Meet Cameron Pappas | Fishing Guide

We had the good fortune of connecting with Cameron Pappas and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Cameron, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Well I think it was a long time coming. I worked in Banking for about 8 years and I found myself day dreaming very often about having a job that allowed me to be outside as much as possible but also something where I got to do the things that I love to do (Fishing, Photography, Teaching) and guiding seemed to me to be the answer to live a life and have the lifestyle that I was looking for. I knew it was going to be challenging because when you already have living expenses it would be tough to jump straight into guiding without some sort of client base so I did it part time for about 4 years before I jumped into guiding full time. When I started this business I also realized how much I enjoyed the marketing side of it and having something that I could call my own and that really pushed me to work as much as possible to get it to the point where I could quit my full time banking job and follow my passion.

What should our readers know about your business?
BlackBird Guide Services is located in Wilmington, NC and we provide inshore and nearshore (Fly & Light Tackle) fishing charters out Wrightsville Beach, Carolina Beach, Southport, Bald Head Island, Topsail Island and Figure 8. I welcome all anglers from completely novice to expert fly fisherman looking to cast at tailing redfish. If you are looking to learn fishing, I am very patient and love teaching. If you are an expert, I am extremely focused and spend everyday on the water to provide all my anglers with the best chances of success. This business was founded on the love of being outdoors but also the love of creating relationships and sharing memories for years to come.

Here are some things I have learned. Relationships are the bedrock of this business and every client should be treated like the only client. Organization is key to success in many ways and it’s something I take to heart everyday and is extremely important for running a one man business. Work hard and work on something you are passionate about, if you do that there’s only one way to go.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’d take them on the boat to Bald Head Island and around the back country of fort fisher. It’s an area that is rich with wildlife and generally much less crowded, doesn’t hurt that the fishing is usually good as well. I may also take them over to the town of Southport which is just a great area to see as it also is a little less crowded and very beautiful. I’d probably take them to some of my favorite restaurants in Wilmington like Ceviche’s, True Blue, Tower 7 and Bento Box. If there was a good band in town we would head down to downtown Wilmington to check them out at Live Oak Amphitheater and maybe stop to get some drinks at the Blind Elephant or Fly Trap Brewing. Lastly I’m a huge fan of Bigger’s Market especially on Saturday and Sunday afternoons when they have live music and a small bar.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’d really have to thank one of my best friends Judson Brock, also a fishing guide, who really supported me in this decision and gave me the confidence to pursue it full time. I’d also have to give a big shoutout to my wife who from the very beginning supported my pursuit of something that was going to be much more fulfilling to me all be it much more risky and much less predictable, she didn’t care a lick about the financial aspect of it and really pushed me to work as hard as possible on this business to make it my full time job and still continues to push me to make it as successful as it can be. There is a book that I read that honestly made me realize I was not a crazy person for wanting to pursue being a fishing guide and that book was “Wild at Heart”.

Website: https://www.blackbirdguide.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackbird_guideservices/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/blackbird-guide-services/?viewAsMember=true

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlackBirdGuideservice/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC40931etKIZNs3kGlNZTJ8w

Image Credits
All images I took – Cameron Pappas