Meet Capt. Mike Illig

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Capt. Mike Illig. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Capt. Mike, so great to have you with us today. There are so many topics we want to ask you about, but perhaps the one we can start with is burnout. How have you overcome or avoided burnout?

Working long days, weekends and holidays can be tiring and tough on family, especially in summer when it’s busy and hot here. Two key components for me to avoid burnout are health and vacation/family goals.

My family and I look forward to a trip to the mountains for a week at the end of a busy summer. The break is something we set a goal to do every year to have some quality time together before school starts back up…much like my clientele that comes to fish with me but in the opposite direction. Coming back to the saltwater after the break brings a fresh appreciation for the natural beauty and lifestyle here in our coastal town. We have also taken some trips in the winter to fish for bonefish and even Africa for the giant black marlin in those waters. All season long leading up to these less frequent vacations I am especially motivated to keep working hard for that goal.

After nearly 20 years in business I am learning the importance of health to keep going strong as time passes. Stretching, diet, exercise and hydration are my focus. It has become more and more important to keep up the pace. I also saved for years and purchased a bigger, better charter boat for the comfort of myself and clientele alike. Working efficiently and having top notch equipment makes a better experience for everyone and plays a big part in how you feel at the end of the day.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

I remember a few times when I was a kid helping adults see and catch fish, rigging tackle or even filleting fish and they suggested maybe someday I should become a fishing guide. I was obsessed with the water, boats of all kinds and fishing but didn’t even know that career path existed. It was an exciting thought but wasn’t my plan to guide full time. During my senior year at the College of Charleston I was faced with a bad economy and job market. I was already guiding part time and knew I enjoyed the work so I started my business and within a couple years of graduation I had grown my business to work full time. My focus is to keep learning new things, enjoying time in the outdoors and provide great customer service to keep up the guiding/fishing charter lifestyle.

I provide private fishing charters and sightseeing/nature tours year round in the Charleston, SC area. Being in nature is part of the experience so I like to depart or take the boat outside of town in less populated areas. We search along the way for dolphins and migrating birds such as roseate spoonbills or bald eagles.

For the fishing aspect there’s nothing quite like the thrill of catching your first fish or the landing biggest fish you’ve ever caught on a half day trip on our waters here. There are many different styles of fishing available depending on time of year and weather conditions and I enjoy recommending what might be our best bet for success that particular day. It keeps it fun and often more successful to mix it up that way!

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Time and resource management is something that everyone is faced with. There are some repairs for example that I know how to do myself but I know that other businesses can do it faster and better. I learned to trust their skills and use the time saved to work on other things.

Balance is another challenge for any business. Even if there is an abundance of work it can lead to issues down the road as other important tasks can get neglected. Keeping a sustainable pace is a hard thing to do even though it’s less actual work. It’s the balance that keeps things going long term.

Perspective is another great skill to maintain. Seeing things from different angles or putting yourself in the shoes of others can help them have a better experience and build a better business.

The best advice I can give is to try to keep improving along the way. This will happen naturally with hard work but keep an open mind for ways to improve or learn new things. There is an endless map of waterways and ecosystem in the area to explore and it would take many lifetimes to learn it all. Learning that you can’t know and do it all can sound daunting but it’s actually exciting to know there’s so much more to learn.

Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?

The ideal client in this business is easier to come by because they are signing up for a fun experience to begin with! We share a half or full day together doing something we love or at the very least they are excited to experience for the first time. Any day can be the best day or the year and often my clientele will return the next year to do it again. Not every day is perfect as far as weather conditions or time of year so my ideal client is willing to try something different based on those conditions. Some species of fish aren’t here year round so without some flexibility we could end up trying to accomplish a fishing goal that isn’t likely for that particular day. I try my best to explain this ahead of time to avoid difficult expectations and work hard when we’re on the water together.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.AvidAngling.com
• Instagram: @AvidAngling
• Facebook: Avid Angling Fishing Charters
• Yelp: Avid Angling Fishing Charters
• Other: Please contact me via website for more information, questions and gift certificates (experiences make the best memories and gifts!)