Resources
You help people everyday. We’re here to help you. Need a certification or renewal? Want to get involved with protecting the resources from which you make your living? Looking to connect with an organization doing good work? We can help with all of that.
Safety
As a professional guide, your first responsibility is the safety of your clients. Not only are you required by most states to be safety certified, your knowledge of first aid, CPR, AED, and swift water safety could actually save the life of a client one day.
We can help you access the proper training to ensure that you’re not just legal to guide, but actually prepared and confident in your emergency response.
First Aid - CPR - AED Certification & Recertification
Swift Water Certification
Stewardship
You’re not just a boat jockey, knot tier, and short-term friend. Fishing guides are stewards of our shared natural resources. You don’t just teach people how to catch fish, you model how to interact with a fragile ecosystem meaningfully and ethically. You show your clients how to support healthy lakes, rivers, and watersheds, prevent the spread of unwanted aquatic invasive species, practice ethical and sustainable fishing practices, and more.
Follow legal and ethical standards as well as conservation measures such as proper fish handling.
Support and practice habitat conservation.
Leave it better than you found it.
Follow all laws.
Do not target spawning fish.
Aquatic invasive species (AIS) prevention.
Consider non-lead tackle.
National Conservation Organizations
Service
As guides and industry professionals, we are fortunate to parlay our passion into our profession. OGA knows that truly happy and healthy people are immersed in supporting their communities, locally or nationally. Sure, you may not be rich, but you have plenty to give, be it time, skills, knowledge, resources, or a small donation, get involved with organizations and groups that engage the community as a whole in outdoor activities.
Assist in giving back to our communities.
Encourage guides to donate time and expertise to non-profit organizations with missions and goals you believe in.
Pass on information and education to the younger generation.
Donate in-kind services to support those in need in local communities.
Support the guiding community in other geographic areas.