I'm Captain Jaime Hughes. Yes, I'm a real USCG Licensed Captain, and Yes, its spelled J-A-I-M-E . I've been fishing the Susquehanna River and local waterways since I was a little girl in the 80's. Fishing has been my life long passion. I've traveled all over, in and out of the country to target fish on my bucket list. After many years of personal fishing and bass tournament fishing, I started a bank fishing club. That was when I learned my true TRUE passion was helping people fish. The smiles are awesome. The memories, priceless. Which all lead to what we know now as BreakLine Charters.
CERTIFICATION
I started with the PA Guide permit, which I still need to buy like everyone else that guides in PA, every year. The PA guide permit, is sold to anyone 16 and older. You click and buy it online, it's $100. There's no back ground checks. No boat inspections. You only need an on-line boater safety course. You don't even need any real life boat handling or on-water experience. But soon after becoming a Guide and seeing how that relaxed process allowed truly anyone out there. I started my Captains license process. Which is not necessary in PA, but was important to me. I already had a lifetime of on-water experience, am safety minded with good common sense and that showed. But I wanted to really set myself apart from the crowd with my certification too. It's a heck of a process and financial commitment. Back ground checks. Sea School. Physical. Drug tests. Sea time. I also wanted all of my endorsements. (Inland, Off-Shore, Great Lakes) I don't know If I'll always maintain them, not likely, but my goal was to have all of them on my first one. The collective on-water experience to get them all, was just so awesome. Anyhow, I did it. In 2014 I got my OUPV6PACK MMC. As a Captain now, I get drug tested. I need to stay up to date on my paper work. I get physicals. Background checks. It is a federally issued credential. I take it very seriously and I would never do anything to jeopardize it. If you choose me to take your family out, you will be in very safe, overqualified, capable hands.
I do need to add, there are some phenomenal guides in PA. The relaxed process has allowed many to follow their dreams without the financial burden and commitments of other states processes. I have trusted my family on outings with them and call them friends! So I am not knocking PA guides in general, only the process of acquiring the permit. What myself and fellow veteran guides have heard from the people that fished with certain ones we will say and then with us and shared, as a result of that "click and buy" process, are sometimes downright terrifying to hear. It was purely intended as an educational statement. The general public, as I've learned over time, isn't typically aware of how easy it is to become a guide in PA. I encourage anyone looking for a guide to simply do research. Be sure you know who is taking your family out there and the safety/quality of their vessel. If you cannot find a date that is open on my calendar that works for you, I'd be happy to recommend a guide.
"Off Season" Jaime
That just means I'm "ON" some where else. I don't take 6 months off. As member of Clam Outdoors Ice Team, I travel a lot over the winter. Doing demo's and presentations and getting on ice as much as possible. I also work at Mountainside Ski and Sports, 2024 will be my 25th year working in the industry. My focus is boot fitting. I make orthotics and do custom work for ski/snowboard boots and athletic/everyday footwear. Stance evaluations. 3-D scanning are just part of my every day, all winter long. Helping people ski/ride/walk better and feel better, from the feet up. Oh and I can get down a slope sort of alright too. On a board or skis, depends on my mood or a lot of times more so, the snow.
My daughter
My biggest life accomplishment though, is being a Mom. This is my daughter Ashleigh with me in these photos. She fished a lot with me over the years, she's a skilled angler and knows her way around the boat. She even mated for me on the bay! But she has moved on to pursue her passion. She is a PSIA Certified Ski Instructor. Great teacher, beautiful skier, also snowboards too. Just Graduated High School in 2023 and is off to Pitt to major in marketing! I'm incredibly proud of her and so proud to be her mom!