What It's Like to Be a Florida Fishing Guide 

I don’t know of any fisherman who ever got on a hot streak of perfect weather, hungry fish and good buddies to fish with, who hasn’t thought to himself, “Hey, why don’t I quit my job, and let people pay me to take them fishing.” Imagine getting to fish every day, and never having to go to “work” again.

All 11 of the Florida Sportsman Action Spotter podcasters I talk to every week are full-time guides. When I recently asked them about the pitfalls of being a guide, they all had some answers I really didn’t expect. They all agreed that with the cost and hassle of today’s permits, as well as the upgrades you would need to make for your safety and fishing gear, part time guiding is difficult.

“You may only be booked part time while you’re starting out, but the commitment is full time,” commented Capt. Steve Dall, out of Southwest Florida. “You have to develop a network of guys that are constantly on the water. If you’re trying to learn a technique, fish with somebody that already has it perfected. Always take the opportunity to fish with the best fishermen you can. If you get helpful information from somebody, you’d better reciprocate when you can.”

When it comes to networking, it better be a two-way street. You’d better input as much as you take when it comes to the hot info. I was once filming a segment of Florida Sportsman TV on a terrible day’s fishing. We didn’t have enough fish on film to create a segment. I got a call on my satellite phone from the best captain in the area with GPS numbers he knew were lit up with hungry fish. We saved the day, and I called that captain that night to thank him, and let him know I was sending a him a dinner at our favorite restaurant. He was gracious, but wanted to make sure I had deleted the number from my machine. I assured him I had, without realizing my mate had already copied it. When my great source caught him fishing it, the trust was broken. Next time I’m struggling, I won’t be able to count on my friend.

“Are you a teacher?” asked Capt. David Borries, in Northeast Florida. “You have to realize you are likely getting anglers that have never held a rod and reel. Can you teach them what they need to know in a day without ever belittling them?”

“Fish for your customers, not yourself,” said Capt. Brandon Storin in the Florida Keys. “You’d better understand you’re not in the fishing business, you’re in the entertainment business. Make sure, preferably during the booking process, that you know how the customers would like the day to unfold.” How many fish do they want to take home? Are they fly fishermen looking for a new mahi record on a 4 lb. tippet, or do they want enough grunts and beeliners for a church fish fry?

“Better have a place or a technique that you can go to when everything else crashes,” said Capt. Greg Stamper. “Everybody can catch bait, and or fish, when conditions are right, you’re going to need a fallback for the hard days that happen much too often.”

Captain Kevin Lanier says learning to manage your spots is a must. “Almost all my fishing is offshore bottom fishing. You have to find enough spots so you don’t overfish any of them. Get in the habit of pulling a few fish off a number of different spots so you can fish there again in a few weeks.”

Understand when enough is enough. Believe it or not, one of the reasons a charter doesn’t go well is too many fish. One of the worst things that can happen on an offshore charter is when a rod goes off at noon, and each member of the party looks at each other and says, “You crank in this one, I’ve had enough.”

Remember to make every fish a big deal. The teeth of a barracuda, the speed of a kingfish, the crushers of a sheepshead, the colors of a mahi are all things most people have never seen. Make them a big deal.

The fishing guide business has changed greatly in the last 30 years. I still have faded pictures of me as a young mate with more kingfish than anybody could ever use, hanging on a rack in the hot sun. Today, charter fishing is much more about the experience than it is the number of fish taken home. Captain David Borries has studied every kind of wildlife he’ll see on his charters. He takes all his first timers to the tree the great blue herons nest in. The birds actually pick out a tree, and after a few years of nesting in it, the tree will die.

Learning stuff like that can make the difference between a memorable day on the water, and just another day off.

---

• This article was featured in the June 2025 issue of Florida Sportsman magazine. Click to subscribe

---