question about a investment

[bigredfisher]

hi i am kinda in the market for a charter boat. I want to start a charter but also use the boat for my pleasure use. Would this be a good investment. I am a little afraid spending 30 grand on a boat and truck package but i also have good feelings about this too. I am calling out to you guys. Is this a good idea from your perspective? thanks and who knows maybe ill be bringing you guys out. I am looking at buying the fishmasters charter boat. Is this a good boat for the money he seems that he gets loads of buisness and seems like a good who knows what he is talking about. I believe that this boat already has a reputation . I am really excited for this but on the other hand a little afraid. I have a passion for fishing and would love to make this a small business of mine.

 

what would i charge for this

what would my costs be(i think that i am planning to pay dockage fees for summer then tow boat where it need to go. Which is why i want a good truck that would pull a 25ft boat with ease. any suggestions???????

 

thanks again and i hope to see you on the water

 

ps: If i go through with this. I would like to find someone who knows the full ropes and would be able to come with me in my boat (no charge of course) and show me how to use a planer board mast and the electronics. I would also like to learn how to run planer boards and 2 rods per rigger. I believe this boat comes with 4 riggers. Any takers?

 

thanks

 

bigredfisher

 

I am sorry guys about the bull that i said. I cant leave OFC. Once you have come here. You cant leave lol. I will always fall to OFC.

 

thanks guys

[Fish4Eyes]

If you know where the fish are, and can put your clients on ALOT of fish then go for it. Keep in mind you do have alot of competition from very knowledgable/skilled charter guys who have been around for years. My suggestion: Don't start out with a monster boat until you really know what your doing and then just upgrade once you have acquired a solid clientelle and fishing knowledge.

[I'mHooked]

Keep in mind when someone is booking a charter, they are booking with the charter "operator" not the boat. The fact that the boat was "Fishmaster's" will be irrelevant. It doesn't matter where the boat has been in the past, it's where the operator can put it when new clients are on it.

So , it ALL weighs on you as the operator to make potential clients feel comfortable with YOUR experience and ability to put them on fish.

Now, if someone "sees" the boat and thinks hey, that looks like a successful operation (based on the appearance of the boat), then you might get a call. The key would then be to convert the boats' "image" into your perceived experience.

 

If you need some training with the items on the boat, why not make a deal with the seller of the boat to spend a day with you on it being shown all of it's capabilities and how to do the things you wanted to be taught.

The seller should be willing to spend some time with you and the boat if a sale is expected. Maybe you just offer to pay for his time to charter it and then have him deduct that amount from the purchase price if you do end up buying it.

 

Good luck.

[trapshooter]

From reading your post here I'd say you should spend a season (or more) learning the ropes before you take the plunge into charters. You want to be on top of things before you start taking peoples money for trips... word of mouth is the best advertising you can get, or the worst... depending on how things go. If you're not ready to put people on fish it will show and you'll be off to a poor start. I'm sure there are charter captains here who could shed some light on the costs including fuel, and insurance which would be significant. A well thought out business plan should be a top priority before taking the plunge and buying a boat. Good luck to you.

[lew]

ps: If i go through with this. I would like to find someone who knows the full ropes and would be able to come with me in my boat (no charge of course) and show me how to use a planer board mast and the electronics. I would also like to learn how to run planer boards and 2 rods per rigger. I believe this boat comes with 4 riggers. Any takers?

 

I don't want to be out of line here, but if you don't know how to use a mast, boards or electronics, perhaps your not quite ready to be a charter boat captain yet ??

 

I'm thinking guys spend big $$$$ when chartering a boat in hopes of a successful day on the water, but if the operator isn't experienced in ALL aspects of what's going on, the clients may be spending money for nothing more than a boat ride.

 

I may be wrong here, but that's just the way I read your post

[Sandbag]

If you were planning on getting a boat anyhow for your personal use and can afford to run the boat without the charter income, why not buy and take a season or two to get comfortable with the boat and the area you intend to charter on. If after a season or two, you still have the charter itch, then maybe at that time you could launch into your business.

 

I'm sure there would be plenty of folks that would love to fish with you and teach you rigging, masts and boards etc. prior to you starting a charter business.

 

Your reputation in that business is EVERYTHING and you don't want to start out before you are truely ready.

 

Knowing Steve, I'm sure he would get you started with a sound knowledge of the boat and what it can/cannot do.

