i want to become a fishing guide in destin florida
can you answer the following questions(please do not say go to the wild life web site):
how old do you have to be
what kind of permits do you have to have
and any other things that i might need like these please answer them,
thanks
I hate to say this, but everyone I’ve EVER known who pursued a career in guide fishing, (and actually NEEDED the money; it wasn’t a "paid hobby"), didn’t fair too well.
Being a guide ruins relationships with spouses, can put you in bankruptcy, and can estrange you from your children.
TIPS:
Before you even THINK about buying a guide boat, getting proper guide gear, getting insurance, ETC, you need a business plan that has a VERY successful profit margin.
A majority of your budget should be spent toward ADVERTISING!
Finding clients that can afford to spend $150-$200(for a half-day of fishing and upwards of $350-$400 for a full-day of fishing) isn’t easy.
Not to mention the fact that you will be in direct competition with already "seasoned" guides who already have a client base and know the Destin area Flats & Reefs like the back of their hand.
Have you spent years on the Flats/Reefs you plan to guide on? Can you guarantee a Limit EVERY DAY?
Can you teach a person who has NO IDEA, (and generally could care less about fishing), how to cast, strike a fish, ETC?
Your attitude & personality will get you more clients than your ability to catch a limit of fish. (Not to say you can take people out and catch NOTHING!) If you are the "strong silent type" who likes to "bark" commands at people, then prepare yourself to be dissapointed with the money your gonna make. The majority of your clients won’t even know the difference between a conventional reel and a spinning reel…….
Bottom line- Are you able to handle irrate clients, children, people with disabilitys, people that don’t speak english, ETC. And at $200-$400 they will expect to be treated like KINGS/QUEENS!
(Understand that the majority of people that have $200-$400 a day to spend on a fishing trip will either be "rich" tourists or "rich" people.)
People with "money" don’t want to spend their afternoon with an ignorant, idiot who has the manners of a 12yr old.
Not only must you know all the species of fish you will be catching, (at all times) you must have a general overview of the "flora & fauna" that surrounds your boat. Understand, some people like the "boat ride" more than the actual fishing and want to know what "critters & plants" they are looking at!
Boats- Your boat must accomodate (and fish) up to 4 people comfortably. Your "best bet" for a guide boat (for Flats/inshore saltwater fishing) would be a 24FT Bay boat, (possibly a Carolina Skiff/Sundance). You could also investigate a Sea Ark flat/semi-V boat.
Although the "ride" is not as nice as a V-hulled boat, a semi-V flat-bottomed boat is your least expensive avenue.
Carolina Skiff type boats can carry lots of people/gear, can use less expensive, "smaller" motors, are hard to sink, ETC.
You need "liability" (death) up to $250,000-$1,000,000
depending on how many people you intend to take out at 1 time.
Expect to pay (at least) $150-$200 a month in liability insurance. Get the best insurance you can! Unless your willing to take responsibility for a "lost eye", "lost arm", someone drowning……..ETC. You also need a Captain’s license, business license, Etc.
Reels & rods- Guides use rods & reels that are easily repaired, inexpensive, and durable.
Reels- Daiwa Black Gold, Penn Spinfisher SSM(metal), Abu Garcia C-3.
Rods- Unless your fishing with Rhino/Ugly Stik rods you WILL break rods. Clients drop them in the water, ETC. Getting "sponsored" from a local rod company can help the cost of rods.
Flyfishing-Fly fishermen CAN afford to be guided on a flats. If you decide to eliminate fly-fishing because you "don’t like it" you eliminate 25-30% of your client base. Expect most clients to bring their own Fly Rods, BUT, YOU SHOULD have back-up rods available, (and I don’t mean cheapy $80 Walmart specials!). So you MUST know how to Fly fish as well as Bait fish & Lure fish, (and "pole" a heavy boat quietly).
FYI: A couple decent saltwater flyrods/reels ALONE can run you $1000 EASY.
This is just the "tip of the ice berg". Trying to become a guide in an area you have very little experience fishing is like putting a puzzle together with your eyes closed.
Think VERY seriously (and have a GREAT business plan) before jumping into ANYTHING!
Hope this helps you somewhat?
PS: You have to be over 18.
