Comparing the cost of a boat to using a guide service

[BAMA S]

Went fishing with Lowe 175 last Sunday and got the boat fever. So I crunched some numbers. Average boat that I like is $60000.00 with trailer and maxed out outboard. Electronics. Roughly $10 ,000.00. So that puts us at $70,000.00 with taxes and such figured in. I’m going to do this comparison with no fuel , insurance or upkeep of truck or boat figured in.



ok if we use 70000 at 10 percent for 120 months the payment is $925.00 a month. After payback that’s roughly $110,000.00 for full term. Then there’s associated cost of fishing not figured in and I’ll not try to guesstimate that. I can fish with a pro for 600.00 a trip on his boat using his fuel and gear with no upkeep of my own. Except transportation to ramp. He even cleans fish. So if I go four times a year that’s $2400.00 a year. $110,000.00 divided by $2400.00 is 46 years of guided trips. I’ve always limited out with this guide or very close to it. I don’t have &70,000.00 setting around so I booked a trip every three months all the way through 2024 with him. Probally not for everyone to go this route. But the numbers don’t lie for me. Granted you can buy a used boat much cheaper but upkeep is much higher. Just a thought guys if your looking at new boats. I usually end up with two gallons of fillets every trip cleaned bagged and loaded in my cooler. Ok I’ve opened a can of worms, let’s here the pros and cons. Any comments welcome.

[Ketchn]

Went fishing with Lowe 175 last Sunday and got the boat fever. So I crunched some numbers. Average boat that I like is $60000.00 with trailer and maxed out outboard. Electronics. Roughly $10 ,000.00. So that puts us at $70,000.00 with taxes and such figured in. I’m going to do this comparison with no fuel , insurance or upkeep of truck or boat figured in.



ok if we use 70000 at 10 percent for 120 months the payment is $925.00 a month. After payback that’s roughly $110,000.00 for full term. Then there’s associated cost of fishing not figured in and I’ll not try to guesstimate that. I can fish with a pro for 600.00 a trip on his boat using his fuel and gear with no upkeep of my own. Except transportation to ramp. He even cleans fish. So if I go four times a year that’s $2400.00 a year. $110,000.00 divided by $2400.00 is 46 years of guided trips. I’ve always limited out with this guide or very close to it. I don’t have &70,000.00 setting around so I booked a trip every three months all the way through 2024 with him. Probally not for everyone to go this route. But the numbers don’t lie for me. Granted you can buy a used boat much cheaper but upkeep is much higher. Just a thought guys if your looking at new boats. I usually end up with two gallons of fillets every trip cleaned bagged and loaded in my cooler. Ok I’ve opened a can of worms, let’s here the pros and cons. Any comments welcome.

It runs that way hunting here as well , you can do a nice guided hunt for a mere portion of what it costs to lease or own land.
Good crappie guides here run under 500 a trip if I am correct

[slabbandit]

My Son guides on several Arkansas lakes in the West Central portion of the state. He has established quite a list of repeat clientele exactly for the reason you speak of. He has several book 4 or 5 trips a year. Some folks just don't want the hassle of keeping up a boat all year and then trying to be successful with only a handful of outings in a year. They really enjoy just relaxing and letting someone else handle all that. Going out with a knowledgeable guide is getting really popular with how expensive everything is nowadays.

[Alphahawk]

I sold my boat last August before building new home here in Arkansas. Now that my home is built and I am in it I mulled over the same thing. New boat..or guided trips. Of course I will be chasing trout mostly. A half day will cost me 275 bucks plus tip. So I figured 325 a trip. The boat I want is 36 grand. My trips come out to 110 trips for that amount of money. So one trip a week for about 2 years. My thing is I want to fish several times a week. Guide fees make that cost prohibitive. Believe me I’ve mulled this over a lot. Where I live bank fishing is almost nonexistent. And I do not want to give up crappie and bluegill fishing. There is a lake 10 minutes from me that has crappie and shell cracker but you really need a boat to fish it. While I have not made up my mind 100 percent which way to go I am going to look at the boat I want next week. While at some point in the future I think fishing once or twice a month will satisfy me but I can’t predict when that will happen.

Regards


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[jjue1979]

If your time is flexible and can plan ahead, then guided trips make sense. For me, such as during the crappie spawn when the weather is right and I can get off work a couple of hours early, I sometimes tell my bosses that going fishing and will see them on the evening call with Japan or in the morning, and sometimes that call is from the boat from iPhone or iPad on the Teams/Zoom call. I have a 38 year old boat and outboard that my kids enjoy for both fishing and riding around, so no payments—just saving money for the next electronics upgrade, major repair, or repower. For some of us, no matter how expensive, a boat is a hobby.

[DockShootinJack]

Certainly gets a fella thinking

[SuperDave336]

If you could be happy with only going a couple times a year then the guide would be the way to go. I go almost every weekend year round. I fish from a kayak and know many fish from Jon boat or other small boats. There are other options other than a larger expensive boat to get one on the water. Each person’s situation will vary but I very much enjoy the kayak. Now with my family all going more I do wish I had a boat for the simplicity, 4 kayaks is a lot of work for me…..lol.

[DockShootinJack]

If you could be happy with only going a couple times a year then the guide would be the way to go. I go almost every weekend year round. I fish from a kayak and know many fish from Jon boat or other small boats. There are other options other than a larger expensive boat to get one on the water. Each person’s situation will vary but I very much enjoy the kayak. Now with my family all going more I do wish I had a boat for the simplicity, 4 kayaks is a lot of work for me…..lol.

Winter time is a great time to find a boat someone is looking to get rid of.

[SpeckledSlab]

Sounds like there’s room for some middle ground, adjust down into a good smaller used boat enough to allow for at least 20 years of guided trips also. Then you’ll have the option of going whenever your time permits as well preplanned ones when the guide is available.

[BAMA S]

A lot of good thoughts guys. I’ll Probally keep the guide route in place until I retire. Then take another look at my situation at that point. Another factor I have to consider is I had a blood clot on my brain a year and and a half ago resulting in a massive stroke. My family does not want me fishing by myself. So there’s another vote for the guide trip route. Another factor is my abilities to catch fish compared to my guide. Just a lot to consider. Like I said keep the pros and cons coming. Good stuff guys.