anders Posted February 9, 2012 Report Posted February 9, 2012 Hey all, first off, i am not becoming guide, no desire to be one, i enjoy my fishing without the "thought of babysitting" others on the water. A member in my family is seriously looking into guiding and i am just wondering from the guys on the board that are guides already and the others that may know, what are the requirements, licences etc that is required to start guiding? I know this can be a large topic just wondering of the above questions. thanks
mike rousseau Posted February 9, 2012 Report Posted February 9, 2012 (edited) Was looking at the business/legal side of guiding on and this is what you'll need. 1) SVOP 2)Med A3 3) First aid 4) VHF license 5) 1 million insurance per person in the boat (Commercial insurance) Roy gave me this information for my area... I'd assume it's similar across Ontario... ... Edited February 9, 2012 by Musky Mike
asdve23rveavwa Posted February 9, 2012 Report Posted February 9, 2012 Roy gave me this information for my area... I'd assume it's similar across Ontario... ... Not too mention an "adaptive" personality, thick skin and the ability to produce fish on a regular basis. Thankless job in many ways, I know I wouldn't want to turn my passion into a job.
capt bruce Posted February 9, 2012 Report Posted February 9, 2012 Roy gave me this information for my area... I'd assume it's similar across Ontario... ... Mike via Roy has just about covered it , we (established guides) have tried for some time to get some kind of licence thing and some kind of STANDARDS SET . SO far NO GO , curtain areas have Organizations that have set standards and if you want to join to get cheaper insurence you must meet their standards. Sad when a guy hires a so called guide and finds out he knows more than the guide , not to say this happens alot . Word of mouth allways kills these guys . Costs alot in equipment (who will hire a guide who does not have the best of equipment)insurence and Advertising , and like I said WORD OF MOUTH , goes along way . Good luck to your family member , ONE part babysitting 99 parts great fun meeting people and giveing them a day of their lives ..
anders Posted February 9, 2012 Author Report Posted February 9, 2012 thanks guys, what is the SVOP and MED A3
capt bruce Posted February 9, 2012 Report Posted February 9, 2012 Med A3 , SMALL NON-PLEASURE VESSEL BASIC SAFETY SVOP ,SMALL VESSEL OPERATOR PROFICIENCY
rhare Posted February 10, 2012 Report Posted February 10, 2012 (edited) regular first aid training is not enough. Min requirement is Marine Basic first Aid. You must also register your boat with transport canada as a commercial vessel. All working vessels must have a "C" number. This includes anyone that is doing anything on the water with a boat to make money.. joining a club like the Ontario Sport Guiding Association will help you with insurance as well as with dates for classes and understanding any Transport Canada regulations you may have trouble with. There is a lot of start up costs and it takes time to build up your client list. If you want to do it don't give up it's far from easy... Edited February 10, 2012 by troutguy
Dontcryformejanhrdina Posted February 10, 2012 Report Posted February 10, 2012 Not too mention an "adaptive" personality, thick skin and the ability to produce fish on a regular basis. Thankless job in many ways, I know I wouldn't want to turn my passion into a job. This is very important. It takes a lot more than being a good fisherman to be a good guide. Nobody wants to fish with a jerk. I've been lucky enough to fish with 2 really good guides (Musky Mike and Stacy Ash) and both guys aren't just knowledgable but upbeat and friendly guys and genuinly want whoever they're fishing with to succeed and have a good day on the water. If you've ever worked in retail you know there are good and bad customers. Some people are real jerks or just have bad days, but most jobs dealing with customers you don't have to see or talk to those people longer than a few minutes. As a guide you could be stuck in the boat with a grade A jerk for the entire day and have to be able to know how to deal with different personalities/situations and put up with their crap/make the best out of it.
Roy Posted February 10, 2012 Report Posted February 10, 2012 Roy gave me this information for my area... I'd assume it's similar across Ontario... ... It's the same across Canada, it's a federally regulated part of fishing.
Bondy Posted February 10, 2012 Report Posted February 10, 2012 And if you live on border waters, and want to fish the US side, there are even more regs...
Roy Posted February 10, 2012 Report Posted February 10, 2012 And if you live on border waters, and want to fish the US side, there are even more regs... You got that right, Jon.
