Hard gig and definately more a lifestyle than a business move.
8m means you will be specialising in smaller groups and a more personalised service. Deep dropping is probably something that a few people will be interested in when you can get a weather window.
But a simple squid charter has been lacking on PERTH for many years. I have a tinnie and plenty of mates with bigger boats so I am fortunate enough to chase some squid a fair bit. But for the average joe, who doesn’t have a boat, it could be a worthwhile charter proposition. It saves you having to supply bait, also, the grounds are inshore so those that want a simple half days fishing can enjoy it as well.
A lot of smaller size charters end up doing river cruises in the evening also, as an extra money earner.
Best of luck with the business venture Trav, I hope to be hearing positive results of customer journeys in the future. Lastly, get tuyet on board to Deckie for ya, no offence, but she would be better looking in a bikini than what you would. Hahaha
Appreciate it and yep scano tuyet will be the decky haha not sure about who would acually look better in a bikini though hahah and yes i agree with the fishing gear also.
Shimano saragosa or diawa big game, I reckon a Saragossa 6k is the pick of them. Nice and bulletproof, not overly expensive, and good for baits, jigs and plastics.
Matched to something like a Daiwa saltist rod, and you should have some happy customers out in the 30’s and 40’s etc.
for inshore squidding or lighter outfits, shimano Stradic, or again Daiwa big game. Something like a 3000 size. Daiwa or shimano rods about the $100 - $150 mark on special should do the trick. Advertise on Facebook and Instagram so international customers can get in contact.
Maybe see if a site sponsor or someone will give you a group discount on the gear.
Lastly, do some advertising for things like the bluewater Maac Comp for 2019. Offer a lift back to the clubhouse at the end of the day for weigh in etc. so that the customers who book the boat that day can have a few beers.
Last question, where are you proposing to run the charter out of? And trailer boat or pen?
But you gotta remember, not everyone will be as careful with your gear as what you would.
Your going to have amateurs on board at times, that get stuck into the beers early and don’t respect the gear 100%. It would also be good to have a uniform reel, so you can learn to service and repair them yourself, during times of failure. Also a spare rod or reel on hand would not hurt, no doubt at some point in time one will end up over the side.
As for food, why not change it up a bit. Your mrs is Vietnamese yeah? Can some of the relatives whip up some of those fresh Vietnamese spring rolls for customers? Hell I would nearly pay charter rates for a good feed of those things alone. Change it up and go against the grain I reckon. Some of those chicken satay sticks with the peanut sauce, mmm yumo. Every charter and his dog has tried the bacon and egg breakfast and a salad roll lunch, I think customers would be keen to see something out of the norm. (Also those fresh spring rolls would make good burley if someone was sick over the side. Hahah)
lastly, if you are getting a boat custom made, get something at the back of the boat screen wise that links to the sounder (lowrance can link to iPad etc). People are visual creatures by nature and if you can show you aren’t fishing on the beach when the bite is slow, it will reduce pressure from customers as to “why aren’t we catching anything”
And for everyone’s reference. By no means Is the above any form of racial slur towards Vietnamese (actually the opposite). I got Vietnamese neighbours and we get along great. (When old mate is not on the grinder or welder at 8pm at night!).
Scano those rice paper rolls are very nice ahha and nah the missus in aussie born in geraldton haha vientamese background though ahha but yeah different food then the normal is a great idea hey
I think a smaller boat is a great idea to minimise the numbers. One of the best charters I did was with Barraddict in Broome. The boat was around 8m and with 5 or so people on it, everyone had a spot, it was small enough that the group chatted, and being a centre console, there was ample room on the bow, and those in the back could clearly see the sounder.
Key for me is for the skipper to have personality. My dad and I went on a local charter out of Fremantle and the skipper was quite the asshole. Yes, he put us on fish though didn't need to be an asshole.
Look at doing teaching charters. Run sessions on how to read the sounder, what sort of ground to look for different fish types, how to tie good knots and rigs.
