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My name is James Allen, I am 44 years old and live in Durant, OK. I grew up here, fishing on Lake Texoma is something I've done all my life.
I have been an avid fisherman all of my life. A little hunting when I was younger but fishing has always been my main passion. I grew up locally (Durant OK) I got my first boat to fish Texoma when I was 18. Back then the lake was famous for it's Sand Bass (White Bass) population. Stripers have since edged them out as the dominant fish in Texoma. I've spent most of my work life in retail. Working for companies like SafeWay, Jewel, Albertsons, and Target. It took some time to get to the point financially, where I could get the equipment and marketing needed to guide for a living. I started part-time, guiding on weekends and evenings until business grew to the point that I could break even and even make some money.....Fishing For A Living!!!! I've got the best job in the world now, and my only regret is that I couldn't have started doing this years sooner than I did. I guided on my own for years and finally joined the Catfish Bay Guide Association in May 2006.
I'm serious about obeying all laws on the lake and 2010 saw some extensive changes in the guide licensing laws, both in Oklahoma and especially on Lake Texoma.
There are a lot of new requirements to be licensed to guide on Texoma. Very few guides as of the first of the year were in compliance. At the beginning of the year, I knew only 3 personally that were and maybe only 15 were legal to do so lake wide. Make sure your guide is, if he isn't and your boat is inspected, you will be forced to leave the water immediately.
I am in 100% compliance with all current regulations.
All of the items listed below are required of fishing guides that fish all parts of Lake Texoma as of January 1st 2010.
- Merchant Mariner Credential (MMC) #2916666
- OUPV Coast Guard License. (Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessel) The Coast Guard calls this license Operator of Uninspected Passenger Vessels (OUPV). Most everyone else refers to it as the "6-PACK" License. The word "uninspected" is a technical term meaning that the equipment required, and the design of the boat, are less regulated. "6-PACK" refers to the 6 passenger limitation placed on the boat, and additionally, on the license.
- Oklahoma Boating Safety Exam, approved by the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, (NASBLA) National Association of State Boating Law Administrators and recognized by the U.S. Coast Guard Office of Boating Safety. My License # is: 468347DC
- C.P.R. and First Aid certificates are current and up to date.
- Oklahoma Freshwater Guide License.
- Texas Freshwater Guide License.
- Lake Texoma Fishing License. (yearly and lifetime cards)
- TWIC card (Transportation Workers Identification Credential) TWIC was established by Congress through the Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA) and is administered by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and U.S. Coast Guard. To obtain a TWIC, an individual must provide biographic and biometric information such as fingerprints, sit for a digital photograph and successfully pass a security threat assessment conducted by TSA.
- Guide Insurance. I carry twice the minimum required.
- Physical up to date.
- Drug Test. I am a member of The Maritime Consortium, INC. A company that does random drug testing and is Coast Guard approved. My last test was 9-15-09
 
 
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