Price = you need to figure out who your target client is; corporate, beginner, someone that spends alot of time on the water
If you target corporate clients, your price may be a bit higher, but your "professionalism" needs to be higher, too
someone that "just wants to go fishing" prob doesn't understand the costs involved with running a boat, owning tackle, etc. thus they won't understand why "you charge so much"

Lodging: Bayflats lodging is great for a group of guys that know each other pretty well (I'm speaking of the old lodge), If I am taking a client fishing, I may want seperate rooms, and maybe private bathroom. Again, the type of lodging is driven by the price.

Staff: I expect staff to be friendly, courteous, and knowlegable. I expect them to "know their place" and be in it. They don't need to be in uniforms, but do need to be well groomed.



to me, Capt Randall Groves hits the nail on the head. He says "I'm not in the fishing business, but the entertaining business......people will come back if they they had fun and caught maybe a few fish......they won't come back if they catch a cooler full and don't have a good time."



for me, going to any type of lodge is made enjoyable when I don't have to do much. I am VERY fond of service. It is very impressive when your luggage gets to your room, and when a cocktail and snack are ready upon arrival. If I ask for something reasonable it happens, and anything extraordinary can be made to happen.

 

I'll jump right on number 3. Uniforms???? Uhhh, no way. If I want uniforms I'll do some ritzy vacation resort. I would expect any staff to be polite and address any issues that might come up. It really depends on the price and place, the more you pay the more you get in terms of off the water service. You didn't really say if this 'place' was a first class lodge or a boat house on the water. But above all just a mutual respect and attentiveness to customer needs is expected.

Number 2 again depends on the 'place'. If meals are provided then no kitchen is needed. If meals are not provided then yes a kitchen would be nice to up some of the day's catch, etc. As for size, as long as it's not a closet I'm OK. We're fishing during the day and just sleeping in the room at night, right.

Number 1 is tough to answer without more detail of the type of 'place' you are setting up. Does the price include the guides, tips, meals, drinks, etc.

 

If i was to start this business i would have a nice lodge right off the water with a nice view of the water. Dont want down town corpus in the view. With the soring gas prices i could have things for teenagers and wifes to do also i figure it would be more appealing.

I would have different packages, that include fishing trips nature trips, meals, drinkings, day care, day at the spa for a wife or gf.

 

If i was to start this business i would have a nice lodge right off the water with a nice view of the water. Dont want down town corpus in the view. With the soring gas prices i could have things for teenagers and wifes to do also i figure it would be more appealing.

I would have different packages, that include fishing trips nature trips, meals, drinkings, day care, day at the spa for a wife or gf.

Doing all that means you are trying to be all things to all people, IMO.
You need to pick a target client and find out what it takes to staisfy them 110%.