Maybe something for the new boat owners like nightime navigation, ramp etiquette, launch and retrieve the boat, care and washdown for boat and trailer.
Ways to catch fresh bait and then use it for targeting certain species.
There are heaps of charters already doing the catch some fish for a few bucks but you could create something new for thise considering their own boat or those already with a boat looking to learn more. If they are already cashed up to buying a boat they could pay a bit more for some education.
That's what I think is missing. And newby's would greatly appreciate this and lap it up.
See my recent post on Newby Boaters. Those would be the first I would recommend to go on this type of charter.
Awesome idea and i wish you the best of luck with the charter gig. Ive been on a few charters and the smaller ones are always the best. I cant stand "meat fishing" jump on the boat catch fish and go home. I think its much better if there is a bit of substance other than fishing going on also. As mentioned above teaching/showing punters whats going on with water, rigs, bite times, i was tying rigs on the way out once and some of the other blokes were watching me and asking questions while the deckie was in the wheel house. I was as cluless as them haha but its more about the day on the water for some people rather than killing the pig big fish are good but not what its all about. And if your even in need of a deckie im available thursdays fridays and weekends haha. Good luck!
I’m sure you know this already, but there are a fair few hoops to jump through when setting up a charter.
You would need a FTOL (Fishing Tour Operators Licence) for the West Coast Region. Fisheries has a general policy that it doesn’t issue new FTOLs, except in exceptional circumstances, so you may have to buy one off an existing operator. They are pretty rare and seem to range between $25k-$50k. (see: http://www.licence.smallbusiness.wa.gov.au/BusinessLicenceFinder/prod/licence/9048)
Your boat must be in survey. The survey class is important as Perth waters are both “unprotected” and “partially smooth” (see: https://www.transport.wa.gov.au/mediaFiles/marine/MAC_P_PSW_BoundaryFremantle.pdf) and the survey requirements differ for both types. If your building a new boat it might be worth discussing the survey requirements with a certified marine engineer to make sure the design will comply with what class survey you will require.
You will need a Coxswain ticket at the least, if you don’t already have the appropriate one. To get this there is the coursework component and the sea service component, which can require significant time and resources to obtain. I think there are TAFE and private training organisations that can offer courses, and some component of recreational sea time may apply in certain circumstances.
I agree with Zoom. A personalised guide and training service on a small boat is something different in the current market. Another thing to consider is how many days a year you could actually go out in an 8m boat given the wind patterns in Perth, which then links back to the time frames for your trips in a business plan.
i have my master 5 med 2 the boats in a 2c survey and we have a 2 zone ftol which is pretty much onslow to walpole.
the main reason for the post is what sort of food would make guys and girls happy like prawns and mussels to a nice steak and salad etc etc and what could we add to the boat to make it a enjoyable trip on the water to maby half a day of fishing then swing into a bay at rotto drop the anchor have a bbq and a swim or somthing and then head back in any ideas like that would help us thanks again for everyones input muchly appreciated
The choice of food is always going to be a difficult decision as the expectation and selection may vary significantly from one group of punters to another. Perhaps an option could be for you to prepare a menu of sorts which offers selections to the punters as a group and they can elect prior to the day the level and price of the service they want and then you cater to that.
Yep My opinion you need to target species or style IE deep drop, hunt Sambo's , hunt Dhuies etc and produce. There's a big market in Asia for this kind of thing so I'd be advertising over there, plenty of rich Japs and Chinese love to fish.
cost in my opinion is a big factor. you dont want to be paying a fortune as the average person could not afford it.
as far as food goes , you dont want anything fancy thats going to take up too much fishing time or going to be too messy. finger foods are always a good option over rolls and sandwiches. a nice bacon and egg burger goes down well on the way out to your first stop .
one thing i would put up on the advertising is seasickness, something along the lines . "if you are a sufferer or not sure , for the comfort of others take a tablet as prevention is easier than a cure"
i would be keen to come on a day trip or 2. I usually jig for demersals whenever I can, but understood there is plenty of time between now and then to tee something up.
