Do guides in Georgia need a license

[XCaddis]

I posted on the general info board as well, but figured this is a good forum for the question. Do guides need a license to guide on rivers such as the Chattahoochee and Toccoa rivers? What about the National Forest? I'm asking because I have seen a lot of guides (or what seem to be guides) on both rivers and in the Nat'l Forest. I see only Unicoi Outfitters and Chris Scalley are licensed guides by GA, so are the other folks illegally guiding? Just how does one (and what makes a person) licensed by the state?

Thanks
Mark

[Bill Couch]

I asked Scott Robinson, DNR aquaculture biologist, who keeps track to guides and many other groups for DNR. His answer is below and has been modified slightly by me.
Bill

The registration you referred to on the Chattahoochee comes from the National Park Service and is the only registration required of guides in Georgia. The only other requirements are the same ones that apply to any hunter or angler i.e., must have permission to hunt or fish on private lands, everyone in party must have appropriate hunting and fishing license, trout license, WMA license, etc. Chris Scalley is permitted to guide through Chattohoochee Outdoors Center (COC) which has the consession for the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area reach of the Chattahoochee River. There is no requirement for Guides to register in Georgia.
The Coast Guard may have some requirements for offshore boats, but DNR has no requirements that I know of, and I know for sure that we have no requirements for freshwater guides or hunting guides. I'll check with CRD and see if they know of anything issued or required by the Coast Guard.

Bill,
I got this from CRD. I am not sure if it applies only to coastal waters or to all waters the Coast Guard has jurisdiction over, but I think it is the latter which includes the Savannah and Chattahoochee reservoirs. I'll let you know when I find out for sure.

Hope this helps,
Bill