Northwest Fishing Reports

hey NWFR!

i have a question for the people on this wonderful website.

this summer i will be a freshman in college. I didn't know if this was the right forum, but i am interested in taking people (first time anglers to the experienced boat-less anger) out on Lake Sammamish.

so my question to the NWFR community is:
would a service like this on Lake Sammamish be of interest? is it feasible?

i appreciate your feedback and thank you for taking the time to read my posting!

tight lines!
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tags:
Sammamish, Washington, Cutthroat, Perch, Bullhead, Smallmouth Bass, Largemouth Bass, panfish, trout, sunfish, boat, fishing, NWFR

I'm sure you'd find interest from many. Heck, I'd take you up on the offer just to try something different.
There is a section on the forum for "seat availability" and such.

Unless of course you're looking to charge $ for such an opportunity then it'd be considered guiding and would require a guide license which is a different can of worms.

well, i was considering guiding. i have done my research on the guiding aspect of things and even put a little money aside to get my UBI, guide license, and i am CPR certified.

i was interested to see if there was a market for such a service before i would consider starting a "guiding" service.

right now, i take younger kids, people looking to try new fishing, and other anglers out fishing, and it has sparked my interest in creating a business in an activity i love.

thank you for your input BentRod!

well even tho it is in your rights for you or any guide to take people out in Sammamish you would prob fish it out in a season. I used to fish that lake often, but no more. the fish simply are not as big as before and there aren't as many, last three times out there I've released all I've caught including absolutely the most beautiful sea run cuts I've ever seen. Boat anglers have increased tenfold especially in the winter months.

Huh. Thank you for the knowledge and insight sickbayer. I would try to run trips on other lakes as well potentially. I just called the coast guard, and they said Sammamish is not federal water.

I would like to do trips for panfish as well. A good trip to keep children interested. Most of the people who have asked to fish with me have also asked me to take them out again with their kids.

The perch population certainly isn't doing bad! Maybe a good option for younger kids. Probably not a gigantic market for guided perch fishing

X2 from me. Lake Samm used to be an awesome place to fish until the guides found out here were Sea Run Cutts. 5 or 6 guys in a boat times 5 fish each from trolling herring. Not to mention all the endangered Kokes they kill every day. It used to be a great place to fish. Now it's all little fish. There are no hatcheries supporting Lake Samm or Lake Wa. I just don't understand the catch limits on them.

Huh. Thanks for the info bodofish. Anyone still guide?

Fishing still can be good on the lake. Would a small scale guide service be suitable?

I would fish cuts, but also panfish for the kids that come along.

I would also maybe guide at Stevens for Kokanee.

I would take out private parties only. 1-3 people.

Thanks again.

If you're ultimately asking is there a market for a part time guide on Sammamish, absolutely. Its sitting in the middle of a major metropolitan area. You'd need to consider your target market and the particularities of the fishery.

I'd bet that with some marketing one could do a fine part time business with 1/2 day or less trips geared for mom or dad to take the kids fishing. Its a rare kid, however, that wants to putter around a lake dragging gear unless its non-stop action. Perch would be the ticket--consistent fishery and lots of action.

As to more experienced anglers. Sammamish is supposed to have a decent bass population, so that could garner some attention, but I wouldn't think a whole lot of folks would pay for cutthroat trip given the reports on this site that I've seen and all the other options around here. Dave Watkins does or did guide bass on Sammamish.

As to Stevens, you'd have a whole lot of competition from fantastic guides (including a sponsor of this site).

Just my 2 cents, though I do have some experience using guides to take me and my kids (including Lake Wa perch).

Thank you very much for your input! That is very helpful and informative. College would really only permit me to guide in summer and December. So, perch and such would be a good fishery in the summer months especially for children. December is a hot time for cuts, so I could focus on them then


Thank again!

There is always people looking for ways to gain more knowledge while on the water, and hiring a guide is great way to do that! But lemme share some info with you. Guiding costs ALOT of money. You need to have multiple quality rods, lots of gear, and the ability to give people a great day on the water. Permits cost $400 plus but you also need insurance to the tune of 300k of coverage which will cost more if you guiding from a boat and I would recommend at least 1 mill coverage.. Vessel needs to be seaworthy and comfortable. And you have to be very careful with WDFW and Federal rules. Lake Sammamish is considered Federal waters. So that requires a OUPV permit from the USCG. https://www.uscg.mil/d13/dpw/docs/Navig ... strict.pdf

Becoming a guide is probably one of the best things I ever did. I get to do what I love every day but its not something you can just jump right into. If you want some help I would be glad to point you in the right direction (I had lots of help from fellow guides)

EDIT- and another thing, if you want to make friends with other guides and not have to deal with pissed of guides, keep your pricing in the same range as everyone else. Fellow guides can help turn a bad day on the water into a great day