Maybe the thought has crossed your mind. You love fishing. You’re good at catching fish. Why not do it all the time and become a guide? Think of it - getting paid to go fishing. We asked three established guides at various stages of their careers to offer some thoughts about making a living as a guide. Jeff Sundin, 60, is a Deer River, Minn., guide who’s been at it for 32 years in the Itasca County area of northern Minnesota. Robby Ott, 44, of Cloquet, Minn., has been guiding for 25 years in the Grand Rapids and Deer River area. Josh Teigen of Iron River, Wis., started guiding at 17, and he’s now 24. He guides on Chequamegon Bay of Lake Superior, the St. Louis River and Wisconsin inland waters. Essential qualities Nearly everyone who gets into guiding knows how to catch fish. But that will get you only so far. “If you were creating a priority list,” Sundin said, “understanding how to catch fish might fall somewhere below the midline.” Related content The first attribute Ott cited was patience. “I think being a people person and being able to communicate with someone of any background is important, but it’s mostly being patient and being able to adapt to all different kinds of people who will be in the boat,” he said. “On the surface,” Sundin said, “it seems like kind of a dream job. I see some young guys who are really good and personable and have a lot going for them, but a lot of guys get into it and realize it’s a lot of work. … But I never get tired of the fishing part of it. That’s what keeps me going.” As a guide, you might not be fishing as much as you think. “When I’m guiding, I usually don’t pick up a rod,” said Teigen, who does much of his guiding for smallmouth bass on Chequamegon Bay. “You’re still out there every day. Everyone’s slaying the fish, but you don’t get to fish as much.” It’s all about the customers, Sundin said. “The most successful guides are the ones who really appreciate somebody else catching the fish,” Sundin said. “You have to enjoy watching other people succeed. There isn’t anybody interested in paying me money to sit in a boat and watch me catch fish.” Getting established How long does it take a guide to become successful? How many years do you give it? What are the factors that help you make it in guiding? For Teigen, having a mentor in guiding was helpful. The late Jim Hudson of Bayfield, Wis., took a liking to Teigen and taught him some of the finer points of being a guide. “He took me under his wing,” Teigen said. Getting exposure through television fishing shows and on social media also has helped, Teigen said. TV shows are important, and he does five to eight a year, he said. [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"2527255","attributes":{"alt":"Fishing guide Josh Teigen of Iron River, Wis., holds a walleye he caught along the South Shore of Lake Superior.","class":"media-image","height":"557","title":"","width":"795"}}]] “But the biggest one was Jim Hudson,” Teigen said. “I met a lot of (clients) through him.” For guides in the Grand Rapids and Deer River area, where both Sundin and Ott guide, getting to know many of the resort owners is a good way to break in. But it can be challenging. “Even though you’ve grown up in the area and know a lot of resort owners, there were guys doing it a lot longer than I had,” Ott said. “There’s kind of a pecking order. But if you do a good job, you build trust with the resort owners and the bait shop owners. The biggest thing is word of mouth.” It takes a few years. “When I realized I was really getting busy was about my fifth year,” Sundin said. “During those first few years, you kind of learn how to show up at the resort on a day when you don’t have a lot going on. Just be around to talk to people. Someone says, ‘What are you doing tomorrow?’ After about five years, the repeat customers give you a head start, and you have to fill in a smaller number of gaps each year.” Sundin says repeat customers make up about 90 percent of his clientele. For Teigen, it’s about 60 percent. “Be patient,” Ott said. “If you don’t have somebody (a more established guide) who’s going to help you with trips, it can take a while to build clients. I’d say at least 10 years.” The first few years are hard, Teigen said, because a guide needs to invest in top-quality gear but has less cash coming in. “It took two, three, four years to build up and get going,” he said. The tough days Fish don’t jump in the boat every day. Guides earn their money on the challenging days. How do they manage to put their customers on fish? “You’ve got to be moving,” Ott said. “The biggest mistake people make is staying too long in one spot.” Some days, he’ll get on the phone to another guide and try to get some ideas. Or, if he’s on fish, he’ll call to share that information with guides he knows well. The important thing, these guides say, is to stay upbeat and keep customers involved in what you’re trying. “You just have to keep them in the good mood and, hopefully, you’ll find the fish eventually,” Teigen said. “There are always days where you don’t do good. I hate it more than the clients do. It’s their trip of the year.” “A fishing trip might come down to a good two hours,” Sundin said. “You try to keep people on your side. Keep talking to them, one spot to the next. Include them in the process. I’d say 50 percent of your days there’s some sort of struggle. The longer I do this, the more humility I seem to get. I just look people in the eye and say, ‘I’m trying. Sooner or later, we’ll figure something out.’ ” Long hours A guide’s day is usually long, from picking up bait early in the morning to fishing all day, taking care of the boat and getting ready for an early start the following day. For 100 or 150 days a year. “It can be a grind,” Ott said. “You’ve got day after day after day, and people switching species. You have to re-rig (rods and tackle) and start over some days. You might do walleyes five days in a row, and now it’s panfish or perch.” Sundin knows the challenge of putting in a lot of hours. “Yeah, they’re long days,” Sundin said. “You could let yourself think it’s hard and grueling. But there are 24 hours in a day. You’re going to spend it doing something. Those hours aren’t harder on me than on anyone else. I get to do what a lot of people are paying a lot of money to do.” Seeking sponsorship Most guides get equipment and tackle at some kind of discount from manufacturers. Teigen is seeking additional sponsorship as his guiding business matures. “I hope to get higher up in the industry as far as companies paying me to use their products,” he said. With the growth of social media, guides sometimes are expected to post online often to showcase their fishing success and products they use. But most guides are not paid outright by sponsors. “I did not get paid by anybody - not a single paying sponsor - until my 29th year,” Sundin said. “The only real way to count on making money is to do the fishing trip and get paid for it. If you pick up some sponsorships along the way, that’s helpful. “But I think there’s way too much emphasis on that. Guys are plastering things on social media and doing it all for a 20 percent discount (on gear). I’d say we’re putting almost too much emphasis on sponsorship and deals and fancy shirts.” Maybe the thought has crossed your mind. You love fishing. You’re good at catching fish. Why not do it all the time and become a guide? Think of it - getting paid to go fishing. We asked three established guides at various stages of their careers to offer some thoughts about making a living as a guide. Jeff Sundin, 60, is a Deer River, Minn., guide who’s been at it for 32 years in the Itasca County area of northern Minnesota. Robby Ott, 44, of Cloquet, Minn., has been guiding for 25 years in the Grand Rapids and Deer River area. Josh Teigen of Iron River, Wis., started guiding at 17, and he’s now 24. He guides on Chequamegon Bay of Lake Superior, the St. Louis River and Wisconsin inland waters. Essential qualities Nearly everyone who gets into guiding knows how to catch fish. But that will get you only so far. “If you were creating a priority list,” Sundin said, “understanding how to catch fish might fall somewhere below the midline.” [[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"2527254","attributes":{"alt":"Jeff Sundin, a longtime Deer River fishing guide, shows off a nice walleye he caught on Cut Foot Sioux Lake.","class":"media-image","height":"480","title":"","width":"391"}}]] The first attribute Ott cited was patience. “I think being a people person and being able to communicate with someone of any background is important, but it’s mostly being patient and being able to adapt to all different kinds of people who will be in the boat,” he said. “On the surface,” Sundin said, “it seems like kind of a dream job. I see some young guys who are really good and personable and have a lot going for them, but a lot of guys get into it and realize it’s a lot of work. … But I never get tired of the fishing part of it. That’s what keeps me going.” As a guide, you might not be fishing as much as you think. “When I’m guiding, I usually don’t pick up a rod,” said Teigen, who does much of his guiding for smallmouth bass on Chequamegon Bay. “You’re still out there every day. Everyone’s slaying the fish, but you don’t get to fish as much.” It’s all about the customers, Sundin said. “The most successful guides are the ones who really appreciate somebody else catching the fish,” Sundin said. “You have to enjoy watching other people succeed. There isn’t anybody interested in paying me money to sit in a boat and watch me catch fish.” Getting established How long does it take a