out batteries, changing sparkplugs, etc. If it's the latter, well, I wouldn't recommend it. Quote
NBR Posted March 24, 2008 Posted March 24, 2008 Sit down with paper, pencil and calculator and put together the investment needed just to start a guide service. Remember you have no clients only cost. If it looks like you can handle the financial load hire a guide for a day. Be sure to level with him that you are thinking of being a guide. It is likely he will not be encouraging since it is a real tough way to make a living. Reassess the financial requirements and the fact you don't have an education in how to run and manage a business. The fishing part of a guide service has to be the fun part and I would guess that for every hour spent fishing two or more hours are spent with paper work, insurance, taxes, goverment requirements and many other things that are necessary such as where are my clients coming from? What are the costs. What are the requirements to be a guide from the state of NC? Some states require a Coast Guard rating, others require a basic first aid certification, most states require a guides liscense. I thought guiding would be great when I was getting out of highschool but considering the requirements decided on an education so I could fish for the pure enjoyment. Quote
Guest muddy Posted March 24, 2008 Posted March 24, 2008 YES MUDDY, MONEY CHANGES EVERYTHING!!!!!! when I fun fish I could care less how close another boat is!! I have only one guy that bugs me when i am mindingmy own business fishing for fun. There are some days where I fish where the shoreline is particularly hot. in late spring/early summer. I will go 35 yards around anyone already on a shoreline spot. There is one guy who everytime i see him will go between where we are sitting and the shoreline we are casting. He does it to everyone, he beats a line paralelling the shoreline and cuts in front of most people actively fishing an area :-[ Quote
thetr20one Posted March 24, 2008 Posted March 24, 2008 YA KNOW MUDDY . With a little 85 pound braid weighted treble and your flippin stick you could have a little fun with him. I was fishing a causeway and some guy came between me and the rocks my partner picked up the old flippin stick cast over and reeled over the other guys line snagged it in. He said oh sorry is this your bait. cut it off and threw it on shore. you should have heard the language that flew out of that gentlemans mouth. His fault though, you just dont do that to people. YA KNOW Quote
Guest muddy Posted March 24, 2008 Posted March 24, 2008 ya know : I WAS THINKING ALONG THE SAME LINES USING AN OLD 3 OUCE SALTWATER PYRAMID SINKER,,OOPS SIR SORRY I DIDNT SEE YOU THERE, FLOUNDER BITE IS ON TODAY ps Looks like we are going to be a bad inluence on each other>there is something to be said for that 8-) Quote
thetr20one Posted March 24, 2008 Posted March 24, 2008 There should be a fishing courtesy pamphlet in circulation! Quote
farmpond1 Posted March 24, 2008 Posted March 24, 2008 There should be a fishing courtesy pamphlet in circulation! Rots o' ruck. Some people would glance at it and throw it out their car window. Quote
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