 

Good luck with your decision, it's a big one

 

Cheers

 

Craig

[bigbuck]

Why don't you try to get a job working as a mate on a charter boat for a season or two before you go and buy a boat. That way, you'll learn the ropes and things to look for when searching for fish. If the deal is right on the boat, go for it but don't think you'll get any return on your investment for a couple of years.

[capt bruce]

Not to sound bad but it takes more than haveing a boat to be a charter captain , It reminds me of montie phython the guy says "I want to be a lion tamer , "I got a hat".How would you feel if you paid good hard earned bucks to a guy to take you out and he dont know how to run planner boards ???? , people are hireing you for you experence and expertise , get a few summers under your belt , not one or two days with a guy ! the boat does not catch the fish and if the boat has a good rep , its the operator that has gotten it not the boat . Its a good boat well equiped , run it for a few summers and get to know it (if anything I have leanered about boats in my 20+ years of chartering its that THEY BREAK DOWN, lots more than just fishing to learn when running a boat ) and than maybe you can start chartering it MAYBE . sorry if I sound negative but I have allways said there should be a test for a charter lisence, standards should be set , its hard enough to make any money from chartering without people with captains hats takeing people out and turning them and there friends off because of a negative experence. Good luck , you can Pm me and I will answer any questions , but my advise is buy the boat if you like it as I said its a good boat and its well equiped but before you ask people to pay you to take them out you got a LOT to learn , you dont get experence reading fishing forums , time on the water time time and more time and did I say boats break down , when you got three booking for the week end and its friday night and you got a motor that will not start you better know how to fix it .sorry again but it is not easy to make money fishing , from someone who knows .

[Harrison]

Sorry if blunt - but NO.

 

You have be an apprentice first.

 

Like starting a custom home building company because you have a nice hammer and instructions on how to use the saw.

Edited November 20, 2009 by Harrison

[tonyb]

My $.02....just fish for fun!

 

There is a lot of competition on Lake ON for salmon charters...just look at the fleet out of Port Darlington, Bluffers, Port Credit, etc...these guys have been doing this for decades and if you expect to walk in totally green to this type of fishing, I think you may find you've got a bad investment in the boat, gear, upgrades, repairs, fuel, bait, etc, etc...

 

Go out there, spend a lot of time having fun and learning...when catching fish becomes as easy as breathing for you on the big water, then you are ready to take on a boatload of anglers. Remember that those anglers could range from never held a rod to very experienced and everywhere in between. Good charter captains can catch fish with ease, but also make the experience for the clients that much better by having great people skills too. You could have a total lunatic or super nice people as clients and yet have the tact to be make the duration of their time with you on the water enjoyable enough for them to tell others about you...that's not so easy!

 

I don't envy Charter captains really, it's a lot of long days, con$tant gear and boat maintenance, and the pay isn't really going to help you retire young...

 

Hope this doesn't sound too negative...but it's my honest opinion.

 

Tony

[cuzza]

Can't help but agree with the majority of the posts, if you need lessons in using the gear then you're not ready to make a living out of it - I'd be very unimpressed if I chartered a boat and the guy running it didn't know what he was doing, it only takes a few people with a bad experience to ruin your business.

 

What about renting the boat out but not your services? That'd help pay for it and the upkeep while you learn the ropes.

[Fishnwire]

I had a buddy who always wanted to guide on the French River. He knew the area really well, had a boat and equipment (which he knew how to use) and was a really good fisherman. He did it for a summer and told me he'd never do it again. He said it was basically just work, and not really like being out fishing. Also, he started to not want to fish during his days off. I decided then I never wanted to mix fishing and business.

[smally21]

I don't want to be out of line here, but if you don't know how to use a mast, boards or electronics, perhaps your not quite ready to be a charter boat captain yet ??

 

I'm thinking guys spend big $$$$ when chartering a boat in hopes of a successful day on the water, but if the operator isn't experienced in ALL aspects of what's going on, the clients may be spending money for nothing more than a boat ride.

 

I may be wrong here, but that's just the way I read your post

 

you took the words right out of my mouth. i dont want to sound like a stick in the mud either but a guy's got to get his money's worth. i'd catch on pretty quick if my captain wasn't all over his gear and such. just because i tiled my bathroom doesn't mean i'm a pro that should take money to tile someone else's.......

 

best of luck whatever you decide.