"Should have been here yesterday"-------- Learn it, know it, live it.

"Nice one", and other over-enthusiastic phrases at each mediocre fish are a must.

Some folks can turn their passion into their livelihood and do well. Personally, I used to love woodworking....started building cabinets and did it for years. Now, I'd rather take a beating than do any sort of carpentry. I'm just saying be careful when turning something that you really enjoy into work.

Make no mistake...guiding is work. You will hear this a lot "must be nice to fish all day". Most folks just don't realize the effort it takes to put a boat on the water everyday AND produce. I like to say the fishing is the fun part...It is! The pre and post trip is where the work is.

If you have a relationship, prepare for it to be tested. As a guide your weekend schedule is the exact opposite of normal humans. It will be taxing to say the least.

A lot of people don't like Facebook, but it is probably the number one way to build your business, as other have said, People like to see themselves on the web.

Get your liability insurance, It is not that much cost wise and the peace of mind it buys is priceless...

My mantra is simple....I can put up with anyone for 4-6 hours, I have put that to the test many times.

I also agree with others...raise your rates.

That about sums it up

Don't forget the fact being on the water 10-11 hours aday for months at a time will generally out a strain on your marriage or personal life if your wife or gf isn't prepared.

To be a guide:

Change your name on all internet boards to include "guide" in your name. Find another guides website and copy all that they have done. Then take a bunch of your friends fishing and post pictures of the fish you and the friends caught while claiming on the internet that they were "clients". Make sure those friends know about the TFF so they can post how good their trip was and how great their guide was. If you can't get those friends on fish in time then just go find a bunch of pictures you have saved of you and your friends and put them on your website as if they are recent. Always embellish every trip that you post about and then offer discount rates on the internet to undercut the others who are guiding for a living.

To be a good guide:

Learn to consistently stay on fish year round (understand what they should do before they do it). Work your butt off 6 to 7 days a week from well before daylight till everyone else is at home from work eating supper for most of the year while being a happy people person. Be a tackle shop and a rod and reel supply company all by yourself. Become a professional at getting out backlashes. After you get home be a part time boat repairman. Learn to act like someones best friend when they are pretty much a jerk. And possibly learn how to feed a family as cheap as a bunch of college kids with no money.

Sounds about right.

Incorporate slick catch phrases on the water. Examples: 1) What a chunk! 2) Are you sure you haven't fished before? You should go pro! 3) That's not a backlash, it's a birds nest. 4) That rod was old, I didn't like it anyway. 5) Jerk hard, reel fast!! 6) No time for Shirley Temple hook sets in my boat! 7) Those fish were stacked in here like cord word yesterday. 8) This weather has given these fish lock jaw. 9) I don't know how that line broke, I changed it last night. 10) You're gonna get your arm ripped out of socket today. This is small sampling, I hope this helps....

Well, if you wish to do it legally, you are also required to have a US coast guard captains license. That's a fact few know.

No you don't.

My father in law has spent over $20,000 in gas just looking for new spots the last ten years. Not to mention he's on the water everyday of the week, every week. To be a productive guide in his words it's a full time Job

After the hard reality check that y'all have so graciously given me I have come to the realization that this is my dream and I'll never know until I try. But as all things worth doing it looks like I have an incredible amount of preparation and time getting my ducks in a row before jumping face first off a cliff.

And don't forget the faux tournament scenario. They keep track of the fish your catching and comparing it to being in a tournament. That's what many of them really want to be doing so they try to incorporate that into schtick.

That's right Big C. Have to make the customer feel like KVD or some such.

A mailbox lol.........