nice one - they build some really nice boats
- a mate of mine is getting a cat built by them at the moment - around 30 foot - trailerable!.... he is really happy with them and they seem pretty reasonable price wise
I would like to do charter trips.The last one I went on was good for what it was.Be aware you may get mugs that have never fished.On the last trip they supplied short boat rods and alvey reels and one british tourist that was with his mate who could fish wound 40 plus metres of 80lb nylon between the handles.How dumb can a human be.Specialize for fisherman who supply their own gear and be a niche market and like others have said do ytk and jigging tours.I would go for that.Seeing other anglers work is as important to me as catching myself.The drop bait haul them in charters are a bit ho hum and being with people who have no idea gets a bit dull on the last charter I was the only one who bought my own rod and knew how to tie knots and ended up semi decking myself for the people around me
dodgy
Posts: 4577
Date Joined: 01/02/10
Hard gig and definately more
Hard gig and definately more a lifestyle than a business move.
8m means you will be specialising in smaller groups and a more personalised service. Deep dropping is probably something that a few people will be interested in when you can get a weather window.
Does anyone know where the love of god goes, when the waves turn the minutes to hours?
Alan James
Posts: 2223
Date Joined: 30/06/09
Not the first time this question has been asked
If you haven't read this before you may find it interesting.
http://fishwrecked.com/forum/new-charter-boat
Happy dayz
Posts: 450
Date Joined: 29/04/18
Good on you mate and
Good on you mate and goodluck with it , i don't personally go on charter s but quality reels and rods make a big difference
Happy dayz
Sea goat
Posts: 962
Date Joined: 26/03/17
yeah...quality gear would
yeah...quality gear would appeal to me...hate going out and fishing with broomsticks and winches....great if u just want a feed, but not as much fun.
scano
Posts: 1247
Date Joined: 31/05/07
Your going to laugh
But a simple squid charter has been lacking on PERTH for many years. I have a tinnie and plenty of mates with bigger boats so I am fortunate enough to chase some squid a fair bit. But for the average joe, who doesn’t have a boat, it could be a worthwhile charter proposition. It saves you having to supply bait, also, the grounds are inshore so those that want a simple half days fishing can enjoy it as well.
A lot of smaller size charters end up doing river cruises in the evening also, as an extra money earner.
Best of luck with the business venture Trav, I hope to be hearing positive results of customer journeys in the future. Lastly, get tuyet on board to Deckie for ya, no offence, but she would be better looking in a bikini than what you would. Hahaha
Travis p
Posts: 727
Date Joined: 28/07/16
Thanks for the input guys
Appreciate it and yep scano tuyet will be the decky haha not sure about who would acually look better in a bikini though hahah and yes i agree with the fishing gear also.
Any more ideas feel free to chuck them this way.
wont catch em sitting at home!
scano
Posts: 1247
Date Joined: 31/05/07
As far as reels go for a charter
Shimano saragosa or diawa big game, I reckon a Saragossa 6k is the pick of them. Nice and bulletproof, not overly expensive, and good for baits, jigs and plastics.
Matched to something like a Daiwa saltist rod, and you should have some happy customers out in the 30’s and 40’s etc.
for inshore squidding or lighter outfits, shimano Stradic, or again Daiwa big game. Something like a 3000 size. Daiwa or shimano rods about the $100 - $150 mark on special should do the trick. Advertise on Facebook and Instagram so international customers can get in contact.
Maybe see if a site sponsor or someone will give you a group discount on the gear.
Lastly, do some advertising for things like the bluewater Maac Comp for 2019. Offer a lift back to the clubhouse at the end of the day for weigh in etc. so that the customers who book the boat that day can have a few beers.
Last question, where are you proposing to run the charter out of? And trailer boat or pen?
