So You Want To Be A Charter Captain?

By Capt. Cefus McRae, Nuts & Bolts of Fishing Series

One of my most enjoyable things to do is taking folks fishing. Seeing the smile on someone’s face when they hook into a fish… big or small…gives me a great feeling. It’s a lot of fun.

So maybe you’re thinking about becoming a charter captain yourself? I would highly recommend that. It’s a rewarding experience, and one of the best decisions I ever made.

But first things first. In most cases, you’ll need to get a Coast Guard Captain’s License, also called a 6-Pack license. This lets you carry up to 6 people on a charter. You’ll need to prove you have the required number of hours at the helm and have a current USCG Captain verify those hours and your capabilities. You’ll have to pass the Coast Guard in-person written test, pass a physical, get drug tested and be subject to random drug tests, for as long as you hold your license. But that’s the easy part.

The hard part comes when you start running charters. And that means coming to terms with the fact that YOU are not going fishing. Your clients are. You are now in charge of hospitality, you’re the housekeeper, the service staff, the diplomat, and the get-it-done person. You have to be very comfortable with watching other people hook fish and cheer them on. Remember, your job is to put the people on the fish, and their job is to get them in the boat.

The job can be extremely rewarding, and it can be extremely frustrating. For instance, watching someone pull the hook on a trophy fish is aggravating for both you and your client. But you have to maintain a positive attitude and keep their spirits up. So now you’ve just become a counselor too.

There will be days when the fish just don’t bite. But your client may not understand that. They’re paying you good money to bend a rod. So you have to be personable, humble, and not make excuses. That can be difficult…and yes frustrating. For me, there are many more good days than bad days. And a good day doesn’t always mean filling up the fish box. Most clients appreciate just being out on the water and seeing things they’ve never seen before. They want to learn, and they want to be entertained. Oh yeah, you have to be an entertainer too. They want to have fun, and that doesn’t mean they have to pull in a fish every minute of the trip. It’s a balance between catching and all the other fun stuff you do between bites.

Oh, you’re also the safety director, the medic, maintenance guy, boat detailer, bait catcher, the clean-up crew and in some cases…the babysitter. At the end of the day, your client goes home…hopefully with a smile on their face. But you still have a couple more hours of work to do before you eat dinner and get back up at 4am. You’ll re-spool reels, tie on new rigs, clean reels and rods, clean out coolers, clean the boat, refuel, and a few dozen other things. For me, that’s just part of the job, and I don’t mind doing it. The rewards far outweigh any frustrations.

So if you’re giving some thought to joining the family of fishing guides, seriously examine all that goes into it, and make an informed decision. The world needs more passionate professionals to teach folks how fun fishing can be.

Tight Lines and Calm Seas, Capt. Cefus McRae