I hate to say this, but everyone I’ve EVER known who pursued a career in guide fishing, (and actually NEEDED the money; it wasn’t a "paid hobby"), didn’t fair too well.
Being a guide ruins relationships with spouses, can put you in bankruptcy, and can estrange you from your children.
TIPS:
Before you even THINK about buying a guide boat, getting proper guide gear, getting insurance, ETC, you need a business plan that has a VERY successful profit margin.
A majority of your budget should be spent toward ADVERTISING!
Finding clients that can afford to spend $150-$200(for a half-day of fishing and upwards of $350-$400 for a full-day of fishing) isn’t easy.
Not to mention the fact that you will be in direct competition with already "seasoned" guides who already have a client base and know the Destin area Flats & Reefs like the back of their hand.
Have you spent years on the Flats/Reefs you plan to guide on? Can you guarantee a Limit EVERY DAY?
Can you teach a person who has NO IDEA, (and generally could care less about fishing), how to cast, strike a fish, ETC?
Your attitude & personality will get you more clients than your ability to catch a limit of fish. (Not to say you can take people out and catch NOTHING!) If you are the "strong silent type" who likes to "bark" commands at people, then prepare yourself to be dissapointed with the money your gonna make. The majority of your clients won’t even know the difference between a conventional reel and a spinning reel…….
Bottom line- Are you able to handle irrate clients, children, people with disabilitys, people that don’t speak english, ETC. And at $200-$400 they will expect to be treated like KINGS/QUEENS!
(Understand that the majority of people that have $200-$400 a day to spend on a fishing trip will either be "rich" tourists or "rich" people.)
People with "money" don’t want to spend their afternoon with an ignorant, idiot who has the manners of a 12yr old.
Not only must you know all the species of fish you will be catching, (at all times) you must have a general overview of the "flora & fauna" that surrounds your boat. Understand, some people like the "boat ride" more than the actual fishing and want to know what "critters & plants" they are looking at!
Boats- Your boat must accomodate (and fish) up to 4 people comfortably. Your "best bet" for a guide boat (for Flats/inshore saltwater fishing) would be a 24FT Bay boat, (possibly a Carolina Skiff/Sundance). You could also investigate a Sea Ark flat/semi-V boat.
Although the "ride" is not as nice as a V-hulled boat, a semi-V flat-bottomed boat is your least expensive avenue.
Carolina Skiff type boats can carry lots of people/gear, can use less expensive, "smaller" motors, are hard to sink, ETC.
You need "liability" (death) up to $250,000-$1,000,000
depending on how many people you intend to take out at 1 time.
Expect to pay (at least) $150-$200 a month in liability insurance. Get the best insurance you can! Unless your willing to take responsibility for a "lost eye", "lost arm", someone drowning……..ETC. You also need a Captain’s license, business license, Etc.
Reels & rods- Guides use rods & reels that are easily repaired, inexpensive, and durable.
Reels- Daiwa Black Gold, Penn Spinfisher SSM(metal), Abu Garcia C-3.
Rods- Unless your fishing with Rhino/Ugly Stik rods you WILL break rods. Clients drop them in the water, ETC. Getting "sponsored" from a local rod company can help the cost of rods.
Flyfishing-Fly fishermen CAN afford to be guided on a flats. If you decide to eliminate fly-fishing because you "don’t like it" you eliminate 25-30% of your client base. Expect most clients to bring their own Fly Rods, BUT, YOU SHOULD have back-up rods available, (and I don’t mean cheapy $80 Walmart specials!). So you MUST know how to Fly fish as well as Bait fish & Lure fish, (and "pole" a heavy boat quietly).
FYI: A couple decent saltwater flyrods/reels ALONE can run you $1000 EASY.
This is just the "tip of the ice berg". Trying to become a guide in an area you have very little experience fishing is like putting a puzzle together with your eyes closed.
Think VERY seriously (and have a GREAT business plan) before jumping into ANYTHING!
Hope this helps you somewhat?
PS: You have to be over 18.
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ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh yea what he said
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Wow, Johnny nailed it. A BIG thumbs up! The only thing I can add is that it’s a good way to turn a hobby that you love into a JOB that you hate.
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You’re above answer by J_S nailed you’re question, nice answer, lol… all i will add is that you really do need to know what you’re doing, local areas, etc.
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