Travis p
Posts: 727
Date Joined: 28/07/16
good idea scano
was thinking more stellas / saltigas but yep we are both on the same page. cheers
wont catch em sitting at home!
scano
Posts: 1247
Date Joined: 31/05/07
Stella’s and saltigas are obviously the pick of the crop
But you gotta remember, not everyone will be as careful with your gear as what you would.
Your going to have amateurs on board at times, that get stuck into the beers early and don’t respect the gear 100%. It would also be good to have a uniform reel, so you can learn to service and repair them yourself, during times of failure. Also a spare rod or reel on hand would not hurt, no doubt at some point in time one will end up over the side.
As for food, why not change it up a bit. Your mrs is Vietnamese yeah? Can some of the relatives whip up some of those fresh Vietnamese spring rolls for customers? Hell I would nearly pay charter rates for a good feed of those things alone. Change it up and go against the grain I reckon. Some of those chicken satay sticks with the peanut sauce, mmm yumo. Every charter and his dog has tried the bacon and egg breakfast and a salad roll lunch, I think customers would be keen to see something out of the norm. (Also those fresh spring rolls would make good burley if someone was sick over the side. Hahah)
lastly, if you are getting a boat custom made, get something at the back of the boat screen wise that links to the sounder (lowrance can link to iPad etc). People are visual creatures by nature and if you can show you aren’t fishing on the beach when the bite is slow, it will reduce pressure from customers as to “why aren’t we catching anything”
Travis p
Posts: 727
Date Joined: 28/07/16
Sorry scano
Also boat is on a trailer so whichever boat ramp suits the client.
wont catch em sitting at home!
scano
Posts: 1247
Date Joined: 31/05/07
Btw
And for everyone’s reference. By no means Is the above any form of racial slur towards Vietnamese (actually the opposite). I got Vietnamese neighbours and we get along great. (When old mate is not on the grinder or welder at 8pm at night!).
Travis p
Posts: 727
Date Joined: 28/07/16
yeah
Scano those rice paper rolls are very nice ahha and nah the missus in aussie born in geraldton haha vientamese background though ahha but yeah different food then the normal is a great idea hey
wont catch em sitting at home!
Swompa
Posts: 3878
Date Joined: 14/10/12
I think a smaller boat is a
I think a smaller boat is a great idea to minimise the numbers. One of the best charters I did was with Barraddict in Broome. The boat was around 8m and with 5 or so people on it, everyone had a spot, it was small enough that the group chatted, and being a centre console, there was ample room on the bow, and those in the back could clearly see the sounder.
Key for me is for the skipper to have personality. My dad and I went on a local charter out of Fremantle and the skipper was quite the asshole. Yes, he put us on fish though didn't need to be an asshole.
dodgy
Posts: 4577
Date Joined: 01/02/10
Certainly takes a special
Certainly takes a special person to be able to be nice to people all day every day.
I get asked all the time why I don’t run a charter boat and that’s my top reply.
Does anyone know where the love of god goes, when the waves turn the minutes to hours?
z00m
Posts: 1086
Date Joined: 10/05/14
Teaching
You could have a multi-prong approach:
Look at doing teaching charters. Run sessions on how to read the sounder, what sort of ground to look for different fish types, how to tie good knots and rigs.
Maybe something for the new boat owners like nightime navigation, ramp etiquette, launch and retrieve the boat, care and washdown for boat and trailer.
Ways to catch fresh bait and then use it for targeting certain species.
There are heaps of charters already doing the catch some fish for a few bucks but you could create something new for thise considering their own boat or those already with a boat looking to learn more. If they are already cashed up to buying a boat they could pay a bit more for some education.
crasny1
Posts: 7003
Date Joined: 16/10/08
Now your talking
That's what I think is missing. And newby's would greatly appreciate this and lap it up.
See my recent post on Newby Boaters. Those would be the first I would recommend to go on this type of charter.
