Question for crappie guides or Captains about "Six-Pack" license

[M R Dux]

I know not all crappie guides are required to have the Coast Guard "Six Pack" license but many are. I know there are several here who work in jobs other than guides who require it. For those of you who do have to have it, what preparation studies and books did you use to prepare? Did you take a course or do it on your own then test at a Coast Guard testing center?

I go for my TWIC card Friday and will have all my preliminary stuff done to qualify for testing. I have bought the 4th and 5th editions of "Get Your Captain's License" by Charlie Wing and some books about navigation and rules of the road. They were very helpful to get the preliminary stuff done but need to know what should be done next to study for the test. Is the test as hard as some have led me to believe? I'm trying to dot all "I"s and cross all "T"s and do it all correctly the first time.

[Hanr3]

Good luck.
I would be interested in hearing about your experience.

[skeetbum]

I'm no help either but I'm wishing you luck on success the first go around.

[huntinslabs]

I have not but if you pose this question on the Florida sportsman forum, thehulltruth forum or microskiff forum I am sure you will get a lot of feedback especially if they know you will be guiding in Kentucky and not competing with them for clients. Those 3 forums especially the first 2 have many guides and charter captains posting. A google search of them might even answer the question. Mostly good luck on your endeavor.

[M R Dux]

Just to follow up: I talked to an officer at the Coast Guard office in Paducah,KY this morning. He threw me a curve on what training/testing would be required for the "Six Pack" license. I talked to 3 officers with KY F&W and I'm waiting for their feedback before I proceed.

I'll post again when I know 100% how to proceed.

[chimneyman]

I got my license about 10 yrs ago when I was thinking about spending summers in Alaska. I took a 10 day class about 4 hours a day, There were maybe 20 others in the class. I think 15 of us passed. The test is brutal

[Oregon slabman]

I don't know if yours would be the same but I had to get an inland waters for 25 tons or less CG license. I took a 5 day course at a small college on the Columbia River 350 miles from home and where I guide. Why they consider my section of the Snake River federally navigable is beyond me. 1 day in the classroom, 3 or 4 days out on the river in a 50' boat and the last day was the test. It's been 15 years ago and I can't remember the details but it was interesting and easy considering I hadn't been in a classroom in 30 years. The instructor said no one had ever failed. There was one student who flunked the test and the instructor coached him along until he gave the right answers.

[M R Dux]

I will be taking a 14 day training course in April to get the OUPV (Six-Pak) license. This has been the most aggravating task I have had to deal with for some time. I talk to one person, they say you need this, not that. The next person says NO, that isn't correct, you need that instead of this. One will say YES, your drug test or boating safety card will suffice, the next says NO you have to have that on this different form. Typical bureaucratic BS!!

I finally went to the top person in my region and got the answers I think will get me where I need to go. This process is probably the reason some folks just say the heck with it and go without the license. I'm going to be out WELL over $1000 to just get to the point where I can take the test. On-line courses are available but everybody I talked to says the test is really tough. I only want to have to do this one time.

[huntinslabs]

I figured it was not going to be an easy task. If so, every swinging Joe down here with a skiff would have a guide service. And that license is the same for someone running a Charter boat anywhere coastal for Pelagic game fish running 50' sportfishers. Good luck with your endeavor.