From 1995-2001, I went to being a part-time guide and a full-time computer programmer before I got back into guiding full-time.
In 2007, I spent hundreds of hours making www.fishingguidenow.com - a program designed to automate every aspect of a fishing guide service, including an online booking system. I've been using a version of it religiously for 20 years, long before I made it public to fishing guides.
My plan was to get guides all over the world listed and spend a lot of money on advertising and make a 10% referral fee on the trips that I sent to guides. This was my retirement plan. I spent thousands of dollars setting up the corporation and keeping up the accounts.
Clients love it!! They love to be able to look at a guide calendar and see what days are available and book online.

But once I made it public, I quickly found that it was ahead its' time. Very few guides were computer literate in 2007 and only a handful of guides took the time to learn the program to have an online calendar and take advantage of the automated features. I never got the opportunity to spend the advertising dollars, because I didn't have guides to advertise.

That was 7 years ago and the next generation of guides are more computer literate. Is it still ahead of its' time?
The system was and still is available to any guide for FREE. Guides can use the program and put a link on their site for clients to book with absolutely no charge.
Guides also have the OPTION to allow fishingguidenow to send them trips and we make a 10% referral fee. But you can opt out of that option if you just want to use the features for your already established business.

I'm booked up solid until mid-May on Lake Fork and my overflow trips go to guides listed on www.fishingguidenow.com
Currently, I only have one guide listed besides me and I've already had clients wanting 2 days that weren't available on his calendar. One of them is still wanting a day. This is an opportunity for new guides to get some trips.


This program has so many features that it will take at least an hour or two to learn it. Once you get it set up, clients book online and you get an email. You click a button and it emails them how to send a deposit. Once you get the deposit, you record it in the database and click another button that tells them when and where to meet and what to bring - and asks them to confirm that they know when and where to meet. Your emails explained every question that the customer will want to know. No more long phone calls and phone tag. It even keeps up with finances and will figure your taxable income.


If you are a guide who is computer-literate and wants customers to be able to book online while you are on the lake, go to http://www.bassfishing.org/fishingguidenow/index2.cfm

That is really neat! Good luck this year!

Seems like ReserveFishing.com has made the best attempt at this. I heard more about it and saw more guides on it 2 years ago, so even it may have faltered a little. Haven't heard much about it recently.

I was IT programmer/analyst back in the day too. My opinion the guide contact, booking, and follow-up process has too many variations and manual inputs to automate too much. I will PM you a really good idea to think about that I've been working on in my niche (cars, not fishing).

Just a minor suggestion, you should make the title graphic across the top redirect back to the main page at all times. That's a really nice, comprehensive site tho. Nice job.

ReserveFishing.com uses the same idea. However, it doesn't require the guides to keep their calendar current. So, it will show guides even if they aren't available.

FYI,
I have a client that wants a trip on March 8 and still nobody has signed up.


Does anyone understand why every full-time guide in the country wouldn't want an online booking system on their website?

I realize I don't think like other people. I just don't see how a person could have a computer and not want his business automated.

Any thoughts? How does a guide run a business without it?

I'm not sure if fishing guides are ready for pimps.

Confused. Is this post from years before reserve fishing was released?

I'm sure this is the part that would turn most guides off of using your service. No one is going to give you a 10% cut of their fee. I know you say they can opt out but just seeing that will turn them off without reading the rest. You only get a few seconds to get or lose their attention.

My or less

I don't see why anyone would have a problem with a referral fee. If you're getting trips on days that you otherwise might have not had a trip, then that is still going to be more income than you would've made sitting at the house. Plus it's giving you exposure to new clients that may become regulars or repeats.

My first guide trip on Lake Fork was with Richie White. We used his website to book and found it very helpful to be able to look at the calendar and pick a date he was open. We didn't have to make a bunch of calls or send an email to check for available dates. It was quick and simple.

Seems to me this bypasses one of the most important factors involved in determining which guide to hire. I would not book a guide I do not already know without first talking to him.her to see if they would be the best fit for the trip I have planned. As a customer I feel I would be taking a big risk unless I talked to the guide first to see if that is the person I want for my trip. One of the selling points you list is it eliminates long phone calls.

Just my opinion, but that is not a selling point, that would be a negative for the customer.

That is not true. The going rate for a referral is $50. In fact, I will pay $50 for a referral from any guide on a day that I'm not booked.
The truth is, if a guide invests his advertising money wisely, he will be very lucky to get a first-time client for $50.

Getting guides willing to pay a referral is not the problem. Getting them to keep their calendar current so I don't have to waste my time calling them is the problem. I took a pay cut to have a convenient way to get referrals. I was getting $50. Now I'm getting 10%, which is usually less than $40 (hardly worth my time if I don't get a bunch).

If you go to www.fishingguidenow.com and see the listing of guides, you can see a feedback rating next to the name. You can read all the feedback from the clients who hired the guide. Isn't that better information than talking to the person who is going to take your money?


I highly recommend talking to the guide before booking to get his advice on when to go and what fishing style will best meet your needs. But if you want to go on short notice during a busy season, I would think it would be nice to be able to know who was available. Does the guide really need to talk to you on the phone about what to bring and directions to the meeting place and other stuff that is the same for every trip?

I agree but then again I am also a tech head. I only book things online. If the only option is to call then I will go elsewhere, eventually I will find what I am looking for. Next on my list is hiring a guide, hopefully more guides will sign up for your site. I have checked it out before and I love how you can look at a calendar to see who is booked.

I don't think the feedback rating you refer to is nearly as important as personally talking to the guide. A rating given by an anonymous person is of limited value. The idea that info on what to bring and where to meet that is give at the time of booking is sufficient is not what I would expect. I personally would want up to date info a couple of days before the planned trip. Conditions change constantly. You may need to bring different tackle or lures that what you had planned a couple of weeks ago or a month ago. Because of changing conditions the guide may want to launch from a different part of the lake than originally planned. These types of communications are just too important.