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Posts: 49
| Again I was only wondering how its done. Its just that all the replies I got had a web address attached at the bottom and I dont think majority of fisherman have that. |
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Posts: 4343
Location: Smith Creek | Banks are more than happy to give loans for expensive boats. Stop by a dealership some time, the salesmen will explain how EVEN YOU can afford the boat of your dreams. |
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Posts: 49
| Yeah ill stick with my 1k rig and fish in my pond and still catch a muskie once in a while like any other guy that seeks some help and gets an answer that they can only be caught on $300 rods and reels. Keep it real. |
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Location: Waukesha, WI, USA | Dude,
You participate in a thread started about guides. So guides try to answer a few of the questions. Guides have web pages. No one on this thread tried selling you a $300 rod or reel. You have been the one NOT keeping it real and apparently looking for a fight for some reason. |
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Posts: 49
| Yeah sorry but I clearly stated and apologized to steel the topic, and no harm intended, was asking how you guys do what u do. And then when bashing started |
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Posts: 32901
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I am a heavily trained bash identification expert. 
No one bashed anything here, actually. It was, however, a little confusing at times.
And, I am a guide. But the web addy you see in my signature is this joint. I like the place. |
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Posts: 49
| Topic done I guess. Didnt mean to offend anyone. Nothing else to say. |
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Posts: 49
| And I like the place too. |
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Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | Easy to like, most days. |
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Posts: 2753
Location: Mauston, Wisconsin | I once saw SWORRAL on a street corner in Rhinelander, he was strumming an old beat up acoustic and selling pencils! Sidejack & ToddM nailed it........whatever it takes.
You want to see real $$$ investment become a saltwater/blue water captain/guide - yeah, start with the +2 million dollars thing!
Have fun!
Al |
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Location: Waukesha, WI, USA | I know plenty of saltwater folks. Call many friends. The grass is not greener on the other side of the fence for most. A lot more expenses involved. Unless you are just doing the bay or you are close to backwater spots you could have very high fuel costs. Boat slips are very expensive. The boats can be a very large expense. Those duel or even quad motors on the back aren't cheap. Don't get me wrong, some can do very well because of the extended season if they are in the right local. The guys I have envied the most were around the Venice area (minus oil spills and hurricanes). They have the right migration and resident fish. Great oil platform fishing close, deep water nearby, and they always have the redfish along shore or in the mighty Mississippi.
But from what I have seen, most have to capitalize on the migrations when they occur. Backwater fishing can be a different story if tourists just want to get out and catch something regardless of size or species. Or just take in the scenery.
Often wondered how well the head boats do in those areas. Charge $30-40 a head and take out 20-40 people. Then most anchor up on the closest reef for the 4 to 8 hours. May move once or twice close by. Sell 'em bait and charge for cleaning the small fish.
Someone mentioned about going south for the winter to work. Years ago I knew a couple of great Muskie guides who went south and cleaned fish all day for income. I didn't envy them one bit. The Muskie range has changed and there is always the option to guide in the southern range. Surprises me that more do not do this. If I were younger, I think that's what I would do. |
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Posts: 2691
Location: Pewaukee, Wisconsin | Some say it's a dream job. Well, it can be. But the days on the water and pay is ok for most single guys.
Try to raise a family and guide full time and within a couple years you will realize your dream job has taken over your life and lots of other stuff is put on the back burner. Like growing up with your kids and enjoying family life.
I for one got a full time job 7am to 3pm 40 hours a week. Guide from 5pm to 10pm after work weekdays and book most weekends. Now add in yard work and family functions with the kids like sports and you have zero extra time. That's a lot on a guides plate during fishing season.
Now it's almost the off season and my guide services take a back seat to snow and ice removal. Snowplowing is better money than guiding but it all depends on the weather each year and the size of your buisness.
Guiding can be very good money but for what you have to give up to be on the water every day makes it only ok money. Most guides that do this full time are not clearing $50-70K a season. This is after all the tax's and deductions. Maybe the top 10%. And they are giving everything they can to make that happen. Expecially in the "off season" where you got to keep your sponsorships and pro staffs supported. That is a lot of time and effort your not collecting checks for.
Dream job? Yes, but it comes with a price.
I for one would not give up my day job, insurance, 401k and other very important stuff to guide full time. Part time is the best ballance between dream job and quality life for me. Just the best of both worlds. |
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Posts: 20231
Location: oswego, il | I have heard some numbers that some of these guides make. It isn't alot. I heard one top guide lived, maybe still does in an ice shack in the summer. |
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Location: Waukesha, WI, USA | Well said Mike |
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Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | What Dennis said. I was full time in the Summer and Fall for several years, coupled with a sales/promotional position with a few companies. The plan was to work full time in this industry in the 'self employed' category and eventually drop guiding back to a minimum, which worked for me. |
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Posts: 1037
| Mikes Extreme - 12/7/2015 8:40 AM
Some say it's a dream job. Well, it can be. But the days on the water and pay is ok for most single guys.
Try to raise a family and guide full time and within a couple years you will realize your dream job has taken over your life and lots of other stuff is put on the back burner. Like growing up with your kids and enjoying family life.
I for one got a full time job 7am to 3pm 40 hours a week. Guide from 5pm to 10pm after work weekdays and book most weekends. Now add in yard work and family functions with the kids like sports and you have zero extra time. That's a lot on a guides plate during fishing season.
