Folks often reach out to book a trip, and are confused when I politely decline. Let me explain why I'm not a fishing guide.
On the surface, it makes sense that guiding fishing trips would be part of what happens at LAFB.
That couldn't be further from the truth! I have done the guiding thing, for a short while, and it was a great experience.
But I don't anymore, because my charter license is expired (and will not be renewed), nor do I have the boat for it.
I need my boat to fit in my garage, all eighteen feet of it, not the recommended length of 24 feet for guiding.
Anyways, guiding really doesn't fall in line with what I do: teaching folks how to fish the inshore waters of Louisiana.\
It all boils down to a vision I have for Louisiana's inshore fishing.
This trip from 2012 shows how much fun we had. But those days are over and I am doing something else now.
What is that vision?
Think of all the fun you've had on your fishing trips, the awesome memories you've made.
The time you caught a limit, fought a big bull red or narrowly escaped a storm.
Those are all powerful experiences that keep you coming back for more!
They've ignited a passion in your heart that makes you an ally in conservation and fishing freedom, because you'd like to keep going on those trips, right?
People will quit fishing if they don't catch, and I really want them to catch, so that is why I have this website loaded with all this information to light the way to a successful fishing trip
Everyone Wins
When you catch fish, you win. The marina also wins. The tackle store wins. The gas station wins. LAFB wins. Louisiana wins.
My vision is a place where more people have fun catching fish, which ultimately contributes to small businesses, jobs and conservation.
Reaching More Anglers
See, if I am guiding, at best I can only reach 1-6 people a day.
With this blog and elite membership I can (and do) reach thousands of people each day.
The comparison isn't even close, and never will be.
See all these boats? I can reach all of them at once via this platform. But if I am guiding, I can only have one at a time.
Time Restraints
We all know how precious our time is!
If people were to book a trip they'd only get me for 8 hours, at best.
Then the trip is over and so is the learning experience, provided they were paying attention in the first place and not drinking or chit-chatting.
I know that sounds harsh, but can you really teach everything someone needs to know in eight hours? Probably not.
Could you do it while they're drinking or sharing fishing stories? Probably not.
Unless they're a cyborg with a Thunderbolt port in the back of their head, it's simply not going to happen.
But here at LAFB, everything I have for anglers is self-paced. You can take as long as you need to read this article, take one of my courses, or watch one of my webinars.
There is no time-restraint.
Continued Support
Let's say the customer has a great day on the water, then wakes up the next morning and has a question about something he or she saw during the trip.
Well, I couldn't take those questions because I'd be on the water with the next customer.
When the trip is over, the trip is over.
But with LAFB, I can (and do) support anglers more effectively and easily.
Don't believe me?
I also engage anglers in my articles. Go comment at the bottom of this article and see if I don't respond in a meaningful way.
Economical Solution
I applaud those who have done well enough to afford the cost of a guide, as it's not cheap.
But let's be real with these numbers: a guided trip for 2-3 anglers runs roughly $600.
This article and the rest on this blog is free. So is subscribing on LAFB's YouTube.
The really advanced stuff runs the same as a rod/reel combo: Join LAFB Elite.
There are a lot of great guides out there, but if I had to recommend one for the Hopedale/Delacroix area, it'd be Captain Kevin of Elite Fishing Adventures.
Why You Should Hire a Guide
I'm not putting down guides, or saying they can't teach what they know or recommending that you don't book with them.
That's a buncha baloney!
I'm just explaining why I don't guide. Otherwise, if you want to learn the nuances of a specific area, then I really think you should hire a guide.
Or if you just want to have fun, going straight to the fish while enjoying some cold ones, then you really ought to hire a guide.
Otherwise, I support Louisiana's inshore fishing guides, as their success is part of the vision I described earlier; we're all on the same team.
Tight lines, y'all!
Vikki, thanks for commenting. I’m sorry to hear about your situation. There is a lot of stuff on the bottom there, I now I’ve seen a good deal of it on sonar. Given how most properties have land that slopes into the water, it’s no surprise that things make their way to the bottom of the water.
I have no idea who you would need to contact to handle that. Debris removal is out of my purview. lol
If anything, I’d be excited to have a bunch of cover for fish to use.
Thanks for commenting, Vikki!
Hi Devin
This is not really about fishing but who I would contact to get a problems solved …I just purchased a home in eden Isles and wondered why I was losing a lot of tackle when I fish off my dock…turns out I live where they tried to dredge out all the debris from Katrina and obviously a lot of it is still on the bottom… a neighbor told me there are fences and even a car down there … any advice who to contact to try to get whats left dredged out? Tx