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A Day in the Life with Brand Ambassador Joe Spence

Joe Spence has been a Legend Boats Brand Ambassador since 2021 and has been taking clients out on charters in Ontario for the past 5 years with his business, Blue Rock Charters, and his 2019 X18

“I have been fishing and boating since I was a very small child. I have always loved the water and fishing. There is nowhere else I’d rather be.” 

Legend Boats Brand Ambassador Joe Spence fishing as a young child

Joe was inspired to begin his chartering business, Blue Rock Charters when he was in the midst of changing jobs. 

“I had thought about it for a while and had a lot of the equipment I needed already to do it and decided to take a leap of faith buying the boat because the timing was right and it has worked out great.” 

While there are certainly perks to doing what you love for a living, Joe says that there are also sacrifices he has to make, like early mornings. 

“It is not uncommon for me to be setting my alarm for 4 a.m. multiple days in a row. I get up, let my dog out, grab some drinks and snacks for the day, and hit the road in the dark in hopes that the fish and weather are going to play nice for the day.” 

The early mornings are worth it, though, because Joe gets to help countless people create memories. 

Brand Ambassador Joe Spence on his Legend Boats X18 holding a bass

What to Expect with Blue Rock Charters

The Reel Deal

Before getting their lines in the water, Joe makes sure to get his clients situated with everything they need. The species that the clients choose to target will determine whether they will be trolling, casting, or both. 

While Joe is an avid angler himself, his role during a charter is mainly to drive the boat for his clients, allowing them to fish. It’s paramount to Joe to give his clients a complete fishing experience – even taking home their catches for a delicious meal.  

“Clients are always welcome to keep legal catches, in most cases, we practice a very selective harvest, and if they want to take home some fresh fish, I fillet and bag them and send them home with a meal (or a few) and some great pictures to remember the day by.” 

A group of men holding their catches after a charter with Blue Rock Charters

Creating the Perfect Fishing Experience 

Each trip is different, so that means that planning for each trip is also different. One thing that Joe does prior to every charter is checking the weather. He looks for the wind and rain forecasts as he wants to ensure that clients are able to make the most of their day on the water. Weather forecasts aren’t always accurate, so he uses two different apps to compare, namely The Weather Network and Windfinder. Knowing the forecast also helps Joe determine where it is safest to launch his boat.

Clients may also choose which species they would like to target. Joe provides his clients with options based on the time of year. 

“Right now, we are starting to target mostly large Lake Ontario fall migratory Walleye which is a famous Bay of Quinte fishery. Early Spring is mostly Lake Trout and then Spring/Summer is mostly Walleye, Bass, and Pike. Sometimes people want a specific species, sometimes they care more about the location.” 

Client holding a Walleye while on a charter with Blue Rock Charters

On charter trips, it is usually Joe plus up to 3 adults. Sometimes, trips may be 2 young children and 2 adults. These capacity limits are decided based on the boat’s capacity and also what will make for the best fishing experience. 

“My favourite trips are myself, plus 2 people because that means everyone has lots of space to fish and we don’t play musical chairs as much when the fish start biting. It’s also a great angler to line ratio for Lake Ontario where we troll 6 lines with 3 people in the boat.” 

 

About the Boat

Why a Legend Boat for Blue Rock Charters?

When it came to starting Blue Rock Charters, the final piece of Joe’s puzzle was getting a boat that was capable of doing what he needed it to do. The 30-year-old fibreglass fish and ski boat that he had at the time was simply not big or dependable enough for the job. 

“Before picking a boat, I went around to every dealer in the Kingston area and priced out boats in the approximately 18-foot size class. The things I knew I wanted after looking at all of them were the large rear folding bench seat and a Bimini top. Some trips I need a rear casting deck, and others I need the seating. The X18 checked all the boxes, had a nice deep welded hull, and was priced significantly lower than many other comparable boats that did not include the Bimini top.” 

Joe says that the versatility of the X18 is what makes it so great for chartering. 

“My clients want a wide range of fishing options and I also do some personal fishing further from home for different species where I am not guiding. So one day I could be going casting for Muskie, Bass, or Pike and the next I could be trolling 8 lines on planer boards in my rod trees for Walleye or Dipsy Divers and Downriggers for Rainbow Trout or Salmon.” 

Brand Ambassador Joe Spence's Legend Boats X18 rig

Not only does the X18 offer versatility and practicality, but Joe’s rig turns plenty of heads, too. 

“I get a lot of compliments on the boat from clients and some are even other Legend Boat owners looking to see how I have my boat set up so they can make similar changes to theirs to target new species’.” 

Overhead shot of Brand Ambassador Joe Spence's Legend Boats X18

Maintaining a Charter Boat

With several charters a week, and sometimes even 2 in a day during the Summer, Joe’s X18 gets more use than your average boat. Joe explains that there are a couple of things that he does on a regular basis while out on a trip to ensure that he is taking the best care of his boat package. 

“I try to keep the main engine hours down by launching closest to where I’ll be fishing and using the 9.9 Mercury Pro-Kicker or my Minn Kota Powerdrive as my power source while we are out trolling or casting.” 

Joe’s many years of experience also help with maintaining the X18. 

“I’m fairly handy and this will be the 5th boat that I have owned in almost 20 years. I keep an eye on things knowing that occasionally I will need to tighten screws, change spark plugs or fix something that gets a little more wear and tear than usual or that gets broken through the course of use.” 

Of course, having a dealership that you can rely on never hurts. Joe’s closest Legend Boats dealership, North Country Marine is just a few minutes away. This is where he takes his boat for regular maintenance, including oil changes. 

 

What it’s all About 

Fishing for Fun 

All of this begs the question – does somebody who gets on the water almost daily make time to fish for themselves?  

“Short answer, sometimes! I love fishing so it’s no surprise that I want to get out and fish for fun too. Some weeks in the Summer, I am so busy that I don’t get time to fish for fun. I do always take all of the various opening weekends for species off and fish the openers with friends.” 

Regardless of whether he’s out on charters, or enjoying some leisure time on the water, it’s safe to say that Joe makes the most of his boating season. That means you can find Joe in March and December breaking ice to get those fish. 

Legend Boats Brand Ambassador Joe Spence holding his catch on his X18

Creating Memories for a Lifetime

If you’re interested in dipping your toes in the boating and fishing world, Joe suggests making friends with other people who are into boating and fishing. 

“You will learn a ton from each person you meet. Everyone does things differently. It makes it easier to figure out what species you might like to target or what type of boat might be right for you once you go out in one and see it in action.”

Above everything, Joe loves creating memories with everyone he meets.  

“I made a post the other day for the 5-year anniversary of Blue Rock Charters and I had a hard time narrowing it down to the 26 pictures that I included. Some with friends, some with family, some with clients, there are so many great memories that I’ve been able to help people make. That’s probably one of the things I love most about doing guided fishing trips.” 

Here’s to creating memories that will last a lifetime! 

Little boy holding his catch from his charter with Blue Rock Charters Group of clients holding their catches on a charter with Blue Rock Charters Little boy holding a Walleye from his charter with Blue Rock Charters

 

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