Now it's almost the off season and my guide services take a back seat to snow and ice removal. Snowplowing is better money than guiding but it all depends on the weather each year and the size of your buisness.
Guiding can be very good money but for what you have to give up to be on the water every day makes it only ok money. Most guides that do this full time are not clearing $50-70K a season. This is after all the tax's and deductions. Maybe the top 10%. And they are giving everything they can to make that happen. Expecially in the "off season" where you got to keep your sponsorships and pro staffs supported. That is a lot of time and effort your not collecting checks for.
Dream job? Yes, but it comes with a price.
I for one would not give up my day job, insurance, 401k and other very important stuff to guide full time. Part time is the best ballance between dream job and quality life for me. Just the best of both worlds.
Take this as gospel. I know more than a couple guides. How Mike finds time to work his full time job, guide full time and balance the obligations of being a good father and husband is beyond me. There are only so many hours in the day.
Busiest man in Waukesha County. And one of the very best musky guides in the business. |
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Posts: 8795
| Thinking of the guides I know...
Some do guided hunts
Some do ice fishing trips
One has a Boat repair business
Several have their own line of lures
A few have TV Shows & Books to promote
The more famous guides travel around to musky clubs giving seminars
Then there's show season, which really only serves to take 4 months out of your life in exchange for a few bookings for next season
A lot of guys plow
One works on an oil rig
Quite a few work in restaurants/bars
Some own resorts that cater to winter sports
From what I've seen over the years, guiding is how they make ends meet during the summer, and once the season closes/water freezes, they are on to some other job or jobs, most of which pay a lot more.
I have to say, I've only known a handful of guides in my life who I would actually call "pretty well off". Most have several other income streams, businesses, resorts, and such. The rest come from wealthy families.
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Posts: 2020
| 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.
I have my eye's open 120 hrs a week... 50 hrs a week I'm @ work... That leaves 70 hrs. a week for "life". To carve out 20 hrs a week to fish is not that difficult if its what you want to do. Catching 50+ muskie a year, for me gets easier every year - I like getting better at what I do... I'm married and spend a lot of time with my wife (she prefers sunbathing and reading over fishing but that's OK) -I don't have children but wish I did ... fishing and hunting fills a piece of "life" that my grandfather's instilled in me as a young lad. I don't think its hard to figure out. |
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Posts: 20231
Location: oswego, il | Not everyone's life is the same. Money, demands on your time at and away from work. Some people have more ideal situations. |
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Location: varies | Wait!... you mean life's not fair???? I may have to worker harder than some and still not achieve the same results? Aw man! Don't I get a participation trophy? And tell me I'm as good or better than everyone else?
Edited by rodbender 12/7/2015 1:25 PM
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Posts: 20231
Location: oswego, il | rodbender - 12/7/2015 1:24 PM
Wait!... you mean life's not fair???? I may have to worker harder than some and still not achieve the same results? Aw man! Don't I get a participation trophy? And tell me I'm as good or better than everyone else?
You get a ribbon and you can buy your own dam safety pin! |
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Posts: 2753
Location: Mauston, Wisconsin | I found it SWORRAL in leaner guiding times. He had eveyone but me fooled, the same as many don't believe the "Hodag" is real, this is really him!
Have fun!
Al
(SWORRALL the lean guiding times.jpg)
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 SWORRALL the lean guiding times.jpg (124KB - 364 downloads)
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Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | The tie is a dead giveaway... |
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Posts: 7051
Location: Northwest Chicago Burbs | rodbender - 12/7/2015 1:24 PM
Wait!... you mean life's not fair???? I may have to worker harder than some and still not achieve the same results? Aw man! Don't I get a participation trophy? And tell me I'm as good or better than everyone else?
Nope, you suck.
Go sit down in the corner. |
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Posts: 2283
Location: SE, WI. | The wire from the guitar is now attached to a jig and creature That's how tough guiding is! JD |
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Posts: 1416
Location: oconomowoc, wi | 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.
wife is obsessed about musky fishing as i am! problem solved! |
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Posts: 1084
Location: Aurora | ESOX Maniac - 12/8/2015 3:03 PM
I found it SWORRAL in leaner guiding times. He had eveyone but me fooled, the same as many don't believe the "Hodag" is real, this is really him!
Have fun!
Al
Leaner times my ass. That's a vintage Gibson dreadnought he's pretending to play!
~arms crossed, skeptical look~ |
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| Guiding is a dream job...period!! As for how...no two stories are the same. The bottom line is the guides I know, salt and fresh, do whatever they have to do make it work! It's a simple matter of hustle, values, priorities, goals and (in my case) pure luck! Same as everything else in life!! Every day I've ever spent on the water I experienced something that made all the bucket scrubbing and fish cleaning worth it!!! |
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| Sidejack - 12/8/2015 9:30 PM ESOX Maniac - 12/8/2015 3:03 PM I found it SWORRAL in leaner guiding times. He had eveyone but me fooled, the same as many don't believe the "Hodag" is real, this is really him! Have fun! Al Leaner times my ass. That's a vintage Gibson dreadnought he's pretending to play! ~arms crossed, skeptical look~ |
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Posts: 1144
Location: Minnesota. | mnmusky - 12/5/2015 9:31 AM
saw this metro guide at the snelling off ramp and I94 yesterday.
For a minute there I thought that wuz Babe Winkleman... |
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