I have been looking for areas to expand my guide service for a couple years now and am seriously thinking about offering a guided kayak trip. Lets here some input on this one.
I fish lot from my kayak, and I also fish 8-10 days a year with a guide. I have fished several times with kayak guides. NC Outer Banks. Florida Keys. The opportunities are few and far between. I think it's an underserved market. Especially if you can tap into some of the online kayak fishing sites.
i would recommend that you buy some if the high end peddle kayaks. im sure people would take a guided trip just to try them before they buy them. maybe offer a canoe also. i have sure caught alot if cats out of my oldtown.
Great idea Capt... Offer a couple hour course on kayak safety.... Followed by a few hours fishing....I'd take my family on that kind of fishing vacation....But I'd want pedal kayaks for the safety and comfort for us that never been in one before.... Best of success to you Brad.
I can't answer many of those questions posed at this time. It is an idea and I am working on the business plan. In the short term I would probably run 3 boats. I need to get into this some and I need to hire some guides also. I have enough work to do and I am too old and fat to be dragging kayaks around every day. Thanks for the input. Keep it coming.
Seriously. The kind that attach at the stern, either up through the rear scupper holes or by strap. MUCH easier if you have to drag one any sort of distance.
If it were me, I’d get Jackson Big Rigs. Why? They’re super stable, track well, are comfortable for many hours of fishing, and you can stand up in them. Plus the grab/lean bar helps as well.
I think you should check out how much liability insurance you will have to get. Also a lot of people are not comfortable fishing in a kayak and that could affect your business. But if you get the wide bottom kayaks it just might work so good luck.
I have spent weeks talking to the insurance guy. I have been in the guiding business for 10 years and don't plan to change that part of the business. This is just being researched as an addition to and another option for customers to choose.
Good I figured you had probably checked out the liability for this. I hope it works out. I bet some people would be interested in kayak fishing. At least you won't be out that much and if it does work out it will be easy to expand.
Good luck on this. It looks like you are doing your homework.
UPDATE- Everything is in order and I have hired a guide. I have a proposal out to a manufacturer to secure boats. The only thing I don't have is marketing as you can't market something you don't have. That will come soon enough.
Everything on this has fallen into place. The only thing left to find out is if people will pay to be guided and catch cats from a kayak.
I'll be the lone naysayer here. Taking care of people in your boat should be a lot easier than having them in kayaks. Also since you aren't in a lake it's a river with current and rocks and logs. It's a free country I have no beef with John Q. Public venturing out in a kayak with varying degrees of skill and experience its happening all over as we speak but I'm not responsible for them. I think you will spend much less time fishing because you will constantly be helping your clients, the exception being those that know what they're doing, yet a new unfamiliar body of water could throw them for a loop.
But I've been wrong about a whole lot of stuff. It just dawned on me that an advantage is having your clients spread out strategically.
I second that. Your best bet is to set up a bait shop and diner/grocery store pool hall pub shindig thing and as the owner solicit kayak guiding and safety courses. And get a crocodile Dundee hat. While you’re gone put someone in your family in charge of the store. If kayak guiding was actually that lucrative I’d do it, but it’s not that hard these days
I'll be the lone naysayer here. Taking care of people in your boat should be a lot easier than having them in kayaks. Also since you aren't in a lake it's a river with current and rocks and logs. It's a free country I have no beef with John Q. Public venturing out in a kayak with varying degrees of skill and experience its happening all over as we speak but I'm not responsible for them. I think you will spend much less time fishing because you will constantly be helping your clients, the exception being those that know what they're doing, yet a new unfamiliar body of water could throw them for a loop.
But I've been wrong about a whole lot of stuff. It just dawned on me that an advantage is having your clients spread out strategically.
I totally realize what you are saying and it is "adventure catfishing" there will be paddling and fishing with the goal of a few fish and the rush that will go with it. The guide will not fish at all while on the clock, they will be there to help the clients.
For the record I don't fish when I guide, even in my regular boat. People pay me to put them on fish not watch me catch fish.
Thanks, This will be a learning experience for sure but the support has been incredible. We will be documenting everything as we go. Partly to get the business off the ground and partly to document how to start a guide business. I have built one guide service, now a second.
Have you thought of looking into some of the smaller river there in ND?
I have seen many rivers there such as parts of the James or Sheyenne that you would not run a boat on but may have good spots accessible from a ky ache.
It's my understanding that you don't actually need a guide license / captains license to guide with Kayaks or does that vary from state to state?
Captains license is a federal rule but your not in a powered boat. If you ONLY guided in a kayak it would be impossible to get as you could not meet the "moving vessel" clause. It sounds like a nifty loophole for someone who wants to start guiding?
Boats are in and getting rigged right now. We are waiting for the water levels to fall so we can get things going. Can't wait to start getting actual video and photos from the kayaks rather than my big boat.
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