Day On The Bay Services

<body> <p>Tourism and small business seminars can turn ideas and dreams into reality, and James Arnold of Bay City learned how he could turn 40 years of commercial fishing into a legacy for the county. Arnold was looking for a way to share his experience when he visited the seminars on small business tourism presented by the Matagorda County Tourism Consortium earlier this year. I have lived here all my life and my experience in the commercial fishing industry gave me something I felt like I could share, Arnold said. I attended the seminars and gathered a lot of information. It really opened my eyes on what I could do. Arnold, 62, explained that he learned to be more diverse. I know the bays like the back of my hand, Arnold said. I know where the oyster reefs are, where the best fishing is and even the depths of water throughout most of the area. I learned it over years of commercial fishing. I have even rented a plane to fly me over the area so I could learn the network of sloughs from the air. Arnold actually started Day on the Bay Services in January, but the seminars led him to diversify the opportunities he offers to tourists. With everything I know about the area, and all of the people I have met, we can do almost anything someone would want to do in Matagorda Bay, Arnold said. I'll either do it or I'll contact someone who can. For instance, I don't sail. But I know people willing to take someone sailing. Day on the Bay Services offers visitors to the area the opportunity to book several different adventures with a single telephone call. Arnold was a commercial fisherman and owned a seafood retail store and an oyster house in the Bay City area. I sold those successful businesses because none of my family were interested in continuing the business, Arnold said. It made it possible for me to do something like this. Most people who start a business have a large initial investment, but that wasn't the case with this adventure. I had all of my boats and licenses from when I was a commercial fisherman, and all that was left was some paperwork and some marketing. Arnold can show visitors commercial shrimping, oystering and crabbing, all types of bay and river fishing, river tubing, nature photography, bird watching, bay tours, beach combing, kayaking, shelling, primitive camping and dolphin watching. He can also refer just about any other adventure offered in the bay system. We are limited at times by specific fishing seasons and such, Arnold said. But other than that, I tell people that they are only limited by their imaginations. The smile on his face and the look in his eyes illuminate the fact that he can help visitors with the imagination part. When we go fishing, the day isn't only about fishing, either, Arnold said. We might stop and tong some oysters or visit with a commercial crabber. I try and make every day something special. We have such a beautiful bay that I try to show as much of it to every person I can. He hopes this business becomes more than just a booking agency. This is not just for James Arnold, this is for the whole county, he said. I have lived here all of my life and I want the whole world to see what our area has to offer. His next step is a Web site that will explain the many opportunities that can be found in Matagorda County. We are developing a Web site that will show the world Matagorda County, Arnold said. I am placing Webcams in Palacios, Matagorda and Sargent that will let the world see the coast anytime they like. They will be able to see the line of shrimp boats coming into Palacios or how the surf looks at Sargent. The Web site should be ready for viewing in the next week and can be found at www.dayonthebayservices.com Arnold has been asked by the Lower Colorado River Authority to participate in future business seminars to help new entrepreneurs. That is really an honor, Arnold said. If people share in the developing process, then everyone can be more successful. I hope Matagorda County realizes that tourism is our salvation and we need to do everything we can to promote it. When someone is trying to start a tourism business, they need the support of the community, because their success will spread to other businesses. day on the bay services, Matagorda, Matagorda offshore fishing, dayonthebayservices.com, surf cam, Matagorda Birding, offshore, Matagorda Bay, Real Estate, Matagorda Beach, Matagorda real estate, Matagorda Day, beach, bay matagorda, vacations, fishing, Matagorda fishing, Matagorda, surfcam, webcam, Matagorda Beach, Matagorda texas, fishing guides, bay fishing, surf fishing, Matagorda bays, Matagorda Bay fishing, vacation rentals, motels, lodging, saltwater fishing guides, kayaking, boat rentals, pictures, Bay City, Palacios, Serendipty Resort, lcra, camping</p> </body>