"I would like to die on Mars. Just not on impact!!" _ Elon Musk
rob90
Posts: 1526
Date Joined: 06/02/13
Awesome idea and i wish you
Awesome idea and i wish you the best of luck with the charter gig. Ive been on a few charters and the smaller ones are always the best. I cant stand "meat fishing" jump on the boat catch fish and go home. I think its much better if there is a bit of substance other than fishing going on also. As mentioned above teaching/showing punters whats going on with water, rigs, bite times, i was tying rigs on the way out once and some of the other blokes were watching me and asking questions while the deckie was in the wheel house. I was as cluless as them haha but its more about the day on the water for some people rather than killing the pig big fish are good but not what its all about. And if your even in need of a deckie im available thursdays fridays and weekends haha. Good luck!
Hi my name is rob............. and I'm a........... fishaholic
Mick C
Posts: 607
Date Joined: 26/12/13
Paperwork
I’m sure you know this already, but there are a fair few hoops to jump through when setting up a charter.
You would need a FTOL (Fishing Tour Operators Licence) for the West Coast Region. Fisheries has a general policy that it doesn’t issue new FTOLs, except in exceptional circumstances, so you may have to buy one off an existing operator. They are pretty rare and seem to range between $25k-$50k. (see: http://www.licence.smallbusiness.wa.gov.au/BusinessLicenceFinder/prod/licence/9048)
Your boat must be in survey. The survey class is important as Perth waters are both “unprotected” and “partially smooth” (see: https://www.transport.wa.gov.au/mediaFiles/marine/MAC_P_PSW_BoundaryFremantle.pdf) and the survey requirements differ for both types. If your building a new boat it might be worth discussing the survey requirements with a certified marine engineer to make sure the design will comply with what class survey you will require.
You will need a Coxswain ticket at the least, if you don’t already have the appropriate one. To get this there is the coursework component and the sea service component, which can require significant time and resources to obtain. I think there are TAFE and private training organisations that can offer courses, and some component of recreational sea time may apply in certain circumstances.
I agree with Zoom. A personalised guide and training service on a small boat is something different in the current market. Another thing to consider is how many days a year you could actually go out in an 8m boat given the wind patterns in Perth, which then links back to the time frames for your trips in a business plan.
Good luck with it all.
Ability is what you are capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it - LH.
Travis p
Posts: 727
Date Joined: 28/07/16
hey mick
your not wrong on the paperwork side haha\
i have my master 5 med 2 the boats in a 2c survey and we have a 2 zone ftol which is pretty much onslow to walpole.
the main reason for the post is what sort of food would make guys and girls happy like prawns and mussels to a nice steak and salad etc etc and what could we add to the boat to make it a enjoyable trip on the water to maby half a day of fishing then swing into a bay at rotto drop the anchor have a bbq and a swim or somthing and then head back in any ideas like that would help us thanks again for everyones input muchly appreciated
wont catch em sitting at home!
D_d_001
Posts: 1522
Date Joined: 09/03/13
If food opinions is what you
If food opinions is what you are after then
IMO cant beat cooked what you catch. (pull a couple of pots for Crays and cook those up for lunch)
PPL are not going to say to their mates "we had these great ham and salad rolls"
fresh squid, crays and or fish make the experience for those who dont have a boat
rob90
Posts: 1526
Date Joined: 06/02/13
Nothing beats fresh sashimi
Nothing beats fresh sashimi on the water
Hi my name is rob............. and I'm a........... fishaholic
Alan James
Posts: 2223
Date Joined: 30/06/09
Charter food
The choice of food is always going to be a difficult decision as the expectation and selection may vary significantly from one group of punters to another. Perhaps an option could be for you to prepare a menu of sorts which offers selections to the punters as a group and they can elect prior to the day the level and price of the service they want and then you cater to that.
MattMiller
Posts: 4171
Date Joined: 15/06/09
Expectations
is what you have to think about.
But that varies for everyone.
For me, food means nothing. Fish means everything.
Been on a few charters over the years and usually
better food means worse fishing experience.
Do specialised charters chasing specific targets.
Deep drop is definitely something to look at.
dodgy
Posts: 4577
Date Joined: 01/02/10
The best charter I’ve ever
The best charter I’ve ever been in was the one with the worst food.
