Blog
Practical guides for running a fishing outfit.
September 7, 2026
The Second Booking Is the One That Builds Your Business
Returning clients book bigger, refer friends, and forgive a slow bite. The moment they rebook is the moment to show them they're known — here's how Fishing Outfitter surfaces every client's history right where you work.
Read more →September 2, 2026
What Your Guides' Trip Reports Already Know About Your Operation
Every trip report your guides log — weather, sightings, outcomes, safety — can now roll up into operation-wide insights. Here's what the patterns tell you, and why your clients feel the difference.
Read more →August 31, 2026
Before You Ask What Fishing Guide Software Costs, Add Up What You're Already Paying
A fishing guide software subscription looks like one more monthly bill — until you add up the e-signature tool, the texting service, the form builder, the mileage app, and the bookkeeping software it quietly replaces. Here's the line-item math, with real August 2026 prices.
Read more →August 27, 2026
Fishing Client Dietary Restrictions: Does Your Cook Actually Know?
Diabetic anglers, food allergies, medical conditions — most outfitters ask. The failure isn't asking, it's making sure the answer reaches the cook, the guide, and the shopping list.
Read more →August 20, 2026
Best Software for Fishing Lodges: What It Takes to Run a Lodge Week
What fishing lodge software actually needs — multi-day stays, meal planning, guide rotation, deposits — and an honest look at where Fishing Outfitter fits.
Read more →August 17, 2026
How to Become a Fishing Guide: Licenses, the Six-Pack & Pay
How to become a fishing guide — when you need a USCG captain's license, state guide licenses, what guides really earn, and how to go independent.
Read more →August 13, 2026
How Much Does a Guided Fishing Trip Cost? Real 2026 Price Ranges
Guided fishing trip and charter prices — half-day, full-day, fly-outs and Alaska lodge weeks — plus per-boat vs per-person pricing and what isn't included.
Read more →August 10, 2026
Fly-Fishing Trip Packing List: What to Bring on a Guided Trip
What to pack for a guided fly-fishing trip — waders, layers, licenses, and what the guide already provides so you don't haul gear you won't use.
Read more →August 6, 2026
Questions to Ask a Fishing Guide Before You Book a Trip
How to vet a fishing guide or charter before you pay a deposit — licensing, what's included, cancellation policy, and the red flags that predict a bad trip.
Read more →August 4, 2026
How Much to Tip a Fishing Guide, Charter Crew, or Lodge
What to tip your fishing guide — the 15-20% standard, half-day math, deckhand splits, and how week-long lodge tipping actually works.
Read more →July 30, 2026
Bringing Your Catch Home from Alaska: The Fish Box Guide
Fish boxes, checked-bag math, ice rules, processors that hold your catch until your flight — how to get Alaska salmon and halibut home in perfect shape.
Read more →July 29, 2026
Fishing Outfitter's Booking Fee, Explained: Who Pays, How Much, What's Exempt
Fishing Outfitter's booking fee is paid by your client at checkout — 4% capped at $35 on the free plan, down to 1%/$15. What's exempt, and how it compares.
Read more →July 27, 2026
How to Price Fishing Guide Trips: A Day-Rate Strategy for Charter & Guide Operators
How to price fishing guide trips — cost-plus vs market vs value pricing, building your day rate, per-person vs per-boat, deposits, and when to raise.
Read more →July 25, 2026
Fraser River Fly Fishing Guides: Running a Compliant, Professional Operation
What it takes to run a compliant Fraser River fly fishing guide operation in BC — licensing, DFO tidal rules, sturgeon, insurance, bookings.
Read more →July 20, 2026
Your Software Should Work Where You Fish: How Offline Mode Actually Works
How Fishing Outfitter works with zero cell service — fishing reports, shopping lists, documents — plus the honest limits of offline, and how you know you're ready.
Read more →July 14, 2026
DFO Catch Reporting for Fishing Guides: A Practical Walkthrough
How BC fishing guides handle DFO catch reporting: iREC, immediate catch records, tidal vs freshwater, timelines, and why record-keeping matters.
Read more →July 10, 2026
How to Create a Fishing Guide Liability Waiver (With Template)
What a fishing guide or charter liability waiver must include, why each clause matters, plus an adaptable sample template you can start from.
Read more →July 9, 2026
Fly Shop Booking Software: What Independent Fly Shops Need to Manage Guide Trips
What booking software an independent fly shop needs to run guide trips across multiple guides — scheduling, deposits, waivers, and honest pricing.
Read more →July 3, 2026
FishingBooker Alternative: When to Run Your Own Booking System
FishingBooker charges 10–30% commission per trip. An honest look at when the marketplace earns it, when it doesn't, and how guides pair it with their own booking system.
Read more →July 3, 2026
Vally vs Fishing Outfitter: Is 'Free' Fishing Guide Software Actually Free?
Vally is free to guides — but your clients pay an unpublished service fee. An honest look at how Vally's model compares to Fishing Outfitter's published, capped fee.
Read more →June 29, 2026
Fly Fishing Guide Software: What Actually Matters for Running a Guide Operation
Fly fishing guides need booking, payment schedules, guide assignment, and client communication — not fishing apps. Here's what to look for.
Read more →June 23, 2026
The Flybook Alternative: Fishing Outfitter vs The Flybook vs Vally
Comparing Fishing Outfitter, The Flybook, and Vally for fishing guides — pricing, the guide portal, and the trial model. An honest look.
Read more →June 22, 2026
The Fishing Outfitter's Pre-Season Setup Checklist
Everything to lock down before opening day: confirmed trips, updated waivers, collected deposits, angler prep packets, guide assignments, and a test booking.
Read more →June 21, 2026
Taking Deposits for Guided Fishing Trips Online: A Step-by-Step Guide
How to structure deposits for guided fishing trips — amounts, timing, cancellation policies, and automatic payment reminders so you stop chasing anyone.
Read more →June 20, 2026
Free Fishing Outfitter Software: What You Actually Get on the Starter Plan
Fishing Outfitter's free Starter plan includes unlimited clients, online bookings, e-signing, and a client portal — no monthly fee, just a per-booking fee.
Read more →June 19, 2026
What Spreadsheets Can't Do for a Fishing Outfit
Spreadsheets run most guide operations — until they don't. Six things fishing outfitters need that no spreadsheet can handle.
Read more →June 19, 2026
BC Fishing Guide Licence Requirements: Everything You Need to Know in 2026
The complete guide to BC angling guide licensing: provincial requirements, the Angling Guide Exam, AGOP, classified waters, Transport Canada certifications, and the 2026 WILD system change.
Read more →June 18, 2026
Switching from Spreadsheets to Outfitter Software (Without Losing Your Data)
How to import your client list, guide roster, and leads into Fishing Outfitter — and what to do with historical booking records that can't import automatically.
Read more →June 16, 2026
The Best Fly Fishing Guide Software in 2026: An Honest Comparison
The best fly fishing guide software compared — Fishing Outfitter, Vally, Guide Pointer, The Flybook, FareHarbor, and LodgeRunner on features, pricing, and which fits your guide operation.
Read more →June 15, 2026
How Fishing Outfitters Lose Money to No-Shows — and How to Stop It
No-shows and late cancellations quietly cost fishing outfitters thousands a season. Here's how deposits, signed policies, and automatic reminders stop the bleed.
Read more →