guide to become successful? How many years do you give it? What are the factors that help you make it in guiding? For Teigen, having a mentor in guiding was helpful. The late Jim Hudson of Bayfield, Wis., took a liking to Teigen and taught him some of the finer points of being a guide. “He took me under his wing,” Teigen said. Getting exposure through television fishing shows and on social media also has helped, Teigen said. TV shows are important, and he does five to eight a year, he said. Related content “But the biggest one was Jim Hudson,” Teigen said. “I met a lot of (clients) through him.” For guides in the Grand Rapids and Deer River area, where both Sundin and Ott guide, getting to know many of the resort owners is a good way to break in. But it can be challenging. “Even though you’ve grown up in the area and know a lot of resort owners, there were guys doing it a lot longer than I had,” Ott said. “There’s kind of a pecking order. But if you do a good job, you build trust with the resort owners and the bait shop owners. The biggest thing is word of mouth.” It takes a few years. “When I realized I was really getting busy was about my fifth year,” Sundin said. “During those first few years, you kind of learn how to show up at the resort on a day when you don’t have a lot going on. Just be around to talk to people. Someone says, ‘What are you doing tomorrow?’ After about five years, the repeat customers give you a head start, and you have to fill in a smaller number of gaps each year.” Sundin says repeat customers make up about 90 percent of his clientele. For Teigen, it’s about 60 percent. “Be patient,” Ott said. “If you don’t have somebody (a more established guide) who’s going to help you with trips, it can take a while to build clients. I’d say at least 10 years.” The first few years are hard, Teigen said, because a guide needs to invest in top-quality gear but has less cash coming in. “It took two, three, four years to build up and get going,” he said. The tough days Fish don’t jump in the boat every day. Guides earn their money on the challenging days. How do they manage to put their customers on fish? “You’ve got to be moving,” Ott said. “The biggest mistake people make is staying too long in one spot.” Some days, he’ll get on the phone to another guide and try to get some ideas. Or, if he’s on fish, he’ll call to share that information with guides he knows well. The important thing, these guides say, is to stay upbeat and keep customers involved in what you’re trying. “You just have to keep them in the good mood and, hopefully, you’ll find the fish eventually,” Teigen said. “There are always days where you don’t do good. I hate it more than the clients do. It’s their trip of the year.” “A fishing trip might come down to a good two hours,” Sundin said. “You try to keep people on your side. Keep talking to them, one spot to the next. Include them in the process. I’d say 50 percent of your days there’s some sort of struggle. The longer I do this, the more humility I seem to get. I just look people in the eye and say, ‘I’m trying. Sooner or later, we’ll figure something out.’ ” Long hours A guide’s day is usually long, from picking up bait early in the morning to fishing all day, taking care of the boat and getting ready for an early start the following day. For 100 or 150 days a year. “It can be a grind,” Ott said. “You’ve got day after day after day, and people switching species. You have to re-rig (rods and tackle) and start over some days. You might do walleyes five days in a row, and now it’s panfish or perch.” Sundin knows the challenge of putting in a lot of hours. “Yeah, they’re long days,” Sundin said. “You could let yourself think it’s hard and grueling. But there are 24 hours in a day. You’re going to spend it doing something. Those hours aren’t harder on me than on anyone else. I get to do what a lot of people are paying a lot of money to do.” Seeking sponsorship Most guides get equipment and tackle at some kind of discount from manufacturers. Teigen is seeking additional sponsorship as his guiding business matures. “I hope to get higher up in the industry as far as companies paying me to use their products,” he said. With the growth of social media, guides sometimes are expected to post online often to showcase their fishing success and products they use. But most guides are not paid outright by sponsors. “I did not get paid by anybody - not a single paying sponsor - until my 29th year,” Sundin said. “The only real way to count on making money is to do the fishing trip and get paid for it. If you pick up some sponsorships along the way, that’s helpful. “But I think there’s way too much emphasis on that. Guys are plastering things on social media and doing it all for a 20 percent discount (on gear). I’d say we’re putting almost too much emphasis on