Harrison Posted February 10, 2012 Report Posted February 10, 2012 (edited) Anders, you didn't mention this, but I think it is just as important or even moreso then getting the tickets. A realistic and goal oriented business plan. Edited February 10, 2012 by Harrison
Bondy Posted February 10, 2012 Report Posted February 10, 2012 And don't burn bridges with other guides operating in your area, as in don't undercut them on price....
mike rousseau Posted February 10, 2012 Report Posted February 10, 2012 And don't burn bridges with other guides operating in your area, as in don't undercut them on price.... So you believe someone who is starting out in guiding with limited experience should get as much $$$ per day as the top names in the business...? Even if they aren't producing results like the top guys...? I find that interesting... It's like paying for steak and getting hamburgers... When some people are ok with eating hamburgers for the price... Why would anyone book with a rookie guide then?
Bondy Posted February 10, 2012 Report Posted February 10, 2012 If you charge less, the potential clients will be suspect of you being insured etc, because that stuff and the other licensing is expensive. So is gas. So really, if you don't charge the proper amount and it turns out that you just come across like you're trying to cover your costs while still getting a day of fishing in for yourself, you really will only be hurting yourself in the long run.
BillM Posted February 10, 2012 Report Posted February 10, 2012 If you charge less, the potential clients will be suspect of you being insured etc, because that stuff and the other licensing is expensive. So is gas. So really, if you don't charge the proper amount and it turns out that you just come across like you're trying to cover your costs while still getting a day of fishing in for yourself, you really will only be hurting yourself in the long run. You can't take guys out on the St.Lawrence muskie hunting and charge the same as Mark Thorpe (Or similar).. You'll get laughed at.. There's gotta be a reason why people go out with you to start and in most cases, it's the price.
anders Posted February 10, 2012 Author Report Posted February 10, 2012 thanks guys. lots of good info that he didnt know and that i didnt. appreciate all of it.
mike rousseau Posted February 10, 2012 Report Posted February 10, 2012 You can't take guys out on the St.Lawrence muskie hunting and charge the same as Mark Thorpe (Or similar).. You'll get laughed at.. There's gotta be a reason why people go out with you to start and in most cases, it's the price. That's what I thought...
Bondy Posted February 10, 2012 Report Posted February 10, 2012 I would say that most people who hire a guide will have either researched it a bunch beforehand, or will have hired guides in the past so they will know what a good guide charges. If you charge less you will raise some eyebrows and probably never know the potential large number of clients who didn't call or email you. I'm giving you solid info, charging less will not build a good client base. It's never worked in my area, and many have come and gone when they see the huge costs of trying it out.
Bondy Posted February 10, 2012 Report Posted February 10, 2012 Plus, if you charge 100 bucks less than everyone else, you will attract people looking for a bargain. Once you start to grow a client base around people that are looking for a deal, and you decide to take it up a notch and go full time, you will then need to increase your rates $100 and you will lose most of those people anyways and be back at square one.
mike rousseau Posted February 10, 2012 Report Posted February 10, 2012 I'm just saying Jon... You charge 375 according to your site... There are guys charging 500-600 in my area... My pricing is right where you are... I agree with what your saying about being overlooked by those people who pay for the most expensive things in life... "you get what you pay for" attitude... But nowadays... I think there are lots of people looking for a bargain... And a catch garauntee... So that's what I bring to the table...
BillM Posted February 10, 2012 Report Posted February 10, 2012 I'd look for a bargain depending on where I'm fishing because all the guide is doing for me is letting me access water I'd otherwise not have access to. Whoever can float me down that specific river the cheapest is who I'd pick. I don't need them tying hooks, suggesting baits, or telling me where to drift/cast
Bondy Posted February 10, 2012 Report Posted February 10, 2012 Yeah, it all depends on many factors. Some guides in Michigan have access to trout rivers that other guides do not have licenses for. I charge what I would consider to be the norm for a bass boat type of guide trip which is what you find alot of in the US. I've heard of some FLA guides charging 500 bucks or more, but you don't see that very often. I'm referring to charging $200-250. That is a losing deal. On the bigger boats, I've seen people charge over $1000. But on a instructional type of small boat trip with 1-3 clients, $375 is about the norm.
BillM Posted February 10, 2012 Report Posted February 10, 2012 Definitely agree it all depends on the type of fishing you are doing.
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