Alaska Fishing Client Stereotypes

Over the years I’ve noticed that you can categorize the vast majority of fishing clients into a handful of groups. In fact, I can commonly detect which category a prospective guest might fall into after just the first minute or two of our initial conversation. As you might imagine, this comes in pretty darn handy when assisting them in working out the details of their Alaskan fishing vacation. When chatting with clients on the phone or via email, I’ve learned through decades of experience that there are some tell-tale signs that give away so much about a person without them having to say much at all about themselves directly. At risk of offending someone, I’m detailing a few of the common stereotypical guest-types below. Maybe you’ll even identify with one of them!

 

 

The Go-With-The-Flow – This is everyone’s favorite guest, and the most fun too! Not just because they’re easy going and generally easy to please, but also because they usually let their outfitter (me) make the majority of their itinerary decisions. When they put their trust in me, I’m able to craft their trip perfectly to include a wide variety of experiences filled with trips that have high odds of success during their specific timing. When you allow a veteran local expert call the shots your odds of an epic trip go through the roof.

 

 

The Harvester – They may not come right out and say it, but they’re here for the meat!  They measure the success of each fishing trip almost solely by the pounds of fillets acquired. More meat equals a better trip. While it’s risky business to hinge your success on the unpredictability of Mother Nature, Alaska is probably the best place to place such a bet. Knowing the weight this type of client puts on the… weight of fillets that wind up in the freezer, I can intentionally target fisheries that are likely to yield a hefty cooler full, responsibly and sustainably of course.

 

 

The Non-Angler – We are very accustom to having inexperienced, even non-experienced, anglers on board with us on the regular. These clients are often wanting to try something different, be adventurous, and they really want to go fishing…well, kinda. They’re often very ambitious with their itinerary proposal, akin to a sitting down to a meal with an empty stomach, they want to consume everything in that moment only to regret it a bit later. When the time comes to fish 7 days in a row, for example, they find themselves wishing they had inserted a day or two (or three) of R&R into the schedule.  A great way to strike a happy medium with this type of guest is to include shorter fishing trips, some sightseeing, and a much needed day-off in the middle to recharge. If they listen, they’re virtually always glad they did.

 

 

The FOMO – Admittedly, I tend to fall into this category. When vacating I want to do everything, literally!  I’m terrified that if I choose one trip, I’ll regret it and wish I did a different one. I over-research and overanalyze every tiny detail of my itinerary, which is typically an exhausting & grueling list of non-stop action from start to finish. It looks soooo fun on paper, but is waaaay less fun in reality. This guest needs a dose of reality by being reminded that almost no one comes to Alaska only once. It’s true. A sampler package of some sort is the perfect prescription in this case, with the mindset that the first trip serves as research to perfectly craft the itinerary of the inevitable return trip 🙂

 

These are just a few common client-types, but of course there are more.  With that in mind, our packages have been designed and themed in a way that provides each person something to choose from. But always keep in mind that these packages are all customizable, so I can easily design and quote ANY combination of trips for you, ensuring you’re getting exactly what you came for.

Although I’ve acquired this unusual talent of sniffing out a potential guest’s true intentions and wishes without having to hear it directly, I still make a habit to confirm and clarity by asking all the questions necessary to ensure they’re getting exactly what they want, when they want it, how they want it. After all, your trip of a lifetime should never be contingent upon my ability to read your mind!

Contact us to set up your perfect itinerary – WWW.AKFISHOLOGY.COM