Does anyone know where the love of god goes, when the waves turn the minutes to hours?
Scotte
Posts: 1145
Date Joined: 07/12/06
Hit the nail right on the
Hit the nail right on the head.
sea-kem
Posts: 14967
Date Joined: 30/11/09
Yep My opinion you need to
Yep My opinion you need to target species or style IE deep drop, hunt Sambo's , hunt Dhuies etc and produce. There's a big market in Asia for this kind of thing so I'd be advertising over there, plenty of rich Japs and Chinese love to fish.
Love the West!
Faulkner Family
Posts: 18026
Date Joined: 11/03/08
cost in my opinion is a big
cost in my opinion is a big factor. you dont want to be paying a fortune as the average person could not afford it.
as far as food goes , you dont want anything fancy thats going to take up too much fishing time or going to be too messy. finger foods are always a good option over rolls and sandwiches. a nice bacon and egg burger goes down well on the way out to your first stop .
one thing i would put up on the advertising is seasickness, something along the lines . "if you are a sufferer or not sure , for the comfort of others take a tablet as prevention is easier than a cure"
RUSS and SANDY. A family that fishes together stays together
Dale
Posts: 7930
Date Joined: 13/09/05
Insurances would cost a bomb too I reckon.
"Just because you are a Character, Doesn't mean you have Character."
Mr Wolf
Travis p
Posts: 727
Date Joined: 28/07/16
cheers for the input
guys have got a fair idea of what people want now.
the charter will be up and running by mid next year i hope some of you guys decide to come out with us.
thanks again for the comments.
wont catch em sitting at home!
scano
Posts: 1247
Date Joined: 31/05/07
Once your up and running Trav
i would be keen to come on a day trip or 2. I usually jig for demersals whenever I can, but understood there is plenty of time between now and then to tee something up.
dodgy
Posts: 4577
Date Joined: 01/02/10
If you can crack the metro
If you can crack the metro ytk on stickbaits I reckon you will do well too.
Does anyone know where the love of god goes, when the waves turn the minutes to hours?
pelagicyachts
Posts: 1322
Date Joined: 23/02/11
Any details of the boat?
Any details of the boat? make, engines etc
Travis p
Posts: 727
Date Joined: 28/07/16
Make is
Preston craft with twin suzuki outboards
wont catch em sitting at home!
pelagicyachts
Posts: 1322
Date Joined: 23/02/11
nice one - they build some
nice one - they build some really nice boats
- a mate of mine is getting a cat built by them at the moment - around 30 foot - trailerable!.... he is really happy with them and they seem pretty reasonable price wise
Travis p
Posts: 727
Date Joined: 28/07/16
I know the
Cat you are talking about. It should be done i think very nice boat
wont catch em sitting at home!
pelagicyachts
Posts: 1322
Date Joined: 23/02/11
yeah it is - I get daily
yeah it is - I get daily updates (texts) from him- he is pretty excited! - the trailer is ffff huge 11.5m hitch to lights!
Stevo81
Posts: 1278
Date Joined: 16/04/12
Whats the beam on the 30ft
Whats the beam on the 30ft cat?
•••••••• Electrical Contractor NOR ••••••••
duncan61
Posts: 376
Date Joined: 21/11/14
participate
I would like to do charter trips.The last one I went on was good for what it was.Be aware you may get mugs that have never fished.On the last trip they supplied short boat rods and alvey reels and one british tourist that was with his mate who could fish wound 40 plus metres of 80lb nylon between the handles.How dumb can a human be.Specialize for fisherman who supply their own gear and be a niche market and like others have said do ytk and jigging tours.I would go for that.Seeing other anglers work is as important to me as catching myself.The drop bait haul them in charters are a bit ho hum and being with people who have no idea gets a bit dull on the last charter I was the only one who bought my own rod and knew how to tie knots and ended up semi decking myself for the people around me
just do it.