Oh boy! Trep, you are taking the right approach. One of the most frustrating things as a guide, is someone booking you then showing up and not listening. They already know it all. Well then WHY hire me! Then after a day of nothing they want their money back after you've caught 50-60 fish right in front of them. Your taking the right approach. If you want to learn something new, go in the summer, if you want a troph, March definately!
Tim and Jon, be sure you do your homework. Being a guide is not all it's cracked up to be. Don't get me wrong, it's my passion, and I wouldn't trade it for any job in the world, but it IS work. Your boat will get beat up by clients, you HAVE to fish on days you'd rather stay in bed, and it takes at least a couple years, and a good chunk of change to get established. If you're willing to take the good and the bad, in 4-5 years, it will begin to pay big. I just got a call yesterday from one of the field editors of NY game & fish. He wants to book a trip to get an edge for the FLW as a co-anlger, and he has also heard about my service and wants to do a 4 page spread on it! This is exciting. If he wins, he'll give credit from stage, unlike the last guy! So I get paid and free advertising, plus I'll be the ESPN press boat for the FLW. It took 6 LONG years to see this. My first year I had only 2 booked trips. I wrote off 6k in expenses! Make sure your wives are on board with this decision, because you should have seen the look on my wife's face when we did taxes that year! Ouch! But it can pay off if you stick it out. To me, my crowning achievement is being able to co-host all of your with Pierre for the the rally! Sorry to take so long, but if you want more info, just e-mail me. I know how hard it was getting started. None of the other guides wanted to offer any info, they look at you as competition. Just my opinion!
Rob