Reason why I want to Guide.
 

Had a teacher asked the class what our career plans were. Well I said to be a guide, well she was quite shocked. Asked why that was, and why not something else.
Told her, it's not just because I like to fish, it not just because I like to be on the water, but it's because I want to be able to take a family out and see the looks on the kids faces when hooked up to a Bull Red.


Well, today was that day. Took SpeckDaddy and Tristan out in my neck of the woods for some speck and red action, despite the wind.

Tristan Was on a roll today son! Let's just say he had a great time fighting those bull reds!

Good work lil buddy! I learned today that it's a lot more fun when someone you care about is catching!

Good for you dude.. I know one thing, whatever you do you will be successful. You got your head screwed on straight. keep it up..

Good job, fool! Looks like everyone had a great time. Nothing better than the smile on a little man's face when he's catching fish.

Sometimes when you have to do something to make a living it no longer has the same appeal. Very few of the guides I know fish for fun or on there off days. Shoot for a job like process operator at the plants. $100,000 a year and only working 14 days a month is not a bad gig.

Yeah
 

I told him this already. The days the fishing is good, guiding is a good job. Days when the wind is blowing and the fish ain't bitin suck.

Fool, get your license, but also get an education. Go be an nondestructive tester and work 6 or 7 months and guide the rest.

When fishing becomes a job .Pretty soon it becomes a JOB. And just like any other job It gets old after a while.

Education first! Not a ton of money to be made fishing or hunting, there are several guides doing it part-time while going to McNeese. It can be a good way to network yourself into a good job after school though.

For someone your age to recognize this and enjoy helping others speaks very well of you. Whenever you decide to start your guide service shoot me a PM and I will gladly take a trip with you.

The guys recommending that you guide part time and get your education at MS are giving you very good advice. At the end of the day if you can setup yourself to be able to eventually have a group of guides working under you like HR&G or Big Lake Guide service you can still enjoy yourself but also have more financial security. Starting a guide business compared to other business is not nearly as cost prohibitive as most business. You probably have kids you know now or will meet in college that may be willing to work for you one day. Market yourself on the web the right way and go to all of the events in Houston and I think you have a chance.

I dito raymond. I duck guided for 11 years/babysat older men that really didnt care if they killed a duck or not. I was prolly like you watching and looking all the time while they were too buisy on the phone and talkin busines to kill a duck. I actually shot prolly half or not more the birds on a daily basis. I always thought the most important thing in life was to hunt and fish. Well eduction is first and things will follow. I guided while in college and cont after college until it was no longer fun and never hunted with friends and family. It got real old after a while and it became a job. Remember that one day you may get burned out and need a second game plan. It may be your calling but plan well and get a education first. Just a note I did have serveral trips with great kids that shot their first mallard feet down and one that hyperventilated because ducks kept coming in over a frozen pond and he was the only one shooting for a hr solid and killed all our ducks. It was great, but far and few between man. I wanted to be a game warden but I spoke to one and he said that he as on water and woods 5 days a week and never around friends on opening weekends. He said that on his days off he played golf since he was tired of being in the outdoors. Killed that idea. Good luck

For the hunting guides, after you get your ears rung a few times, it makes you wonder why you are taking strangers hunting, who probably never hunted before.

I now have 60% loss of hearing in one ear and 40% in the other. Mostly from strangers shooting over me or out their lanes. I prolly did a lil myself from shooting with no protections also.

We used to argue over who got the guy that got there with the shotgun still in the box from the store. No one wanted them.

How bout teaching them how the safety works??(surgeons no less)

I always love can you put my gun together for me and show me how to use it, I just bought it on the way to the lodge . I never did this duck hunting thing before.

The scariest statement I hear every duck season from customers.

Being a guide has its high points,but there is way more going on behind the scenes then new comers think . The long days ,little sleep ,and no gaurantee your gonna make any money, or even have a good day.

Nice post Braydon. I am sure you'll do fine no matter what you decide to do for a living.

One thing to remember, nobody can take a great education away from you.

Being in the marine electronics biz for so many years I have met many guides and talk to them alot. 95% of them have other jobs that are stable and pay more of the bills. There are alot of costs in the guide business and I know more will chime in.

You need to find a niche in guiding. This state is inundated with trout fishing guides who also catch redfish. The ziplock bag fishermen you will be fishing with will insist on a limit and fast. That sort of pressure can't be fun for the man who is at their beck and call. I have met almost all the fly fishing guides in this state and the beauty of this gig is the fishermen have a different mentality. It is all catch and release in my business and that is one less stress I hope to have when I get my license here in a few months. Just throwing that out there. I also have a full time job with LSU and a college degree. So, the staying in school thing is a great idea considering the guiding business fluctuates so badly. If you want a hobby that you can make some extra money at I would keep up the photography, you seem to have an eye for it and there won't be any jackasses on your boat telling you they need a limit.

Good advice from all.

Got my license and guided on Big Lake all through out my college career, summers, weekends, etc.

I love to fish........with a passion, but taking care of people gets old.

And unfortunately your normal group will consist of 3 to 4 middle age guys that do not even know each other. Not many family trips anymore. It seems with the economy and all, that most of the trips lately, are being purchased by big oil businesses and vendors that just hand them out to clients. And these type of guys expect a lot for nothing.

At least thats my experience.

But it was a great way for me to make some cash while in school.

Good Luck buddy