Freshwater Bite - Thinking About Being A Fishing Guide? with Chris Granrud

Typically when my alarm clock goes off in the morning it takes a few minutes to clear my foggy brain and tell my feet to touch the floor. Instantly there is a flood of confusing tasks that run through my mind as I mosey over to the bathroom to start getting ready for the day. However, when it comes to a day when I am going hunting or fishing, I almost greet my alarm clock prior to it going off. The adrenaline running through my veins and thinking about stepping into the outdoors on my next pursuit just makes waking up see a whole lot easier and of course coffee helps too. I would love to make a profession out of my fishing and hunting lifestyle but I sometimes wonder if it would change my perception of my passion of the outdoors if it meant whether or not my bills would be paid at the end of the month.

Chris Granrud is one of those folks who wakes up everyday to greet not only his customers but Mother Nature and whatever fish may be or may not be biting. Chris is the owner and operator of RainyDaze Guide Service. It takes a individual, wired in a certain way, to want to take on fish guiding as a career and still have the passion at the end of the day for themselves to still enjoy. In this episode I talk to Chris on what it takes to be a fishing guide. He talks about how he risked it all, quit his job and moved 350 miles away to start a fishing guide business. He doubled down on his true love and passion in life and he reflects on how that journey has been and what you can do if thinking of starting a guide business yourself.

Chris is also the sales manager at JT Outdoor Products. I ask Chris to share with us three products from JT that we should look at to help us put more fish on the ice this upcoming winter.

I have always had an enormous amount of respect for guides in any outdoor adventures whether that be elk, moose, bear, salmon, walleye or whatever species you put paying customers on. There are so many variables that can factor into your success on a daily basis. The weather, fish, animals, boats or equipment doesn't care you are trying to run a business. At the end of the day as a guide, it's how you have adapted to your environment, equipment and most of all customers on whether you are laying the ground work for a future career or going back to punching a clock. It takes deep passion, determination and a never quit attitude to wake up everyday.

For me as I drive by West Bay in the morning and gaze out at the charter boats heading out into Lake Michigan, I always give credit to those captains following their passion, hope the fish are biting, customers are happy and that their cups are as full of passion for the outdoors as mine is.

Cheers
Lee

Show Links:
RainyDaze Guide Service.......www.rainydazeoutdoors.com
JT Outdoor Products........www.jtdop.com