We continue our interview with Drew Ziehnert. Drew is a lifelong New York State resident, outdoorsman and NY State fishing guide. He is the founder and owner of Ziehnert’s Guide Service, the premiere fishing guide service in Upstate New York’s Capital Region. In this article Drew reflects on his path to become a licensed New York State Fishing Guide. He offers insight for those pursuing the sport of fishing and a career in the outdoor industry.
For Part 1 of Drew Ziehnert’s interview, read here. If you are enjoying these articles, please consider staying updated here.
As a NY State fishing guide, Drew spends over 150 days a year on the water. His primary bodies of water include: Saratoga Lake and Lake George in Upstate New York. He will also guide on Lake Lonely, Schroon Lake, Paradox Lake, The Hudson River, Loon Lake, and Ballston Lake during the winter or a few times during the year.
Besides being a NY State fishing guide, you can catch Drew Ziehnert in the occasional fishing tournament. He won Angler of the Year on Saratoga Lake in 2022 and took 3rd in the King George Derby in 2023. In 2024, he won two tournaments on Saratoga Lake.
Qualities of a NY State Fishing Guide
I would say the best skills and traits you need to have is being outgoing, a people/person or being sociable, dedication, and determination.
Outgoing Optimist
You have to believe that every time you take someone out they are going to have a great trip regardless of the conditions. There are tons of variables that go into a fishing trip and you have to adapt every day to make sure your clients are on fish. Sometimes you have clients that come out who will question your judgment, but you have to stay true to yourself and trust your instincts. Being the youngest guide in the region, I can sometimes tell when a new client questions my experience because I am young, but staying focused and believing in yourself will always allow you to succeed.
I also can’t tell you how many times we weren’t catching fish in an area and I had to make a decision on whether to move to find fish. If that move does not pan out then the trip can feel like a let down. Most times your initial gut feeling is right on the money and the move does pan out. I call it the guide’s sixth sense or intuition because it’s just a feeling you get when you’re on the water for enough time.
Sociable
Being sociable is also extremely important because “good conversation” can also make your client’s trip more enjoyable. If the fishing happens to be tougher on a certain day you can help keep everyone focused by having strong conversations to keep spirits in the boat high. It can be about fishing, a client’s job, family life, etc. As long as you are making an effort to engage your clients in conversation, it will make a positive impact on the trip.
Dedication and Determination
Determination has been a big key to my success in guiding because no matter what challenges you are faced with you can’t give up. You have to be determined in every aspect to make your guide service successful and sometimes you can’t take no for an answer (Pertaining to my situation with Lake George). Being dedicated to spending time on the water also has a huge impact. The guides who are on the water everyday are able to pattern the fish better compared to the guides who just go out on the weekends. Fish can move a tremendous amount in a little time and being out there everyday enables you to have them dialed in. If I ever get a day off I am right back out there trying new baits and making new patterns.
Preventing Burnout and Staying Passionate
Some people like to fish and some people love to fish.
Thankfully for me I absolutely love to fish and it is my sole focus. I find that for me, fishing new areas on trips can prevent burnout because it still feels like new exploration.
Sometimes I get tired of fishing the same areas over and over again on trips. So I like to target new areas at times. The sonar and fish finders we have now are so advanced that I can fish a new spot and be successful. If I have areas and certain structures that are producing better, I will try to replicate that by fishing similar spots around the lake.
I have found a lot of special spots doing that. Usually it brings that passion right back into the guiding. It is the ultimate feeling – finding a new area that is loaded with fish and having your clients crush them. Fish can become used to your baits and presentations as well. With enough spots to cycle through you will end up catching more.
I always think back to how I was as a young fisherman. On our trips I get to see so many kids that are just starting to get into fishing or already got the bug. It is extremely rewarding to bring them out and show them the highest level of fishing technology and seeing them catch these incredible fish.
As every year passes, I am slowly getting to watch how they are developing into anglers. Just as a teacher would get to see their students develop. Whenever I get a trip cancellation or a free day I’m right back on the water looking for new spots and using new baits. Every year I learn more and more which drives me to continue fishing.
Striking the Balance: Gear vs Experience
The improvements in fishing gear and technology over the last few years have made a huge difference in my ability to guide. When it comes to guiding, I like to make it as stress free and easy as possible to be successful. I’m glad I started guiding with a very generic/basic setup. When something goes wrong with my new and improved gear, I am able to adapt to it.