sponsorship and deals and fancy shirts.” Maybe the thought has crossed your mind. You love fishing. You’re good at catching fish. Why not do it all the time and become a guide? Think of it - getting paid to go fishing.We asked three established guides at various stages of their careers to offer some thoughts about making a living as a guide. Jeff Sundin, 60, is a Deer River, Minn., guide who’s been at it for 32 years in the Itasca County area of northern Minnesota. Robby Ott, 44, of Cloquet, Minn., has been guiding for 25 years in the Grand Rapids and Deer River area. Josh Teigen of Iron River, Wis., started guiding at 17, and he’s now 24. He guides on Chequamegon Bay of Lake Superior, the St. Louis River and Wisconsin inland waters.Essential qualitiesNearly everyone who gets into guiding knows how to catch fish. But that will get you only so far.“If you were creating a priority list,” Sundin said, “understanding how to catch fish might fall somewhere below the midline.” Related content The first attribute Ott cited was patience.“I think being a people person and being able to communicate with someone of any background is important, but it’s mostly being patient and being able to adapt to all different kinds of people who will be in the boat,” he said.“On the surface,” Sundin said, “it seems like kind of a dream job. I see some young guys who are really good and personable and have a lot going for them, but a lot of guys get into it and realize it’s a lot of work. … But I never get tired of the fishing part of it. That’s what keeps me going.”As a guide, you might not be fishing as much as you think.“When I’m guiding, I usually don’t pick up a rod,” said Teigen, who does much of his guiding for smallmouth bass on Chequamegon Bay. “You’re still out there every day. Everyone’s slaying the fish, but you don’t get to fish as much.”It’s all about the customers, Sundin said.“The most successful guides are the ones who really appreciate somebody else catching the fish,” Sundin said. “You have to enjoy watching other people succeed. There isn’t anybody interested in paying me money to sit in a boat and watch me catch fish.”Getting establishedHow long does it take a guide to become successful? How many years do you give it? What are the factors that help you make it in guiding?For Teigen, having a mentor in guiding was helpful. The late Jim Hudson of Bayfield, Wis., took a liking to Teigen and taught him some of the finer points of being a guide.“He took me under his wing,” Teigen said.Getting exposure through television fishing shows and on social media also has helped, Teigen said. TV shows are important, and he does five to eight a year, he said.[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_original","fid":"2527255","attributes":{"alt":"Fishing guide Josh Teigen of Iron River, Wis., holds a walleye he caught along the South Shore of Lake Superior.","class":"media-image","height":"557","title":"","width":"795"}}]]“But the biggest one was Jim Hudson,” Teigen said. “I met a lot of (clients) through him.”For guides in the Grand Rapids and Deer River area, where both Sundin and Ott guide, getting to know many of the resort owners is a good way to break in. But it can be challenging.“Even though you’ve grown up in the area and know a lot of resort owners, there were guys doing it a lot longer than I had,” Ott said. “There’s kind of a pecking order. But if you do a good job, you build trust with the resort owners and the bait shop owners. The biggest thing is word of mouth.”It takes a few years.“When I realized I was really getting busy was about my fifth year,” Sundin said. “During those first few years, you kind of learn how to show up at the resort on a day when you don’t have a lot going on. Just be around to talk to people. Someone says, ‘What are you doing tomorrow?’ After about five years, the repeat customers give you a head start, and you have to fill in a smaller number of gaps each year.”Sundin says repeat customers make up about 90 percent of his clientele. For Teigen, it’s about 60 percent.“Be patient,” Ott said. “If you don’t have somebody (a more established guide) who’s going to help you with trips, it can take a while to build clients. I’d say at least 10 years.”The first few years are hard, Teigen said, because a guide needs to invest in top-quality gear but has less cash coming in.“It took two, three, four years to build up and get going,” he said.The tough daysFish don’t jump in the boat every day. Guides earn their money on the challenging days. How do they manage to put their customers on fish?“You’ve got to be moving,” Ott said. “The biggest mistake people make is staying too long in one spot.”Some days, he’ll get on the phone to another guide and try to get some ideas. Or, if he’s on fish, he’ll call to share that information with guides he knows well. The important thing, these guides say, is to stay upbeat and keep customers involved in what you’re trying.