They say a picture is worth 1,000 words. For decades, fishing guides and boat captains have taken clients out and taken various photos to commemorate the trip. Why? Because as a guide, your clients want something they can have to remember the experience forever. For many folks booking these trips, it isn’t just another day for them on the water like it might be for the guide. It’s likely their trip will be filled with firsts and once-in-a-lifetime moments. It’s obvious why they want that to be documented. So, if capturing a picture is so monumental and worth a thousand words to those clients, what is video worth?
For fishing guides and boat captains across the country, the answer to that question seems simple: more money in your pocket from every one of your trips. However, many guides still haven’t taken the time to figure out how to effectively incorporate video during their trips, and that’s a missed opportunity.
“It took me a while to understand that I was not just taking people fishing, but really taking them on an adventure,” U.S. Coast Guard licensed Charter Captain, Jeremie Weber, who guides on Lake Eerie and Lake Michigan through his company, Reel-Tite Charter LLC, said.
“My clients often tell stories on the boat about other fishing experiences and show me the photos, but the excitement of the details told to me far surpassed what was captured in the photo. That’s when it clicked for me and the lightbulb went off,” Weber said.
At that moment, Weber realized the power video could have to help his clients relive all the unique experiences they’ve had on his boat long after their trip was over. So, he began his search for equipment that could help him accomplish the goal of recording video for the entirety of his guide trips.
Immediately, he made a breakthrough and discovered a cool GoPro boat accessory called the PowerStick by YOLOtek. The PowerStick is a camera mount which plugs into the navigation light port on the front or back of the boat. It holds GoPros and other action cameras while keeping them charged all day on the water. It draws power from the cranking battery and converts it to USB, allowing you to easily plug your camera into it. Essentially, this allowed Weber to mount the GoPro, turn it on, and just let it record until the trip was over and never worried about a dead battery
Yes, you could have a photo of an 8-year-old boy holding his first big bass with his dad standing proudly next to him and that’d be great. But what if you could have the entire event captured on video as that boy screamed and struggled to land his big fish as dad stood by coaching him how to get it to the net? You can never truly capture that without video. That is a once-in-a-lifetime moment.
The best part is, a guide can deliver this to his clients without even having to edit the video.
“At the end of the trip, I simply offer my clients the SD card with the entire adventure on video,” Weber said. “A half day trip, it will cost right at $50 and for a full day it’s a little more.”
Think about this. We have all been to an amusement park where we ride a roller coaster. When it’s all over, we pay $20 just to keep an image of one moment from the ride. For a little bit more, clients can take home their entire fishing trip on video on an SD card. They’ll play it over and over, edit however they want, and ultimately wind up posting on social media, which creates another added benefit for guides.
“My guests sharing video from our trips has absolutely helped me book more guide trips as a result,” Weber said.
When I spoke with the owner of YOLOtek, I learned that a few other guides have started to figure out the value of providing video services on their trips as well.
“One guide made $4,500 extra his first year, but more importantly, he captured some amazing moments for his customers and that is the good stuff,” Christian Corley, the founder of YOLOtek, said.
While YOLOtek isn’t the only option you have for camera mounts throughout the boat, it is super simple and very quick. Plug it in the navigation light port, turn on your camera, and you’re done.
“Even if you don’t use our stuff, I am more than happy to talk to anyone to walk them through how they can begin incorporating video on more of their trips out on the water,” Corley added.
Moral of the story? Maybe fishing guides and boat captains have been missing the boat on catching video for their clients’ adventures. But they don’t have to anymore. Products like YOLOtek and GoPro make it a lot easier than you think.
Pictures are worth a thousand words, but video? Priceless.
If you’d like to book a trip with Jeremie Weber on the great lakes, you can find him at his website.