Exploring Life & Business with Nick Teschler of FishIn48

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nick Teschler.

Nick, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin? 
I am a 3rd generation native and grew up in the North Valley. I graduated from Arizona State in 2006 and got into Commercial Real Estate right after. When the market crashed in 2008, it was not the best field to be in as a “runner,” and I had to make some moves to support myself and figure out my next move. I did inside sales for two years to pay my bills, all while looking for something long-term. I didn’t like Corporate America and knew I wanted to work for myself. My best friend had an advertising company in Arizona, and he was planning on moving to Newport Beach, so I bought half the business from him, and we did that together for about two years. I ended up buying him out when he got into a new career out in CA, and I have been running the business ever since. 

Fast forward to 2019, I married my best friend Krystal in Coeur D Alene, Idaho, and we began our lives with plans to start a family. It didn’t take long to pregnant, and we found out on Valentines Day of 2020 that our baby boy Tillman would be here in October. With a baby on the way and our first home being built, Covid hit. When Covid hit, there was a lot of uncertainty about what we were going to do. We were about to be first-time parents and had a lot of financial obligations with our new home. Unfortunately, Covid had a major effect on the advertising business, and our revenue dipped by almost 75% from the previous year. I knew I had to make some changes to make sure I could support our family, and that’s where FishIn48 began. 

I started FishIn48 in 2018, with its only purpose being to host one charity fishing tournament each year to benefit the Boys and Girls Club. After feeling the effects of Covid on the advertising side, I noticed everyone was going outside with these lockdowns. I saw it as an opportunity to grow something I’ve had a passion for since I was a little kid, and I was excited for the challenge. I immediately revamped the website and started pushing ads to promote guided fishing trips around the valley. The trips didn’t explode right out of the gate, but after a few months, the bookings started rolling in. 

Today, FishIn48 has gone from a part-time side hustle to a full-time job. FishIn48 has grown by 4x each year, and I only see it getting bigger. Aside from the guided fishing trips, we are hosting 25-plus fishing tournaments each year. We have our team series, The Lifted Trucks Catcus Cup Team Trail, The Liars Korner Summer Series, and two charity tournaments benefitting the Boys and Girls Clubs of the Valley and Hospice of Arizona. In 2022 I went to ICAST which is the biggest fishing expo in the country, I was there for 3 days, and the goal was to create some relationships with some brands that I trusted and knew we could bring value to. Today, we work with some of the most recognized brands in and out of the industry, some of which are Lifted Trucks, Sunline, Daiwa, Bajio Sunglasses, Lobina Lures, Bling Sauce, and many more. 

Married to my wife Krystal Since July of 2020 

Son – Tillman 3 years old 

Daughter – Taylen 1-year-old 

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Definitely not a smooth road. There are a lot of other businesses that do what we do on some scale. The Fishing community can be very difficult when it comes to the tournament side of things, and we have to build trust with those anglers to have them come to our events. We did surprisingly well our first year with some of the biggest turnouts in the state for our events, with our biggest event being the Liars Korner Open with 99 boats that participated. Aside from that, our biggest challenge has been the economic impact Covid had. Although people were going outside, more lots of people were trying to save money with unknown ahead. Besides that, the only other thing that makes it tough is running two businesses at the same time. I am fortunate that I have a good team, and my team on the advertising side makes things much easier for me, allowing me to focus on both. 

As you know, we’re big fans of FishIn48. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about the brand?
FishIn48 offers a variety of services and hope to add more to it down the road. We are the host to 25 tournaments each year, year-round guided fishing trips, and produce media content for our partners. 

Lifted Trucks – Cactus Cup Team Trail – 

This is a team tournament series that consists of 8 events throughout the year. Teams of anglers come out to try and win money and bragging rights at each event. We offer high payouts for our teams, and with the partnerships we have with some great brands, we payouts prizes to teams out of the money with some amazing product and merch. 

Liars Korner Summer Series Team Trail – 

We host about 18 Summer events each year with the majority of the tournaments being night events that go from 6 pm – 12 am. This gives folks an opportunity to compete in the summer months. In June, we host Wednesday night events from 6 pm – 10 pm at Lake Pleasant, and the rest of the summer events take place on Saturdays at Bartlett Lake from 6 midnight. 

Guided Fishing Trips – 

On the water over 200 days per year and we take clients out with all sorts of experience levels. Whether you are brand new and want to learn or an experienced angler in town on business we cater to them all. 

Charity – We run two big charity events each year. The Lifted Trucks Charity Derby benefitting the Boys and Girls Clubs of Arizona, and the Liars Korner Open Benefitting Hospice of Arizona. We have a new one we are planning for spring of 2025 that will be a 3-day event with a concert, food trucks, and much more. Details to come soon. 

I think what I am most proud of is that I started this company on my own, with hard work, consistency, and patience. I knew I always wanted to guide on the side but would not do it until I felt I had put the time in and was confident I could give clients a great experience on the water. I feel fortunate that my job is something that people work their entire lives to do once they retire. I’ve been obsessed with fishing since I was a kid, and I am fortunate that I get to do something every day with something I really love. 

I think the things that sets us apart from other local fishing companies is we are the only brand that hosts tournaments and offers guide trips. It’s usually you do one or the other and we have both areas running very smoothly year-round. 

What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
I really believe that my ability to block out the noise is a huge part of FishIn48’s success. Regardless of what you do with your life, if you take the initiative to do something on your own you will always have haters. Whether it’s someone telling you your idea sucks, someone trying to steal your idea and compete with you, or criticism from people that were in the industry long before you. You will never have everyone like you or what you are doing. I have always had this ability, and I have always thought one of the most important qualities I have is not caring what other people think. If you don’t like what I am doing, great. I am going to keep pushing forward for myself and not let the opinion of others get in my way. 

Pricing:

• $450 (4 hour guide trip)
• $575 (6 hour guide trip)
• $700 (8 hour guide trip)
• $430 for Cactus Cup team entry per event
• $240 for all summer team events

Contact Info:

• Website: www.Fishin48.com
• Instagram: @Fishin48
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FishIn48
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@fishin4863