This makes it all worthwhile
When I started guiding fishermen, I knew it would be hard work, bad weather, dealing with less than cooperative clients, etc. What I didn't realize was how much satisfaction it can bring in things other than $$.
A guide buddy of mine has been having boat trouble and he asked if I could take some of his calls while he sorts out the repairs on his outboard. Since this is my 1st season and there are lots of other guides in our area for folks to choose from, I jumped at the chance to take those calls.
I got a call for a day trip with just a few hours notice. When I talked to the gentleman he mentioned his wife had never caught a fish IN HER 60+ YEARS. During our couple of conversations, I could always hear her in the background on speaker. I told them I would do my dead-level best to find a fish she could catch and call her own.
We got out Monday morning--Memorial Day. I was really afraid we would have terrible boat traffic like I had dealt with Sunday (worst I've ever seen!). They enjoyed the 5 minute boat ride to the area I wanted to start in. She was very observant and a quick study on the points I explained to them about what we would be doing and why. The line counter reels were totally foreign to both of them but they caught on quickly. We got a couple of rods out for each of them and I put out 2 more so we might increase our chances. I rarely fish when I have clients but they encouraged me to do so.
I was marking fish but it took almost an hour before we caught any. The lady asked if I had ever had a party out and not caught ANY fish. I told her no and that she and her husband were not going to be the first.
Her husband caught the 1st fish, an 11 inch white crappie. She was so excited and really started bearing down on her concentration. I looked back about 80 feet behind the boat and saw a fish come to the top. I told her she had one on but I had to figure out which rod. She was so excited as her husband videoed her reeling in her first fish ever, a 12 inch white crappie.
To say she was excited was the understatement of the century. I even got her to hold it for pics after showing her how.http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m...pstjglil4e.jpg
They had originally wanted a 4 hour trip but that quickly became a 6 hour trip. She and her husband caught several good crappie, several catfish, and some white bass. Each one was as exciting to her as the first. Any time I had a fish hit either of my baits, I would hand her the rod and she would happily reel it in. In the end we ended up with a dozen keeper crappie and several quart bags of fillets.
http://i101.photobucket.com/albums/m...psuakee3fo.jpg
They had asked if I had any good crappie recipes and I told them of one a friend from here at Crappie.com had given me that we have given to literally of dozens of friends. Later that night I got a text from them with a picture of their supper, the crappie recipe I had given them.
When I got home after this trip, my wife was there to help me get the boat in the garage and my gear ready for the next days trip. When she asked me how it went, all I could tell her was days like this that assure me I have made the correct move in my career.
