Guides License

[Elkhunter]

Just wondering what the Oregon Political process for obtaining my guides license would be (I'm almost afraid to ask). Been fishing for years on the South/North Santiam River's and I have been thinking about a part-time income guiding there. What are the Fee's, Insurance cost's, ect... Any tips or infomation would be great. Thanks [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[David Johnson]

Call the state marine board and they will tell you the fees and can give you a list of insurance companies. My insurance is through Charter Lakes and Dan Longman is my agent. Cost of insurance will depend on your boat and what license you hold.

The next step is Coast Guard license, that is the very hard part. You have to know so much info it's unbeleivable.

Good Luck

[Salmonator]

If you are only guiding the Santiams I don't believe you need a coast guard license as it's not under their jurisdiction.
If you decide you need the CG certification, I would suggest you go to Clatsop CC and take their certification course. It will be MUCH easier than studying yourself and taking the test in Portland.
To insure a driftboat, liability and a mess of rods and reels it will cost you around 500 a year. Joe

[Gone Fishin]

A coast guard license is REQUIRED if you are going to run a motor (of any size or anywhere) and take passengers for hire.

If you are going to operate a non-motorized vessel then no coast guard liscense is necessary.

But, like Dave said call the Oregon State Marine Board in Salem, they'll send you all the info needed.

Words of wisdom . . . Don't quit your day job! [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

-Marty

[Salmonator]

Marty, I was under the impression that one was not needed in waters that are not coast guard enforced (above willamette falls and in lakes).. Joe

[Salmonator]

http://www.marinebd.osmb.state.or.us...gisGuides.html

[Chris Sessions]

Before you decide on what coast guard requirements you need, call Mike Fryer (Fryer's Maritime Services) 360-737-8022. He is very knowledgeable about what you need for different areas. Mike helped me get my masters license several years ago and although some of the navigation and memorizing is tough, it's all worth it if you are serious about guiding and don't want to be limited to one area. And like Marty said, "don't quit your day job". [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img]
SS

[Biteme]

The way the rule reads as far as the coast guard requirement is that if you intend to carry any passengers aboard a motorized vessel on any listed federally navigable waterway then a coast guard license is required. Now I naturally assumed that this would be the bigger rivers with channel markers and such. Boy was I wrong The list includes most rivers and creeks in the state. It does include some of the santiam system as well as most of the other popular fishing rivers with the exception of the clackamas (why the santiam and not the clackamas who knows). anyway in order to guide from a power boat a masters license is a must. I got mine by self study and i might add alot of it, and then taking the test. If you are able to take the time and attend one of the courses that are available that is definitly the way to go. By doing it self taught with study guides and such it took me approx 5 months of at least 4-5 hours a day to get to the level that i was ready to take the test and score a 90% or better on the rules of the road portion and 70% or better on the rest. Also keep in mind that you will have to be able to document your time on the water and some other things to even be able to qualify for the test. Feel free to call or e-mail me if you want to go with the self study method. bitemeguides@worldnet.att.net

[Bait O' Eggs]

What other job can you

Watch the sun rise
Watch wildlife everyday
Have a picnic lunch
Play in a boat
Go to the bathroom outside [img]images/icons/tongue.gif[/img]
Get paid $500 to $600 per day
Tax write off your poles and reels
Be admired by many fisherman
Be so dialed in fishing is easy
Dont have to wear a suit/tie to work
Meet new people at work (who dont yell at you)
Summer vacation in Alaska for work
Get the guides discount at Fishermans

There must be something that draws people to this profession. [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

[Bait O' Eggs]

Geeeezzzz Marty take a breath after that.

I attempted to post in good humor, you seemed to have burr under your saddle. Or at least I got that impression. [img]images/icons/confused.gif[/img]

First off going to the bathroom outside cannot be both a negative and a positive. [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img] I assume it is a positive since my boss cannot hit the hole on either a #1 or a #2. So it is always a pleasure to not have to follow him to the little boys room. [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/shocked.gif[/img] Outside is always a positive at my office.


Some of the highlights from your post that gave me a smile were.

You live in Tillamook, when does it not rain sideways?

I dont hate you because your a guide. It would be more like envy.

And if you shop at Tillamook Sporting Goods, I completely back off and offer you my condolances. [img]images/icons/tongue.gif[/img] I will be down to Tillamook over Mothers Day weekend, can I bring you anything from Fishermans Marine.

I dont have a 401 or an insurance package at work either. It always seems the grass is greener elsewhere.

And I would trade you jobs. [img]images/icons/smile.gif[/img] But you are to nice a guy, and I wouldnt wish my job on anybody.

