How much should I charge as a fishing guide to city slickers?

I just purchased six Zebco 33 rod/real combos


I also purchased two Zebco 33sp rod real combos


http://www.zebco.com/products/authentic_鈥?/a>





I have a three Pelican canoes that are 17' http://www.pelicansport.com/index.php?la鈥?/a> I have a two 15' Pelican (a third on order) http://www.pelicansport.com/index.php?la鈥?/a> and a 16' Pelican with a square stern (back) http://www.pelicansport.com/index.php?la鈥?/a> with a 40 lbs thrust electric trolling motor http://www.minnkotamotors.com/products/t鈥?/a> Last year, when they were new, the rental rates were $32.50, $37.50 and $50.00 per day. Half days were $19.50, $22.50 and $30.00. There wasn't a day that I didn't do $200 in rentals. Not bad. Not much effort on my part. That's why I ordered a 7th canoe for my fleet. Probably should have ordered 2-3, but I'm playing it low key this year.


So I take these people who rent my canoes out to fish. Obviously they pay the rental fee. How much more should I charge them for guiding them? I have a 13.5' canoehttp://www.pelicansport.com/index.php?la鈥?/a> I could use that as my canoe. Some spots can only be reached by paddling, but they still fish from dry land.


I know the lake well. I can show you how to get your legal limit in 3-4 hours.





Thanks!How much should I charge as a fishing guide to city slickers?
Set a price and then if you get no customers lower the price. Or you could put out coupons in different adds then advertise different prices so you so which ones you get calls on.





If you are taking people trout fishing, I would think no more than $50. People don't care enough to pay more.How much should I charge as a fishing guide to city slickers?
so you are going to charge people to fish in a canoe with a zebco 33?


Wow
Guides most always provide bait and tackle. But with the tackle you have listed, you couldn't charge much. If your main business comes from tourists who have never fished before, then a Zebco 33 is ok but you'll never get an experienced angler to use your service providing such inferior tackle. Your using canoes, but you say your fishing in a lake. I can't imagine why your not using aluminum boats. You say you can provide a limit in 3-4 hours, but you don't tell us what your fishing for. What your fishing for makes all the difference in what you should be paid. A trout guide doesn't go for as much as a Muskie or Pike guide. In my home state a Largemouth guide doesn't make as much as a Smallmouth guide. You don't give enough information in your description for us to give you any really specific feedback. If trout are your quarry, then you should also provide fly rods and a good selection of wet and dry flys. If your going for anything more besides panfish of some sort then you need better tackle. As for how much you should charge, that depends on your experience and success rate. If the customer doesn't catch fish, the guide doesn't get paid. Every guide I have ever encountered does business this way. Including me. Did I mention I have been a guide for Largemouth, Smallmouth, Striper, Hybrid and White Bass on the Cumberland River and it's impoundments in middle Tennessee for 18 years? I get $125.00 per person for 8 hours of fishing (most customers won't last 8 hours) The customer is guaranteed fish or they don't pay. You may a better deal going then we in the Answers community know. we just need more information to really give you the advice you need.





Hope this helped in some small way. Don't give up, the life of a guide can be a good one. It just takes a little while to get started.
The average fishing guide cost about $200 a day, or two half days assuming that the guide provides the bait and tackle. A good way to determine how much you charge is to take the average price for your local area, and set the price just under the average. So, I would set my fee (if I were you) somewhere around $150 per day, per person. I would also have a lower fee for non fishers that accompany your primary customers. However, you have to be sure you can produce the opportunity to fill these limits every time someone buys your service. It would be a good idea to have a ';honey hole'; somewhere that you can use as a last resort.





Also, you should require a nonrefundable deposit to ensure that your customers will make it for the scheduled day, or at least compensate you for the day you cleared for guiding them.