Sooke- the new Mexico

[blackvelvet]

Even the best guides will have days where the "catching" can be slow, so a customer should never judge a guided fishing trip on the amount of fish killed.

I prefer to pay a guide well enough to maintain his vessel, equipment, and his family and his home...............There is a lot to be said about fishing on a safe, reliable, well maintained and outfitted vessel, with an experienced captain who will make your day on the water enjoyable, whether you are fortunate enough to catch fish or not.

Those that want to think that a lot of guides charge too much have probably never owned a boat. I have a lot of respect for those that work their *ss off to try to make a living as an independent charter business. For all you do this bud's for you......Cheers.

In any business there will always be some who choose to undercut those that are established and make living wage. In my experience, those who don't charge enough to pay the rent, car payment, groceries, clothes, etc, will not last long.

 

[Seafever]

Well....it pays to do your homework.

If i was going to Mexico to fish, I would have been on the net researching forums and guides for months before.

I wouldn't just sign up for any old charter.

As the goal is to catch fish, charter price would not be the defining factor in fishing Mexico....

Nope......my decision would strictly be results-based (within reason).


Same goes for Sooke or anywhere else....I'm not going out with the first fly-by-nighter cheapo I come across.

I'm going with whom I have determined is a guy that can catch fish consistently.

Groupon can kiss my a**.

The only way you can find out who knows how to catch fish is by reading forums, reviews etc.etc. or by word-of-mouth from people who have had previous experience.

If the price is 1000 dollars a a full day....and you have 4 people that can divide the cost.....a day's good fishing for 250 bucks a person is well worth it.

 

[Dennis.t]

I'll probably have to come up there this winter to subsidize my business Dennis. I don't have a trade other than a class 1 licence

A friend of mine recently went to the patch with a Class 1 licence. He is gainfully employed driving Oilfield truck.Apparently there is big demand for fellas with Class 1. You drive and operate a truck in the oilfield,making huge money.He tells me lots of companies hiring and they provide all the training nessesary.He was even paid to train on how to operate his truck.One happy camper.

 

[Aces]

Even the best guides will have days where the "catching" can be slow, so a customer should never judge a guided fishing trip on the amount of fish killed.

I prefer to pay a guide well enough to maintain his vessel, equipment, and his family and his home...............There is a lot to be said about fishing on a safe, reliable, well maintained and outfitted vessel, with an experienced captain who will make your day on the water enjoyable, whether you are fortunate enough to catch fish or not.

Those that want to think that a lot of guides charge too much have probably never owned a boat. I have a lot of respect for those that work their *ss off to try to make a living as an independent charter business. For all you do this bud's for you......Cheers.

In any business there will always be some who choose to undercut those that are established and make living wage. In my experience, those who don't charge enough to pay the rent, car payment, groceries, clothes, etc, will not last long.

Being consistant is my goal

 

[Aces]

A friend of mine recently went to the patch with a Class 1 licence. He is gainfully employed driving Oilfield truck.Apparently there is big demand for fellas with Class 1. You drive and operate a truck in the oilfield,making huge money.He tells me lots of companies hiring and they provide all the training nessesary.He was even paid to train on how to operate his truck.One happy camper.

Yeah, i've been up there before Dennis. Just hate the cold

 

[profisher]

I agree that the guys I'm talking about often go under...but in the Victoria area there seems to be no shortage of others coming in behind them...so it never improves.

 

[Rockfish]

I agree that the guys I'm talking about often go under...but in the Victoria area there seems to be no shortage of others coming in behind them...so it never improves.

I suspect you are also facing competition from guys who are not trying to run a business to make a profit but love to fish and are probably pretty good at it. Not as good as a full time professional guide such as yourself, but not bad. The cost that goes into buying, maintaining and operating a good size moored boat is huge now a days. What I think some are doing is trying to offset some of those cost and are willing to charge less to drum up some business to do so. They are likely even willing to jump through the hoops and insurance to be legit. Their goal is not to make a profit, it is to be able to offset, some, all or much of the cost so that they can keep their boat and fish for free or close to it and perhaps keep the wife off their backs in terms of cost. Now if they start to do well they may well evolve into professional for profit guides, but if not they don’t really care as all they really wanted to do in the first place was subsidies an expensive obsessive hobby. I also suspect that many of those who try this learn it is a lot of very hard work to guide, is not the same as fishing with their fishing buddies who know how to fish and end up deciding they don’t want to do too much of it, which explains all the coming and going.

 

[Aces]

Well put Rockfish. I have seen over 30 guys come and go after 1 or 2 seasons.

Rolly...... i forgot to mention that Big Bear Charters in Ucluelet (the outfit with 4 big Gradys) ran a special on Island Deals as well. 8 hr charters for 3 persons for $397 and for 4 persons for $597.

You aren't alone facing that kind of thing, thank God for loyal regular clients cuz my boat would stay tied to the dock if i had to work those rates.

 

[KV1]

Ripoff

I gotta say and I know all will lambaste me but before anyone says I am stupid I have fished all over the world and have to say these guys running gradys and stuff on the westcoast for 1000 a day for outside trips are a RIPOFF PERIOD. It does not cost more than a 100 bucks a day in fuel to go 15 miles out and troll all day on your 9.9 and nor does everyone use buck a piece herring most people use the old plastic which they never lose so they all got greedy and now everyone is crying boo hoo hoo!! Like I said you should see the boats you can get world wide Hawaii,Mexico,Jamaica,Belize, for a gnote more than a porta potty and a cold box lunch also. For those that havent left the island in twenty years and drank nothing but lucky look it all up. Later losers,

 

[spring fever]

I am not a guide and I have no axe to grind but let me tell you KV1 you are way off base with your fuel figures-I run a Skagit Orca and I'd sure love to fill up where you do. If you think to go out and catch salmon off shore you just travel 15 miles on the main engine and then use the kicker all day you must be smokin something. There may be specific instances where that happens-I go where the fish are and if they are 15 miles only that's great but normally there is a lot more than that on the clock when I am finished a days fishing. My friends and I split gas costs and a normal day off-shore runs about 100 plus a person-there are usually 3 of us and I can't see a guide paying much less.