Spot Lock GPS
For certain methods I like to use with my clients, I am extremely reliant on a technology called “spot lock”. Spot lock has replaced the need for rope/hand anchors to keep you in place on the water. Instead, our trolling motors now have a built in GPS system to keep us in position in any condition and at any depth. So whether I’m rigging up my lines, going over instructions, or trying to sit in 120’ of water, with the click of a button my boat will not move from its position. This saves time from having to drop a manual anchor anytime you want to stay put or move spots. I’ve had my boat on a spot lock for hours if the fish are stacked up in an area.
Fish Finder Technology
Our fish finder technology is much improved as well with the introduction of Garmin’s Livescope. Older fish finders still use a traditional 2d imaging system and show you what’s directly below your boat. Livescope is a forward facing and live view sonar showing fish swimming out in front of you up to 150-180’ away. This saves an incredible amount of time searching for fish on my trips, as I can now scan for them. If they aren’t there I move without wasting any time fishing dead water.
Experience
You still need to know what bait to throw and the areas to look. But this takes the guesswork out of it. Sometimes I do have clients who compare it to cheating. I always respond by saying that we can turn it off and they instantly respond with “no it’s okay”. If you had access to use the very best equipment in your field, you would want to use it.
Guides are being paid to take clients out, so we want the very best shot at the trip being enjoyable. The combination of my experience on the water with the best fishing technology makes our trips tough to beat. Just because you can see the fish on the screen does not mean they will bite. So as a guide this is where your fishing knowledge and experience comes into play to seal the deal.
A NY State Fishing Guide’s Advice to Younger Self
I truly believe that the skills, lessons, and knowledge gained throughout high school and college set me up for success in the guiding world and got me to where I am now. The teaching skills I learned at Siena College has helped me tremendously with guiding. I’m happy my degree is in teaching. We get a lot of very young kids who can lose focus being on the boat. Having strategies to keep them motivated and interested is vital. Fishing is a fun sport, but there are always times when it gets slow and the fish aren’t biting.
As far as high school Drew is concerned, I wish I could have learned more from other experienced guides at that age. I began bass fishing in high school so that’s when my fishing development in lakes started. It would have been a great experience to work as a first mate just to watch how other guides were successful in my area. From a business standpoint, I would have taken more business and marketing aimed courses in high school and college to prepare myself for now. Right now I am still learning as I go.
NY State Fishing Guide on Resources for Anglers
The fishing world continues expanding at a phenomenal pace every year and so does the amount of resources. Youtube is a great source. There are so many anglers willing to share tips and tricks online for every aspect of fishing. If I’m struggling out on the water, I will watch videos to see if there are other fishermen fishing differently than me.
There are some Youtubers who focus on showing off new baits that come to the U.S. from Japan. Japan has such highly pressured bodies of water that their anglers are designing baits and techniques to entice the most finicky of fish.
When these baits and techniques come to the U.S. they can end up giving you an edge over everyone else. Watching the Bassmasters on Youtube and TV can also be beneficial because it is the highest level of professional fishing. These anglers are competing for serious money. Watching them you can see how they break water down, baits and techniques, and ways to be better fishermen.
Learning Your Local Bodies of Water
Overall to me, the best resource a novice angler has is their local bodies of water. Time on the water is the biggest thing you can do to improve your fishing skills. The more you see how fish react, migrate, and feed throughout the year will make you able to adapt.
I do not read as many fishing books as I once did. However, books are often another great place to start. A lot of fishing books go over general fishing knowledge, knots, and other important information. It is also always a good idea to read up on the local regulations. Each state has different requirements and regulations so it is a good resource to check before heading out.
Next Steps for Drew Ziehnert
My business is growing exactly how I envisioned it when I first committed to full time guiding. I wanted to get to the point where I didn’t need to pay for any ads online. And I wanted a strong enough client base to fill my schedule every year.
Right now one of my focuses is to develop another NY State fishing guide to help run trips. There are a lot of exams and paperwork that you need to complete to become a NY State fishing guide. That alone prevents most people from ever guiding. Going forward I want to build a guide outfitter business clients can trust many different bodies of water.
I’ve also focused on building google reviews so that the analytics have us showing up first in the search engines. This has been a huge strength and helps combat the different booking apps that are around.
Thanks to Drew Ziehnert
Special Thanks to Drew Ziehnert for taking the time to participate in this interview. Drew is incredibly knowledgable as a NY State fishing guide. Be sure to follow him on social media to stay updated with his latest fishing adventures.
If you missed part 1, be sure to check it out.