Making New Friends Through Fishing

By Captain James Weeks

Being a Friendly Fishing Charter Service

As I approach almost a decade of being a professional fishing guide here in Thomson, Georgia, it brings up many fond memories of people I’ve helped navigate my area’s bountiful waters. I’ve had the pleasure of bringing people with me to fish in one of Georgia’s best angling destinations, Clarks Hill Lake. Fishing in that lake never gets old, and I’m so lucky to spend every day moving through its waters and chasing fish in it for a living. My fishing charter, Reel N Time Fishing Charters, lets me bring people along to explore and fish in Clarks Hill Lake and show them why it’s one of the best freshwater fishing spots in the southeast region of the United States. I recall seeing the satisfied or giddy look on my client’s faces when they successfully hook and reel in striped bass or crappie we’ve either spotted or have been tailing. Thinking about this makes me believe that being a fishing guide is what I was meant to do because I can’t imagine getting this sense of joy and fulfillment I have from doing this every day from anything else.

The experience of chasing fish, casting a line, hooking a target, reeling them in, and getting out in the water never gets old. Even after three decades of fishing, there is always something new to be learned, and there is no telling what the day will hold when you set out to the water. I believe one of the beautiful things about fishing is how unpredictable it can be. Even if we study fish and how they behave or if we spend years in the same body of water, there will always be something that can make every experience out in the water unique. It makes it more exciting. And it makes it more fun, especially when you experience it with other people, whether friends, family, kids, or even strangers.

Other fishing guides will most likely have amazing catch stories. Personally, I truly believe that every time we catch fish, it makes for a fantastic catch story. As I said, fishing can be unpredictable. And let’s face it, fish bite when they want to. So as a guide, I’m happy every time they bite. I want to share that happiness with those who book my fishing charter. I always make sure that my clients come away feeling that sense of accomplishment of successfully getting a fish to bite. I also want clients to keep coming back for more. I talk to and treat everyone who fishes with me as if they are my friends. I think doing business this way helps me make lasting connections, benefits the image of my charter service and me as a guide, and proves why fishing cultivates relationships with people and nature. I love that I have the opportunity to make new friends every day. I get to do something that I am passionate about. 

Fishing and being a fishing guide is a constant learning experience. My clients aren’t the only ones who get something out of our fishing trips. I may be experienced, an expert, and a professional, but if you spend every day with different people, you’d be surprised that something different always springs up with every experience. It makes everything fresh in an otherwise familiar environment for me. My charter service has made me a better angler for sure. I think the best way to educate yourself is through experience. And it’s better if you’re experiencing it with other people. I always tell aspiring anglers not to be afraid to ask me questions because that’s why I’m there. Every time I go to Clarks Hill Lake for a chartered fishing trip, a lake that I know like no other, I always end up finding or seeing something new when I go angling there because all my clients experience their own distinctive encounters in that lake. Their unique perspectives on our trips make my experience fishing in a familiar lake very educational and humbling. It lets me be a better angler, considering the different facets of fishing. It also makes me feel good as a person in general because I get to make meaningful connections with people.

Another great thing about treating my clients as if they were my friends is that there’s room for funny situations to happen. The camaraderie fishing provides us makes the whole thing exhilarating and enjoyable. Doing anything with other people almost always makes it better, whether they’re your friends or a new person you got to know. Fishing is no exception. I get excited when I have a booking for the day because it’s motivating to spend time with people eager to learn from me and share a common interest with me. I like being a mentor to people because I love seeing them relish the fun and beauty of fishing. I tell beginner anglers who aspire to be experts to never give up on a type of fish. It takes time to learn how to catch them. If you have set your sights on a particular fish species, fish all you can for them! I also love being able to play the role of people’s ‘fishing buddy’ with how I like to treat them during our trips. Fishing can be a lot of things for people. Some do it for survival, and some for competition. But for me and my fishing charter, I want to focus on how fishing can be exciting and fun for what it is. Establishing a friendship with each new person who comes along on a trip with me is an amazing bonus. I’m very fortunate to do what I do for a living.

If you want me to be your fishing buddy, visit my side of Georgia and book with Reel N Time Fishing Charters! Let’s explore Clarks Hill Lake and make lasting memories! Visit my charter’s website or Facebook page to find out more.