“You just have to keep them in the good mood and, hopefully, you’ll find the fish eventually,” Teigen said. “There are always days where you don’t do good. I hate it more than the clients do. It’s their trip of the year.”“A fishing trip might come down to a good two hours,” Sundin said. “You try to keep people on your side. Keep talking to them, one spot to the next. Include them in the process. I’d say 50 percent of your days there’s some sort of struggle. The longer I do this, the more humility I seem to get. I just look people in the eye and say, ‘I’m trying. Sooner or later, we’ll figure something out.’ ”Long hoursA guide’s day is usually long, from picking up bait early in the morning to fishing all day, taking care of the boat and getting ready for an early start the following day. For 100 or 150 days a year.“It can be a grind,” Ott said. “You’ve got day after day after day, and people switching species. You have to re-rig (rods and tackle) and start over some days. You might do walleyes five days in a row, and now it’s panfish or perch.”Sundin knows the challenge of putting in a lot of hours.“Yeah, they’re long days,” Sundin said. “You could let yourself think it’s hard and grueling. But there are 24 hours in a day. You’re going to spend it doing something. Those hours aren’t harder on me than on anyone else. I get to do what a lot of people are paying a lot of money to do.”Seeking sponsorshipMost guides get equipment and tackle at some kind of discount from manufacturers. Teigen is seeking additional sponsorship as his guiding business matures.“I hope to get higher up in the industry as far as companies paying me to use their products,” he said.With the growth of social media, guides sometimes are expected to post online often to showcase their fishing success and products they use. But most guides are not paid outright by sponsors.“I did not get paid by anybody - not a single paying sponsor - until my 29th year,” Sundin said. “The only real way to count on making money is to do the fishing trip and get paid for it. If you pick up some sponsorships along the way, that’s helpful.“But I think there’s way too much emphasis on that. Guys are plastering things on social media and doing it all for a 20 percent discount (on gear). I’d say we’re putting almost too much emphasis on sponsorship and deals and fancy shirts.”Maybe the thought has crossed your mind. You love fishing. You’re good at catching fish. Why not do it all the time and become a guide? Think of it - getting paid to go fishing.We asked three established guides at various stages of their careers to offer some thoughts about making a living as a guide. Jeff Sundin, 60, is a Deer River, Minn., guide who’s been at it for 32 years in the Itasca County area of northern Minnesota. Robby Ott, 44, of Cloquet, Minn., has been guiding for 25 years in the Grand Rapids and Deer River area. Josh Teigen of Iron River, Wis., started guiding at 17, and he’s now 24. He guides on Chequamegon Bay of Lake Superior, the St. Louis River and Wisconsin inland waters.Essential qualitiesNearly everyone who gets into guiding knows how to catch fish. But that will get you only so far.“If you were creating a priority list,” Sundin said, “understanding how to catch fish might fall somewhere below the midline.”[[{"type":"media","view_mode":"media_large","fid":"2527254","attributes":{"alt":"Jeff Sundin, a longtime Deer River fishing guide, shows off a nice walleye he caught on Cut Foot Sioux Lake.","class":"media-image","height":"480","title":"","width":"391"}}]] The first attribute Ott cited was patience.“I think being a people person and being able to communicate with someone of any background is important, but it’s mostly being patient and being able to adapt to all different kinds of people who will be in the boat,” he said.“On the surface,” Sundin said, “it seems like kind of a dream job. I see some young guys who are really good and personable and have a lot going for them, but a lot of guys get into it and realize it’s a lot of work. … But I never get tired of the fishing part of it. That’s what keeps me going.”As a guide, you might not be fishing as much as you think.“When I’m guiding, I usually don’t pick up a rod,” said Teigen, who does much of his guiding for smallmouth bass on Chequamegon Bay. “You’re still out there every day. Everyone’s slaying the fish, but you don’t get to fish as much.”It’s all about the customers, Sundin said.“The most successful guides are the ones who really appreciate somebody else catching the fish,” Sundin said. “You have to enjoy watching other people succeed. There isn’t anybody interested in paying me money to sit in a boat and watch me catch fish.”Getting establishedHow long does it take a guide to become successful? How many years do you give it? What are the factors that help you make it in guiding?For Teigen, having a mentor in guiding was helpful. The late Jim Hudson of Bayfield, Wis., took a liking to Teigen and taught him some of the finer points of being a guide.