Fishing guide: a guide for pros

What customers ask, how to win the job, and what to put on your profile.

Offering fishing guide

You guide anglers to productive water by boat or on foot, and you bring the knowledge, gear and instruction for the day. Your trips work best when you plan around the season, the species and the group's skill, and you say clearly what the day can and cannot promise.

What customers ask

  • What species can we catch this time of year?
  • Do you supply the gear?
  • Do I need a license?
  • Can you take children?
  • What happens if the weather is bad?
  • How many people can come on a trip?

How to win the job

  • On the first call, ask the group's size, experience, target species and the date, then say which water and approach you would use
  • Share the trip plan and the safety gear list before the day, so the client knows what to bring
  • Explain your target and the odds clearly, without promising a catch or a size
  • Put trip length, boat or shore format, gear supply, license terms and cancellation rules in the quote
  • Brief the client on the boat's safety gear and the rules for the water before you leave the launch
  • End the trip with a short plan for the next outing based on what the client caught or learned

What to put on your profile

  • Photos of your trips with client consent, showing the water, the species and the boat or gear
  • Your guide license and boat registration listed by name, if you hold them
  • The waters and species you guide on, and the seasons you guide
  • The boats, safety gear and gear supplied with each trip
  • Whether you guide half-day trips, full-day trips or multi-day trips

Follow-up that helps the customer

  • A written plan for the next trip based on the season and the client's goals
  • A casting or knot lesson before a client's next trip
  • A group trip for clients who want to fish together
  • A recheck of gear and licenses before the season opens

Licenses and permits

Many places require a guide license or registration, and boats that carry paying passengers often need the captain to hold a government-issued license. Keep your license, your boat registration and your safety gear current. Check with your state or local licensing agency for the rules that apply to your waters and boat.

Questions

Do I need liability insurance to guide?

Many guides carry liability insurance, and launch sites, marinas and some public waters require it. Check the rules for each water and keep your certificate on your profile.

How do I handle a client who wants to take a risk on the water?

Explain the conditions and the safety rules. Say no to a trip that does not meet your safety standards, and offer a different water or a different day.

What happens when a request does not fit my schedule?

On infinibell you can decline a request for free. You pay only for the leads you accept.

About this guide

This national guide is written and checked by infinibell. Rules and conditions differ by place, so local pros are credited on guides for the cities they serve, not on national ones.

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