Built for guides, by a guide industry insider
Guidepole was born out of a simple frustration: the outdoor guide industry deserves better tools. Guides spend too much time on admin work and not enough time doing what they love — putting clients on fish and game.
We built Guidepole to fix that. One platform that handles booking, calendars, payments, marketing, and client management — so guides can focus on the water and the woods.
Our Mission
Help seasoned guides book more clients and help new guides get started without the hassle.
The guide industry has been underserved by technology for too long. Guides cobble together spreadsheets, Venmo, text threads, and Facebook groups to run their businesses. We think there's a better way — and it shouldn't cost a monthly subscription to access it.
Where We Operate
Guidepole is open to guides based in the United States at launch. Canada is up next, then the UK, EU, Australia, and New Zealand. We launch one country at a time on purpose — each new market means new tax compliance, payout rails, and support coverage, and we'd rather do it right than do it fast.
If you're a guide outside the US, join the waitlist for your country — we'll email you the moment Guidepole opens there, and the waitlist is how we prioritize which country to launch next.
The Guidepole Story
It all started on a few guided fishing trips, watching those guides juggle a lot of moving pieces to keep their operation organized and running smooth. So, we offered to help out.
We talked to dozens of guides — across fishing and hunting, from solo operators to multi-guide outfits. We asked what they needed, what frustrated them, and what tools they wished existed. The answer was always the same: something simple that just works, without a monthly bill attached to it.
The result is a platform designed around how guides actually work: flexible scheduling, phone bookings, client management, team coordination, and marketing that runs itself. No unnecessary complexity. No features you'll never use.
Guidepole is bootstrapped and independent. No venture capital, no corporate parent company, no pressure to chase growth at the expense of our users. We grow when guides succeed — and that's exactly how we want it.
The Team
A small team with deep knowledge of the outdoor guide industry.
Colin Van Dyke
CEO & Founder
Based in Ballard, Washington. Lifelong angler and outdoor enthusiast. Built Guidepole to make the business side of guiding as rewarding as the outdoor side.
Built in the heart of Seattle's fishing neighborhood — surrounded by boat yards, tackle shops, and the Ballard Locks where salmon run every year.
Ready to simplify your guide business?
Join hundreds of fishing and hunting guides who trust Guidepole.