 

[Rockfish]

Well put Rockfish. I have seen over 30 guys come and go after 1 or 2 seasons.

thank God for loyal regular clients cuz my boat would stay tied to the dock if i had to work those rates.

In discussions like this I sometimes refer for laughs to the Ferengi Rules of Acquisition. Here are a few that may apply. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rules_of_Acquisition

57 Good customers are as rare as latimum (gold) -treasure them.

162 Even in the worst of times someone makes a profit.

141 Only fools pay Retail.

218 Always know what you are buying.

19 Satisfaction is not guaranteed.

and finally my favorite rules:

48 The bigger the smile, the sharper the knife.

76 Every once in a while declare peace --- it confuses the hell out of your enemies.

284 Deep down, everyone’s a Ferengi.

 

[hambone]

In all of the countries you mention a quality charter costs the same or more than a BC one. A panga is different than a Grady.

I gotta say and I know all will lambaste me but before anyone says I am stupid I have fished all over the world and have to say these guys running gradys and stuff on the westcoast for 1000 a day for outside trips are a RIPOFF PERIOD. It does not cost more than a 100 bucks a day in fuel to go 15 miles out and troll all day on your 9.9 and nor does everyone use buck a piece herring most people use the old plastic which they never lose so they all got greedy and now everyone is crying boo hoo hoo!! Like I said you should see the boats you can get world wide Hawaii,Mexico,Jamaica,Belize, for a gnote more than a porta potty and a cold box lunch also. For those that havent left the island in twenty years and drank nothing but lucky look it all up. Later losers,

 

[KV1]

Ripoff

Uh.......obviously you DONT know where the fish are. 24ft 200 HP Yamaha 2 Stroke 9.9 Kicker 4 Stroke 1.42 a litre 100 Bucks or less all day do the fuel burn calculations there ace I am sure you will think of downsizing next year to accomodate your portapotty. Yes 15-20 miles out usually and yes it is ALWAYS a bloodbath and no I am not full of **** but I would be willing to offer you some advice on where to go so it doesnt cost you a boat payment the two times a year you go out for a expensive boat ride with your buddies. Plus bait of course but you probably use the plastic like the rest of the cheap old people. Enough said I'm out.

 

[hambone]

Spring Fever, you've only been out twice this year??

 

[KV1]

Uh....Yeah your right a panga is about 300 and that is pretty much anywhere. So obviously your world consists of Grady White West Coast Fishing so its not really worth the argument like I said you would have had to get off the island in the last twenty but like I also said look up any of the above countries and quite possibly some more. A 38 plus hatteras if you know what that is is not a Grady so I guess you win.....yeah ok.

 

[Birdsnest]

Uh.......obviously you DONT know where the fish are. 24ft 200 HP Yamaha 2 Stroke 9.9 Kicker 4 Stroke 1.42 a litre 100 Bucks or less all day do the fuel burn calculations there ace I am sure you will think of downsizing next year to accomodate your portapotty. Yes 15-20 miles out usually and yes it is ALWAYS a bloodbath and no I am not full of **** but I would be willing to offer you some advice on where to go so it doesnt cost you a boat payment the two times a year you go out for a expensive boat ride with your buddies. Plus bait of course but you probably use the plastic like the rest of the cheap old people. Enough said I'm out.

Plus morage, repairs, services on motors, trailers,ice, Islanders( i hate em but...) upgrading motors, winter storage. It adds up quick. I respect the guys that do it. They love it and it is hard work. Not only long hours but working with the public in this manor is pretty challenging. If the fish are biting and the seas are smooth, ya its a cake walk but other wise, 75% of the time there seems to be something else happening other than smooth seas etc and happy customers. Never the less fish get caught.

KV1 lets see a picture of your boat for starters. If its a light hollow spine crushing hull than I expect you are getting ok mileage.

haha, fishtofino has seen 20 or 30 guides come and go in the last few years and they were great fishing years as well. it is not easy financially and everything else.

 

[Birdsnest]

Insurance, training, maintaining a truck in some cases can be devastating financially. What have I missed.

 

[reelfast]

a big heavy glassboat requires big heavy engines which are heavy handed in gal/hr, that simple. i can easily troll using my 150s burning about 0.5 gal/hr. running at 30k i burn about 9gal/hr. of course my aluminum fishing machine is noisier than most glass boats and colder as well. ear plugs and layers solve both of these issues while saving me tons of cash each and every year. and yes, i have an enclosed marine head for guests as well. no bunk space to collect junk along with mildew and mold. you design your hull to do what you need to do. in my case that means FISHING, no tobacco, no alchol, no banannas hang on.................

 

[spring fever]

Hambone-2 trips this year?? don't talk to my wife!!LOL I usually make 8-10 major trips a season -not counting day trips-probably only make 9 this year due to family bereavements and heavy wind in May and early June.

 

[Seafever]

KV1.......using bait isn't the only game in town.......a lot of cheap old people like myself (and my guide buddies on the west coast) use such things as rubber,spoons,plugs because they work very well. They will often use such things when the Dogfish are prevalent.......and sometimes Dogfish are prevalent even 20 miles offshore...

And if you want to get your tackle down past the Coho...........