“He took me under his wing,” Teigen said.Getting exposure through television fishing shows and on social media also has helped, Teigen said. TV shows are important, and he does five to eight a year, he said. Related content “But the biggest one was Jim Hudson,” Teigen said. “I met a lot of (clients) through him.”For guides in the Grand Rapids and Deer River area, where both Sundin and Ott guide, getting to know many of the resort owners is a good way to break in. But it can be challenging.“Even though you’ve grown up in the area and know a lot of resort owners, there were guys doing it a lot longer than I had,” Ott said. “There’s kind of a pecking order. But if you do a good job, you build trust with the resort owners and the bait shop owners. The biggest thing is word of mouth.”It takes a few years.“When I realized I was really getting busy was about my fifth year,” Sundin said. “During those first few years, you kind of learn how to show up at the resort on a day when you don’t have a lot going on. Just be around to talk to people. Someone says, ‘What are you doing tomorrow?’ After about five years, the repeat customers give you a head start, and you have to fill in a smaller number of gaps each year.”Sundin says repeat customers make up about 90 percent of his clientele. For Teigen, it’s about 60 percent.“Be patient,” Ott said. “If you don’t have somebody (a more established guide) who’s going to help you with trips, it can take a while to build clients. I’d say at least 10 years.”The first few years are hard, Teigen said, because a guide needs to invest in top-quality gear but has less cash coming in.“It took two, three, four years to build up and get going,” he said.The tough daysFish don’t jump in the boat every day. Guides earn their money on the challenging days. How do they manage to put their customers on fish?“You’ve got to be moving,” Ott said. “The biggest mistake people make is staying too long in one spot.”Some days, he’ll get on the phone to another guide and try to get some ideas. Or, if he’s on fish, he’ll call to share that information with guides he knows well. The important thing, these guides say, is to stay upbeat and keep customers involved in what you’re trying.“You just have to keep them in the good mood and, hopefully, you’ll find the fish eventually,” Teigen said. “There are always days where you don’t do good. I hate it more than the clients do. It’s their trip of the year.”“A fishing trip might come down to a good two hours,” Sundin said. “You try to keep people on your side. Keep talking to them, one spot to the next. Include them in the process. I’d say 50 percent of your days there’s some sort of struggle. The longer I do this, the more humility I seem to get. I just look people in the eye and say, ‘I’m trying. Sooner or later, we’ll figure something out.’ ”Long hoursA guide’s day is usually long, from picking up bait early in the morning to fishing all day, taking care of the boat and getting ready for an early start the following day. For 100 or 150 days a year.“It can be a grind,” Ott said. “You’ve got day after day after day, and people switching species. You have to re-rig (rods and tackle) and start over some days. You might do walleyes five days in a row, and now it’s panfish or perch.”Sundin knows the challenge of putting in a lot of hours.“Yeah, they’re long days,” Sundin said. “You could let yourself think it’s hard and grueling. But there are 24 hours in a day. You’re going to spend it doing something. Those hours aren’t harder on me than on anyone else. I get to do what a lot of people are paying a lot of money to do.”Seeking sponsorshipMost guides get equipment and tackle at some kind of discount from manufacturers. Teigen is seeking additional sponsorship as his guiding business matures.“I hope to get higher up in the industry as far as companies paying me to use their products,” he said.With the growth of social media, guides sometimes are expected to post online often to showcase their fishing success and products they use. But most guides are not paid outright by sponsors.“I did not get paid by anybody - not a single paying sponsor - until my 29th year,” Sundin said. “The only real way to count on making money is to do the fishing trip and get paid for it. If you pick up some sponsorships along the way, that’s helpful.“But I think there’s way too much emphasis on that. Guys are plastering things on social media and doing it all for a 20 percent discount (on gear). I’d say we’re putting almost too much emphasis on sponsorship and deals and fancy shirts.”