I get the pleasure of painting my mother-in-laws house over the upcoming mothers day weekend (rain dependent). The things we endure for our spouses. [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img] Bring your boat over and I will spray it also. [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

Worse thing of all, is you have to hand
off all the fish. I like catching my
own fish toooo much. [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

[Jennie@ifish]

I think Marty sounded VERY realistic, not bitter... He does all these things because he still LOVES it, no matter how hard it is. AND IT IS TOUGH!
I hear it from Bill all the time.
Marty put it the way it is. Envious? If you love fishing enough, you have reason to be envious, but you will have to put up with alot of tough times to keep lovin it.
There are many fun parts about guiding, and I hear those too... But everyone seems to want to be a guide, without realizing the 14 hour days the guides put in, day after day after day... The tackle maintenance, the boat maintenance, the insurance, the trying to put on a happy face and be a commedian when the bite is off ALL day long.
I don't think he is bitter at all. I think he is still a guide because he loves it from the bottom of his soul, despite the hardship that this job entails.
Jen

[img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img] [img]images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Take this in the humour intended, NOT a
bunch of controversy and slinging.

http://www.****************.com/about4.html

[ 04-30-2001: Message edited by: ****** ]

[finclipped]

This reminds me of how I look forward to going back to work after a hard weekend of fishing. Doing what guides do everyday just is not appealing. Guides, IMHO, need to be workaholics in order to be successful. At what age are you too old to keep going? I would imagine you can't plan on working into your 60's.

Thanks for putting it in perspective. I like the 8-5, insurance paying, 401K participating, brown nosing, work until I'm 65 job,....ohhh and 3 weeks of vacation for fishing.

[Artwo]

I have a very good friend who is a guide and one day while fishing with him I said "man you have the greatest job in the world, fishing all day". His come back was, "it's a job just like yours". I've seen how hard my friend works and he is very good at what he does but at some point it's just not fishing anymore, it's a job. Don't get me wrong, my friend still loves to fish but he has endured allot to get where he is today and I respect that. I believe you should follow your dreams and if being a guide is what does it for ya then go for it, just understand that all jobs have their good days and their bad.

JK

[Gone Fishin]

Hey Roy,

I knew you ment it with humor, that's the way you are. There are those out there though that DO despise guides. It's too bad for them though, they just don't get it!

But I do!

Spray my boat??? SURE!!!! [img]images/icons/wink.gif[/img]

[Elkhunter]

Thanks for the good info folks, don't worry Marty I won't quit my day job. hehe I have enough stress in my life. Not sure if it's even worth doing if I only did it once or twice a month. What do you think? I wasn't sure if any guides would be to helpful to fill me in fearing any type of competition to their fulltime job. Great info, Thanks again.

[tadpolly]

I'm right in the middle if the guide thing too..C.G seems to be a lot for nothing but thats the rules.Motor requires c.g tag.Most of the guys(gals too,I'd suppose)running the Deschutes only run drifters.Kinda odd that you can run that water without any training.Oh well good luck.Mark

[Gone Fishin]

Roy,

You also have to think of the times

The wind is blowing the rain sideways in your face and you're freezing.
(oops missed that sunrise!)

Get the seagull off the clients line for the third time so far today.
(I guess that counts for watching wildlife.)

Be so busy at the oars and taking care of clients you don't take time to eat.
(While the clients are enjoying THEIR picnic lunch!)

Maintain your boat. (It's not a toy, it's a tool for the job.)

Your at the mercy of mother nature and the run of fish for your income. Sometimes you might be blown out for days, weeks, even months ('96 flood) at a time. If the fish aren't there, you don't go either.
(Your glad when you get a day to work to try and make some $$$.)

Go to the bathroom outside.

Have to have the best of equipment, bait, boat, tackle. With the price of everything going through the roof...It's hard to spend a bunch of money on EVERYTHING reguarding this business! (But, yeah! I get to write it off! However, you have to make the money to PAY FOR IT before you can write it off!)

Be hated by many fishermen just because you're a "guide".

Work your tail off to have you're only bite of the day "missed", or no bite at all!
(But you were "dialed" yesterday and caught a limit.)

Have strangers in your boat that are paying you big bucks for you to make sure thay have a good time and get into some fish! And, if you don't give them that good experience, you know darn good and well that they won't be back (and you really need people to come back) and they'll go home and tell all their friends and neighbors what a lousy no-good guide you are and to call someone else.
(no pressure there!)

Spend time away from your family because you have to work in Alaska to try and get you through the summer. Work long hours seven days a week while your there to show your clients (who are paying the real big bucks to the outfitter you work for) a good time
(Remember, the clients are paying the outfitter, not you, the guide.)

Get a guides discount at Tillamook Sporting Goods.
(enough said)

Oh yeah, I forgot to mention the fact that I don't put in 8 hours and go home. I don't have a 401k. I don't have a group health plan.

What I'm saying is, there's a lot more to this guide thing than most people realize, it's a lot of work and effort to become successful at it. But still I wouldn't trade it for any other job out there.

But PLEASE, don't think of it as a gravy-train job either...because it isn't!

[ 04-30-2001: Message edited by: Gone Fishin ]

[Salmonator]

Also not as easy to call in sick. How would you react if you've been waiting weeks or months for this trip then your guide calls you and says he has a cold? So you try to work through it and nearly end up with pneumonia. Loads of fun... [img]images/icons/rolleyes.gif[/img]