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Location: varies | what do guides do in the off season for income ? I was calculating incomes based on rates x days x months (season) and while it looks like a decent number, after factoring in the fancy boat cost, all the gear (expense) and income taxes. It really is a meager living it seems.  |
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Posts: 1084
Location: Aurora | "The guiding business is a cruel and shallow weed-lined money trench, a long HI-impact plastic hallway where chat board members talk smart & predator rod owners run free, and 4 strokes die like dogs. There's also a negative side."
~Musky Hunter S. Thompson~ |
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Posts: 1901
Location: MN | Many of them have bait businesses, some work for places like Thornes in the offseason, some do some film and TV and seminars, some guide down south, but I only know a couple who do enough trips each year that guiding is their only source of income. |
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Posts: 1828
| They marry rich? |
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Posts: 719
| Make Bondy Baits...or live off the land man...and spend alot of time out in the cold so you stay acclimated and don't end up a wimp by spring. |
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Posts: 2020
| There's really only on way to have a million dollar's in your bank account if you are a full time muskie guide for 10 years (with no additional income)....... Start with 2 million 
Edited by IAJustin 12/3/2015 3:54 PM
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Posts: 20231
Location: oswego, il | Strip, waiter, barista, receptionist at heavenly massage, WalMart greeter, chimney sweep, blood doner, ant farmer. |
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Posts: 3150
| Mark my words,,,,,your going to see more of the single muskie guides going to saltwater either part time or maybe even full time. |
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Posts: 719
| Better off starting out poor, so you know down the road that you earned your success. I guess that goes with alot of small businesses. |
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Posts: 8795
| Welfare, unemployment, trying to get to know their (working) wives again so they don't get tossed out on their azzes... |
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Posts: 4080
Location: Elko - Lake Vermilion | Self employed people aren't allowed to collect unemployment.
I think ToddM nailed it.......Again... Man He is so Wise.....!
Edited by Top H2O 12/3/2015 9:09 PM
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Posts: 315
| Marrying into money is always nice, however I didn't go that route. I am a high school science teacher. I also don't guide as often as your "full-timers", but I stay busy. It is nice to be able to fish as much as I want while still receiving a paycheck. Downfall = working during the best fishing.
Andy Hutter
apexpredatorfishing.com
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Posts: 213
Location: FIB land | Most guides do the shows , don't think there's money in that ... |
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Posts: 1084
Location: Aurora | Unless it's written into one of their sponsor contracts, they're marketing themselves, or they're booking trips.
Edited by Sidejack 12/4/2015 9:35 PM
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Posts: 1916
Location: Greenfield, WI | They sharpen other people's hooks for $0.10/hook..... |
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| saw this metro guide at the snelling off ramp and I94 yesterday.
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 guide gone broke.jpg (78KB - 348 downloads)
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Posts: 20231
Location: oswego, il | mnmusky - 12/5/2015 9:31 AM
saw this metro guide at the snelling off ramp and I94 yesterday.
Who is it? |
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Posts: 251
| A guide I spent some time with talked about working at the oil fields in Montana, North Dakota. Sounded pretty rough. |
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Posts: 200
Location: Twin Cities | One guy is a full time post office worker and most guys don't spend anything on their boats if they are smart |
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Posts: 49
| Sorry to jump in but I also would like to to find out how some of you can afford a 50 60k rigs, buy newest equipment like toro beasts and still have time to fish. I work my but off earning ok money for Chicago standards, and even when I used to drive semis, and making decent money, I wasnt able to afford all the fun, like yearly trips to Lake of the woods etc. Especially when most of the time, the most expensive stuff is the only option for you guys. And the reason why Im asking is mainly after talking to a guide up in Vilas county which clearly stated that a lot of younger generation is moving to Chicago area for search of job oportunities.
Edited by szczochu 12/5/2015 6:38 PM
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Location: Waukesha, WI, USA | pistolpete314 - 12/5/2015 5:12 PM
One guy is a full time post office worker and most guys don't spend anything on their boats if they are smart
That's a 1/2 truth. Very very few "just guides" get free boats. But many make money by selling their rigs at the end of the season. The discounts they receive from boat, motor and electronics sponsorship can get them into low 5 figure profits. Sounds like easy money but gets old to most. Rigging electronics, detailing, taking out adds, ordering new boat, answering obnoxious questions and offers on boat...... I call it all sweat equity. Yea, we/they work the boat shows, but mostly for free paying back the above sponsors for the discounts. Not as lucrative as you believe.
Seems to be more and more shows every year that can keep a guy pretty busy if planned right. And then you can always go a couple of states south to extend your season. But I like the stripper idea best. |
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Location: Waukesha, WI, USA | szczochu - 12/5/2015 6:28 PM
Sorry to jump in but I also would like to to find out how some of you can afford a 50 60k rigs, buy newest equipment like toro beasts and still have time to fish. I work my but off earning ok money for Chicago standards, and even when I used to drive semis, and making decent money, I wasnt able to afford all the fun, like yearly trips to Lake of the woods etc. Especially when most of the time, the most expensive stuff is the only option for you guys. And the reason why Im asking is mainly after talking to a guide up in Vilas county which clearly stated that a lot of younger generation is moving to Chicago area for search of job oportunities.
Again, the answer is with sponsorship. If you are sponsored and have a good reputation and are with a good company(ies) you can be getting 40-60% discounts on rods, reels, electronics. Then there is the free stuff. You'll notice several having garage sales in the off season. Do it right and you can stay in new technology for nothing or close to it. |
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Posts: 49
| But Im not talking about guides. Just a an avarage Joe like me who enjoyes reading all the posts and wonderes how is it possible to catch 50+ fish a season and still make the ends meet. |
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Location: Waukesha, WI, USA | szczochu - 12/5/2015 6:59 PM
But Im not talking about guides. Just a an avarage Joe like me who enjoyes reading all the posts and wonderes how is it possible to catch 50+ fish a season and still make the ends meet.
No wife, no life...... Being obsessed |
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Posts: 49
| And Im not trying to bash anyone, Im sure anyone who visits this site would love to make this a full time job, but I just cant figure out how u guys do it. |
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Posts: 719
| I would say nobody gets a free boat. As in here is a boat. Even on the Bassmaster Elite tour, an extremely tiny number get a boat deal worth bragging about. The marine industry hasn't been in good enough shape since the early 90's. |
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Posts: 32901
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | There's some memo-billing left out there for the top tier. No where near like it was, though. |
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Posts: 49
| Wow 3 replies within couple of minutes. Again not looking to start a fight but some of the posts seem to be out of reality. And sponsoring, what does it have to do with fishing. |
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Posts: 1901
Location: MN | szczochu - 12/5/2015 7:10 PM
Wow 3 replies within couple of minutes. Again not looking to start a fight but some of the posts seem to be out of reality. And sponsoring, what does it have to do with fishing.
I think DS answered your question. If it's all you do for kicks you'll find a way to do it. But I don't understand what you feel is not reality? |
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Posts: 32901
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Seem to be out of reality? Like out of gas?
Sponsorship is alive and well in fishing promotion. |
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