Just curious how everyone feels about guided trips? Say you fish with a guide 1 day and go back to his spots the next 2 days, is this acceptable? I have mixed emotions on this subject. Maybe some guides will chime in as well.
Thanks,
Abu65
Printable View
Just curious how everyone feels about guided trips? Say you fish with a guide 1 day and go back to his spots the next 2 days, is this acceptable? I have mixed emotions on this subject. Maybe some guides will chime in as well.
Thanks,
Abu65
I hired a catfish guide here in Oklahoma, he showed me some of his spots, bait and fishing, on our common home lake. He expected his clients to use the info they were given. I wouldn't go there if he was there, especially with clients, but I asked for a trip that included certain types of fishing. I think a guide that is fishing a lake his client likes, is foolish to not expect you to use the info given. Just the nature of the biz.
Ask him up front. Tell him you are looking for a few spots to keep you busy for the weekend. Most likely he will not have a problem sharing a couple of spots with you. If he does, find someone else. I would definitely not recommend gps'ing his spots without permission though. Unless of course he takes you to a community fishing hole, then its fair game.
If I pay for a guide it is to find fish. I will mark all spots we go to on my own GPS. That is given. The guides do know this and if they are good guides they wont say anything about you marking the spots. If they do then they are not worth going with in my opinion. It is just like if you were out fishing yourself and saw the guide fishing at a spot with clients and you went to the same spot to fish after they leave.
No guide "OWNS" any spots he goes to. It is a community lake and everyone can fish any spot they like on a lake. So any info about hot spots or locations your guide shows you is fair game.
Most guides I know do not share or show their "best" spots anyway. They save those for themselves. The best guides have many locations and enjoy showing people good spots so they can come back later and enjoy themselves. The fish may not be there all the time anyway so they don't care.
The best thing you can do is ask the guide. If I have a client out and they tell me up front they are looking for a place to fish during their stay after they fish with me, I will do my best to put them on some fish that they can stay with for a few days. I will put them on fish where I won't be fishing the next day. I only fish 3-4 days a week when I'm fishing so it's easy for me to use a lot of water to keep from bumping into the priors days party.Quote:
Originally Posted by Abu65
There's a lot of water out there and all of the fish are not sitting on the stumps, trees or brush piles that I fish. Some enjoy catching more than fishing. When I do not have a trip, I don't fish places I take clients.
I think most guides expect clients to return to locations fished during guide trips, and some will even mark a map showing other areas to try on future trips. Most guides get clients through "word-of-mouth" advertising and want each and every client to have a great time and then go home and tell friends and family about it, in the hope that it will generate more business for him and his lake.
I personally would not. If you ask upfront that might ok. Just seems wrong to me.if someone was gps marking my brush piles I would get mad to that a lot of time and $
Guiding goes a couple of different ways.
1.) You are taking a person or group of people out for a specific time to target fish (usually specific fish). Something they normally don't get to do.
2.) You are "guiding" them into learning tips, tricks, tactics, what places to look for, where to look, and so on. You are teaching.
When guiding in Lake Michigan, all of our clients were in the above two catagories. They would say upfront "we are looking to learn how to put more fish in the box". They want to know what to look for, where to go on what wind conditions, what to fish with, what depth and so on...... You do your very best in the timeframe you have to show them as much as you know to "help" them. Many of these people never had successful individuals take them out before. At times, you give them locations to go (if they ask). Many guides would rather do this as opposed to having 15 boats following their every move. It makes it tough when you run 20 rods out your boat with some as long as 500 yards. I would rather avoid a tangle and show them where to go or how to work with others.
As for anyone owning a lake or a spot.... that is true however, you have to remember that these people work hard to find fish. Some people always take the easy road and perform "binnocular scouting". Instead of letting them do the work.... why not ask them "why" they are fishing a spot. I'm not sure about others, but I fish for the challenge of finding the fish, learning how to interprit the weather and wind, the tempurature changes. Yes, I enjoy catching fish, but I enjoy the chase..... I like to hunt too. Wouldn't be near as much fun if someone tied a deer to a pole on my farm and then showed me exactly where to go to find it.
I've had many people NOT hire me to guide yet come up to me at my dock, strike up a conversation and ask questions. I am always eager to share. I worked on word of mouth. It is always nice to hear a thank you on the radio later on when your tips, tricks and advice helped that person bag a fish of a lifetime.
Lastly, I have several friends that still guide (I do not anymore). This last spring, many of them removed ALL stickers, decals, and association from their boats. The reason was simple.... Binnocular scouting was taking a toll on locations that they worked very very hard to find. We work on a "no fish, no pay" system sometimes. Those pre fished environments can be crucial to your business. Your right, no one owns a spot.. however, would you go there if you didn't see someone else there?
Great Thread. Best advice, just ask... even if you are not a paying customer, more than likely anyone who is a "true fisherman" will put that before being a guide and will be more than happy to help you out.
Genuine. I like that.Quote:
Originally Posted by wicklundrh
Well said wicklundrh! Fishing is a guides job. I would fill like I was stilling for them. Ask first!
I wouldn't go back to the spots that the guide took me but go to the depths he took me to. Just remember they put in a lot of work and time and expense to put out that structure so he can take some else there. I'm not gonna a mooch off of someone else's work sand effort. But that's just my opinion
A guides job is to put you on fish and show ya what it takes to catch em. I don't charge much but make it clear no GPS allowed in my boat. But I will give them some spots (gps coordinates). I have had folks say other guides let them mark everything fished. My question to them is what did they charge ? Usually it is 2 to 3 times what i charge. I tell them if they will pay me the same then bring GPS , but they decline . On my Catfishing trips they are spots I bait almost daily so it is definitely a no GPS rule. Most understand and some even thank me later when they take info learned home and repeat the process.
I would not do it . you might ask for advise as to where to try . No he does not own the lake but Would be as professional as he was when he was guiding .:twocents
I'm on the fence about this. pressed to answer I would say to have the courtesy to ask first and be prepared for the answer to go either way. It's a persons livelihood and time and money have been invested. If I was to pay top dollar for the service I would like to have the spots to return to, but also realize that regardless whether you get the spots or not, you are being taught. Those lessons will build your confidence, got a price for that?
I'm on the fence about. A guide cost a lot of money. But I would feel like I was cheating him and have trouble looking him in the eyes if I was in the same spot the next day. I wonder if being from out of state would make a difference you wouldnt be there but a couple days so it really wouldnt hurt. On the other side I wonder if you asked up front if he would take you to worse spots knowing you were coming back.
I heard somewhere " treat others as you would like to be treated". Be up front, and do your best to not take advantage of the man, it will be what it will be.
I would definitely ask first and communicate what you are looking for in a trip. Choosing a guide that fits your needs is very important. It's a no no to bring a GPS on any gulf offshore guides boats. They will end the trip and escort you to the bank. I would accommodate a group as far as finding fish for a trip, but would want to know in advance to be prepared. When you go to the grocery store and buy bread they don't give you the keys to the store. Spots aren't what you should want out of a guide trip. Some want a great fishing experience, some want to learn.
LikeQuote:
Originally Posted by skeetbum
Unless he is fishing them when you pull up and you try to set up right on top of him, I dont see what the problem would be.Quote:
Originally Posted by Abu65
Even if he were to pull up while you were fishing I would assume a good guide would have more than one spot.
As said before, let them know your intentions. That said, the rudest people fishing in the Mosquito Lagoon and Indian River lagoon here are guides. Not all of them, but a few are just down right jackwagons.