About Mike
Captain Mike, your Lake of the Ozarks guide
I am a U.S. Coast Guard certified and insured guide, and Mike's Guide Service is one man and one boat. When you call, I answer. When you book, I am the one taking you out.
I was twelve years old, on a family vacation at Kalfran Lodge, when I found a Zebco 33 someone had left behind with a crankbait still tied on the end. That was my first fishing pole. I fished for years with that little Zebco, and that's how I fell in love with fishing. I still have no idea where that rod came from, but somehow, that day started something that has stayed with me ever since.
At eighteen, I bought my first bass boat, a sixteen-foot rig that, to me, felt like the greatest boat in the world. I couldn't wait to get it on the water and start exploring. I spent 1998 and 1999 learning that boat inside and out. When I wasn't working on it, I was out on the water, spending countless hours trolling around PB2. Those early days taught me a lot about fishing and being on the water, and I caught some pretty nice fish along the way.
In 2005, I started fishing the Bassmaster Weekend Series as a co-angler, traveling around the Midwest and getting the chance to watch some very good anglers up close. I learned a lot during those years, not just about catching fish, but about how to approach a lake you've never seen before, read the conditions, and put together a plan.
In 2012, I bought a twenty-foot Triton and started making the drive to the Ozarks nearly every weekend. After taking a few friends and family members out in 2014, I realized something. I enjoyed watching someone else catch their first fish just as much as catching one myself.
That realization eventually led me to make guiding a full-time pursuit. In 2017, I got my Coast Guard license, built a website, started my guide service, and haven't looked back.
Today, I get to spend most of my time doing what I love: being on the water, figuring out what the fish are doing, and sharing that experience with people from all over. Some clients come wanting to learn, some come looking for a big fish, and some just want to spend a day on the lake and have a good time. Whatever brings you out, my goal is simple: have a great day on the water, catch some fish, and make some memories you'll want to come back and make again.
Ten thousand hours on this lake. I am still learning and trying to get better.
The boat
A 21-foot Phoenix with a 250 Mercury on the back
It is a proper bass boat, not a rented aluminum hull. Fast enough to cross the lake when the fish move, and stable enough that nobody is nervous standing up to cast. It fishes best with me and two anglers — everyone has room to work without crossing lines.
- Boat
- 21' Phoenix bass boat
- Motor
- 250HP Mercury Pro XS
- Anglers
- One or two, plus me
- Live sonar
- Garmin LiveScope
- Imaging
- Humminbird side & down scan
- Trolling motor
- Minn Kota Ultrex, Spot-Lock
How I run a day
What it is like to fish with me
- I work at it
- The phrase that comes up most in my reviews is some version of worked hard to get us on fish. If a spot is not producing you do not sit on it out of politeness — you leave and go to the next one.
- I teach if you want teaching
- Some people want to be told exactly where to cast and why. Others want to be left alone to fish. I read which one you are within about ten minutes and run the day accordingly.
- Nobody gets ignored
- Two anglers is the number for a reason. With two people fishing, I can actually help both — retie a knot, unhook a fish, put a kid back on the spot that just produced. A third is possible, but it is a busier boat.
- I do the unglamorous parts
- Rigging rods, netting fish, taking hooks out, and cleaning your catch at the end. You are paying for a day of fishing, not a day of chores.
On board
What comes with me
You bring a fishing license and something to keep the sun off. Everything else is already in the boat.
- Rods, reels, jigs, lures and bait for everyone on board, matched to what you are fishing for that day.
- Garmin LiveScope and Humminbird imaging, which is how I find brush piles and the fish sitting on them rather than guessing.
- Life jackets, ice-cold water, and lunch on the eight-hour trips.
- Fish cleaning at the end, so you leave with fillets rather than a job to do at home.
“I’ve booked multiple days with Mike for the last four years. He knows the lake and puts you on ’em. Mike is my first call when I need a bass guide.”
Come fishing with me
Four, six or eight hours at a flat $100 an hour. Call or text and I will tell you straight what the fish are doing.