Serious question for you crankbait guides

I know how I handle things for my snow goose hunts and how lots of typical crappie guides handle bait, gas, etc.

My question is this: if you have clients who want to pull crankbaits, do you get compensated for the baits you might lose on that outing? I know you guys pulling the Big 4 probably fish more open water than we do up here on KY and Barkley Lakes. We hardly ever see a thermocline and are forced to take our baits into areas near drops or cover. Drops and cover mean hang-ups and lost baits. I have gone to heavier line that has helped a bunch but there are just times a bait is hung to where the snap breaks/releases or you just break off.

Do you absorb that expense or pass it along to clients? How do you figure the expense? I know a guide friend of mine had a teenager throw a $300 spinning outfit into Barkley in a fit of rage over losing a fish. He demanded the father reimburse him and he did, begrudgingly.

I know damaged decoys and gear are just a cost of doing business on snow goose hunts and I have to figure that into my budget. One of those days when you lose a double handful of cranks could break a budget pretty quick.

Thoughts?

That's a tricky question. I'd almost lean toward the cost of doing business as far as the crankbaits. Someone throws my equipment in the lake in a fit of rage, they will reimburse me then get taken straight back to the ramp. Their day is over.
I'd look into replacing the hooks split rings with lighter rings so perhaps you only lose a hook instead of the entire bait. Braid line combined with the lighter rings may save a fortune in baits.

Not sure if there are light wire treble hooks that will straighten out before the line breaks???

That's a tough one I guess you could let them know that's not your typical way of targeting crappie for that heavy of structure lake but if that is what they want to do they need to sign a waver for equipment reimbursement maybe 50% the cost just to help you out. Or just have it specified in you guide form showing pulling cranks at a higher over all price due to equipment that needs to be used.

I would say its a cost of doing business also. You could always raise the crankbait trips 25.00 to cover cranks and if you didn't lose any you could rebate the money to your clients and Im sure that would make you look great to them for doing that. Have to remember if your paying 5 bucks for a crankbait, after you use it a couple of times its only worth 2.50 if you wanted to sell it, so if you loose 4 or 5 it really wouldn't be much more than minners and spider rigs at the end of the day.

Just part of the gig. Aint nobody reimbursing me for anything we break or lose in my boat. Its my fault most times for not doing a better job coaching. I have never met a guide so cheap he made clients reimburse bait, tackle, etc. Some do get reimbursed fuel for long hauls though.

I asked this because I have several friends who are licensed guides and will probably be dealing with this scenario in the future. None of them have been able to talk me into the guiding deal for crappie.

Client pays for them anyway. Whether you rent or whether you buy, you pay for the house you occupy. It's figured in.

Never mind all that. People pay to shoot snow geese? Dang.

Now announcing....Wannabe's Armadillo Guide Service.

Wannabe...

I don't know anything about guiding, but it seem's like it is the guides fault if they get hung up. The customer is not running the boat. As far as what that kid did, the customer should reimburse and would not be booked again. I used to fish off shore on a charter in the gulf once in a while. Had 2 incidents. My b-i-l had a fish hit the fish he was cranking up and pulled the rod in. The captain made an a** of his self and yelled he wanted reimbursement. Soon after, my dad caught the string and pulled up the rod.(200 ft deep, had a fish head on the hook) My b-i-l enjoyed giving it to the captain, in a much more gentlemanly way. The other incident on another trip, we stopped over a sunken boat in 90 ft of water and the captain kept saying wait. Finally he yelled lines out. After 20 seconds he hit the throttle and hung us all up. He decided to cut the lines and head in. Then he tried to charge $10 for each rig we lost. We said no way and things got loud. The charter boat owner (hardison for you La. guys) came out of his office to see what the fuss was. We ended up not paying the extra and got the trip reduced by $100. Anyway my point is the guide should pay for the baits. Part of doing business.

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Originally Posted by bird down

Just part of the gig. Aint nobody reimbursing me for anything we break or lose in my boat. Its my fault most times for not doing a better job coaching. I have never met a guide so cheap he made clients reimburse bait, tackle, etc. Some do get reimbursed fuel for long hauls though.

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Yep, spot on.

Just the price of doing bidness, you can get split rings that release at a pre-set poundage, say if your useing 40# braid like me, get you some 30# splitrings.

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Originally Posted by MrGoodtime

Just the price of doing bidness, you can get split rings that release at a pre-set poundage, say if your useing 40# braid like me, get you some 30# splitrings.

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From Jan's???

Id fish with a guy ONCE if he charged me for lost gear!!!!!! That's what Tips are for. That and a good job by the guide, regardless of the fish caught. Guides are not GODS. They can't make em bite on a slow day, but as long as they give you their best effort, they earned a tip. It cost the guide just as much for a bad day as is does a good one.

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Originally Posted by BigRiverMarine

Id fish with a guy ONCE if he charged me for lost gear!!!!!! That's what Tips are for. That and a good job by the guide, regardless of the fish caught. Guides are not GODS. They can't make em bite on a slow day, but as long as they give you their best effort, they earned a tip. It cost the guide just as much for a bad day as is does a good one.

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That is my philosophy on waterfowling. I put out the same effort and expenses regardless of a good day, a GREAT DAY, or a bad day.

This post wasn't to get anybody riled up toward guides. It came as a result of a conversation that took place a couple of days ago with a buddy of mine. I've had folks who fished with me on invite offer to pay for lost gear, gas, drinks, etc and I rarely accept anything other than the chance to fish with them some time in return.

No doubt if you fish long enough you will run into that "buddy" who will tear up your gear, eat all your food, show up late, and take advantage of any spots you show him but never have his wallet or be able to help with anything but is always willing to take all the fish you catch and fell obliged to tell everybody he knows about his great new fishing spots. As a guide you just have to deal with them. As just a fisherman, you forget his number and don't answer when it shows up on caller ID.

I lost ten Bandits on a day at Grenada a while back....just the way it goes. All bait, tackle and gear is provided. When I buy baits, the receipt goes in my file for tax purposes...it all comes out in the wash.

I owned a roofing business for almost ten years. If I was bidding a job that I knew may give me trouble, my price reflected that. This was to cover any unexpected expenses. The customer understood that when they signed the contract. If not, they went somewhere else. I treat the clients that I guide same way. A good business man doesn't ask for more money when the job is done, but if he does a good job he usually gets it anyway. JMO

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Originally Posted by BigRiverMarine

Id fish with a guy ONCE if he charged me for lost gear!!!!!! That's what Tips are for. That and a good job by the guide, regardless of the fish caught. Guides are not GODS. They can't make em bite on a slow day, but as long as they give you their best effort, they earned a tip. It cost the guide just as much for a bad day as is does a good one.

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I would say it cost a guide MORE on a bad day, I burn way more fuel on a bad day and most trips fuel is one of your biggest expenses.

I've been doing this for 30+ Yrs. We work 10 times harder on bad days than good. Price of doing business.