Is a six pack license necessary on lakes for guides?

[ultrastealth]

It seems that every swinging you know what has decided to become a duck hunting guide this coming season on a lake that we like to hunt. I know for a fact that very few of these guys have their six pack. Is the captain's license only necessary for commercial boat transportation on the coast, or does this apply to public lakes as well?

[Greenheadless]

No

[friscopaint]

I believe it actually is required on Lake Texoma, I remember there being a big stink about it few years ago, some guides at the time weren't going to qualify for it and guides that could were all for it in the name of "safety" but in fact to cut down on competition. Something about it being a Coast Guard lake. Not sure if it's still the case or ever enforced. Was big talk on TFF at the time.

[friscopaint]

Yep, just looked it up and Lake Texoma fishing guides require USCG license.

[ultrastealth]

I don't know how you get commercial liability insurance without a captain's license, but I suspect that most of these fly-by-night "guides don't carry any anyway.

[Quackerbox]

Why on earth would a guy using a public resource to become the next instafacetweet heroguide with full straps of ringers and teal want to pay anything to do that???

#flatbillbarneys #boomscouters #kazoocalls #duckcommander #lawnmowerboats

[Slew]

$130 for a freshwater guide license works for fishing. No clue if hunting is different. I couldn't imagine trying to guide duck hunts on public lakes. Anymore there's 40 boats chasing the 6 ducks dumb enough to roost on a lake overnight. No thanks!!

[14JKURX]

Maybe this will help.

Which U.S. waterways need a captain’s license on to operate commercially?

You must get a captain’s license if the body of water is managed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which is almost all waterways in the U.S.

[ultrastealth]

$130 for a freshwater guide license works for fishing. No clue if hunting is different. I couldn't imagine trying to guide duck hunts on public lakes. Anymore there's 40 boats chasing the 6 ducks dumb enough to roost on a lake overnight. No thanks!!

Most of these dudes aren't actually guiding. They're charging people to drop them off on a shoreline and pick them up. They run multiple parties per morning.

[GarGuy]

Absolutely. It is required. TPWD dies not enforce it but the coast guard does. If they get complaints, they have been known to book trips with these guides and bust them.

[Capt Glenn]

You do not have to have a USCG license to transport people for hire on most lakes. Texoma may be an exception and I do not know why it is an exception. When you look at USCG regs don't get confused by the definitions of what inland waters are. That isn't inland lakes that are non-navigable to the coast.