At $350 per day, 5 days per week and 52 weeks in a year that's $91,000 per year. If you are running a legitimate guide service, out of that income 30% is going towards insurance fees and taxes for the business alone. That gives you $63,000 left per year. Now incorporate maintenance on the drift boat (that we assume is already owned by the guide), boat trailer and a vehicle for hauling the boat and tackle for fishing 260 days per year that's probably another $10,000. That's $53,000 left. If your business pays 100% of your health insurance at $400 per month that's $4800. Leaving $48,200. Deducting 5% of your wages towards retirement is $2650. That leaves $45,550 per year. Now pay your personal taxes on that at 20%. That's $9,100. That gives you an annual personal income of $36,400. Consider working for people expecting hookups every other cast, under dressed complainers and people who don't know enough to set the hook when a red bobber goes down you better be guiding 9 days per week to be in it for the money. If you get more than one boat and hire guides to work for you I think you are doing better. I'm no guide and have no experience hiring a river guide. This is just my opinion so lets hear it!
I'll give you my take from a guides experience !! I guided white water fly in canoe trips and brook trout fishing trips in Canada for many years. I worked for an outfitter in Deep River, Ontario. Flew into Quebec and ran just short of 100 miles of pristine river. The fly in brook trout trips were just after ice out. About 50% of the guests are great and the other 50% are a large pain in the behind !! Mainly the problem is they are not outdoors people and generally out of shape. The worst was a group of four on a brook trout fishing trip that loaded the Dehavland(sp) Beaver down with beer and liquor. I don't drink and those guys up puking all night was not a joyful experience !! With that said, just remember, most guides will attempt to do the best for the client !! Helps stay in business. If y'all are a whiner, cry er and an all around pain, said guide just wants the day to end and will forget about the trip !! JTP
ALMOST ALL THE GOOD GUIDES,that i know,do it for the love of fishing,and teaching,IN MY OPINION this not a job to make a living at,but some try to make a living at it,i find that most good guides go where the good fishing is,some times as manyplaces as 3 or 4 different rivers,lakes or states,in my opinion from what i see RAT
Jason Hamilton is a great guide and a good dude I would recomend him to anyone!
I spent a weekend in Sodus bay last June with my son and two of his friends. We took a charter out on the lake and had 8 Lake Trout, 1 King and 2 Browns by 11:00am. The cost was 500 for the four of us, and 100 for a tip, but we had a blast. The captain and his son were great people to be with. I will definitely do a return trip. I'm sure all charters are not the same, but my only experience with one was one of a lifetime.
it is not just about GETTING fish,[but this HELPS]1-IS the GUIDE there for YOU,talking,telling,showing,you are paying this personto SHOW you a REAL GOOD TIME,[THE PERSON SHOULD NOT BE FISHING]you are paying for there skill and knowhow,[NOT TO GET A FISH AND HAND YOU THE POLE]IN SOME STATE THIS IS ILLEGAL, CHECK,CHECK,CHECK.RAT
GetawayFishingCharters.com Like I mentioned, I will definitely do a return trip with him.
While I would say that is true 90% of the time there are times where the client may not possess the skill or when one of the clients is a youngster and just isn't getting the subtleties of the drift. While guides can certainly shorten the learning curve, sometimes it's not totally about that. In that case I feel it's OK to have the guide hook and hand - shouldn't be an all day practice, but if the bites are slow in coming and it's what needs to be done to get that young kid into a fish and put a smile on his face then I think it's ok. Definitely depends on the circumstance, but for guide's who enjoy their work it's all about the smiles.....
