Guided trips

Just wondering what everyone’s opinion is on how my recent trip shook out. Not gonna publicly name names here cause I’m not that guy.
Recently took a trip to Grenada lake with a buddy of mine on a guided crappie trip. We loaded up and drove 6 hours from Georgia to fish with a guide and thought we were gonna really load up on some slabs. Two days before we were supposed to fish we had a storm with lots of rain that pretty much covered all of the south, the water levels were definitely up and it was sure to have some effect on the fishing. We got to the ramp met the guide turned out we were livescoping which is a method neither of us had much experience with but we planned to make the best of it. After a cold boat ride the guide grabs a pole and starts fishing telling us what to look for on the graph while he is fishing, we thought he was trying to figure out the fish and it seemed normal so we waited patiently. After 4.5 hours into an 8 hour trip and us watching him dropping jigs on 100 plus fish (according to livescope) he hands my buddy a rod. He gave it a few drops and we switched out but the guide would basically tell us to move the rod while he dropped a jig down on them. Soon the fishing was over and we headed back to the ramp, neither my buddy or me got a bite or caught a fish, the guide managed to catch a couple later in the day but that’s it.
So we basically paid a guide 450 dollars to watch him fish and a boat ride. I understand the weather had the fish screwed up and there’s nothing we can do about that, but things would have been different if we had got to fish most of the day. I left Mississippi very dissatisfied and heart broke that our trip wasn’t to good but after a couple weeks I’m thinking about another trip next spring.
Would like to spider rig or pull cranks next time instead of the livescope but that’s next years problem.
Im not trying to run the guy down or start anything just wondering what y’all’s thoughts are on a trip like this.
Thanks


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My clients pay me to take THEM fishing, not go fishing with me.


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Unless the trip was intended to teach you about Livescope & how to use it & fish with it, and you knew that beforehand, you wouldn't have anything to complain about. As you described it, I'd have been complaining the whole time. The guide wouldn't have gotten a tip, and I'd have been haggling about getting some of my money back. IMHO ... a guide shouldn't have a rod in his hand during the trip, unless he's "teaching" someone that's not familiar with that particular piece of equipment. :twocents

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Originally Posted by CrappiePappy

Unless the trip was intended to teach you about Livescope & how to use it & fish with it, and you knew that beforehand, you wouldn't have anything to complain about. As you described it, I'd have been complaining the whole time. The guide wouldn't have gotten a tip, and I'd have been haggling about getting some of my money back. IMHO ... a guide shouldn't have a rod in his hand during the trip, unless he's "teaching" someone that's not familiar with that particular piece of equipment. :twocents

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Yeah we had no clue that we were livescoping until the day of and had no interest in learning it.
I’ve never been on a guided trip where the guide fished


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I've heard too many bad stories like this. Granted the conditions were not that favorable, a good guide would have some kind of a contingency plan for that. Livescope is not that easy to learn especially the first time experiencing it. It usually takes anyone 100 hours to get any level of proficiency with livescope. I think on your next trip talk to your guides before you book and find one that will spider rig or pull crankbaits. Wish you better luck on your next guided trip.

Sounds like a tuff trip. From my experience with the guides I’ve been out with. They put me in the seat and my guest in the seat beside me up front. If we are livescoping , he then coaches us up on when to set hook and where to cast. If it’s slow they may even cast the pole some to give you the feel of how to live scope. I’ve fished with an old fireman on Sardis and consider him an friend . He spider rigs, and is very successful. I’ve also livescoped on Grenada with another guide with much success. I’ve always limited out on guide trips so I’m not use to your story. My last guide trip was on Martin and we had 60 slabs with two guest. It sounds like you had a bad condition day and your guide had an off day. I’m curious as to how you located your guide was he recommended or did you locate him on your own? I know some guides that will work their butts off for you to put you on fish. PM if you wants some names I’m not an expert but I’ve always caught fish on my trips. The guides have caught a few helping us get acclimated to the style and lake. But then we ultimately caught the fish.

I do realize it is hard to catch fish that have just been slammed with an influx of rain water. That being said I would have a hard time taking the full agreed upon amount if my clients didn't boat the first fish. I am not a Guide. Seems like a career path that has a lot of variables stacked against your success. Certainly a job where one would need some food backup plans

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Originally Posted by CrappiePappy

Unless the trip was intended to teach you about Livescope & how to use it & fish with it, and you knew that beforehand, you wouldn't have anything to complain about. As you described it, I'd have been complaining the whole time. The guide wouldn't have gotten a tip, and I'd have been haggling about getting some of my money back. IMHO ... a guide shouldn't have a rod in his hand during the trip, unless he's "teaching" someone that's not familiar with that particular piece of equipment. :twocents

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:hesaid I feel like the guide should have told you up front before the trip the way they would be catching them. Or options on how you would like to try catching them. Like CrappiePappy said unless they are teaching livescope they shouldn’t be catching the fish. I would have complained…. :twocents

Sounds like you had a combination of bad timing and a guide that is new to crappie fishing and only knows how to live scope.
I’ve only been with a guide once, years ago. ( it was saltwater) I’ve heard many will give you some money back on days when it’s bad or another day for free to keep their reputation.
Sorry to hear you had a bad trip. I would have been very disappointed too.




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Guided trips should be about clients catching fish!


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Originally Posted by Rigderunner

Just wondering what everyone’s opinion is on how my recent trip shook out. Not gonna publicly name names here cause I’m not that guy.
Recently took a trip to Grenada lake with a buddy of mine on a guided crappie trip. We loaded up and drove 6 hours from Georgia to fish with a guide and thought we were gonna really load up on some slabs. Two days before we were supposed to fish we had a storm with lots of rain that pretty much covered all of the south, the water levels were definitely up and it was sure to have some effect on the fishing. We got to the ramp met the guide turned out we were livescoping which is a method neither of us had much experience with but we planned to make the best of it. After a cold boat ride the guide grabs a pole and starts fishing telling us what to look for on the graph while he is fishing, we thought he was trying to figure out the fish and it seemed normal so we waited patiently. After 4.5 hours into an 8 hour trip and us watching him dropping jigs on 100 plus fish (according to livescope) he hands my buddy a rod. He gave it a few drops and we switched out but the guide would basically tell us to move the rod while he dropped a jig down on them. Soon the fishing was over and we headed back to the ramp, neither my buddy or me got a bite or caught a fish, the guide managed to catch a couple later in the day but that’s it.
So we basically paid a guide 450 dollars to watch him fish and a boat ride. I understand the weather had the fish screwed up and there’s nothing we can do about that, but things would have been different if we had got to fish most of the day. I left Mississippi very dissatisfied and heart broke that our trip wasn’t to good but after a couple weeks I’m thinking about another trip next spring.
Would like to spider rig or pull cranks next time instead of the livescope but that’s next years problem.
Im not trying to run the guy down or start anything just wondering what y’all’s thoughts are on a trip like this.
Thanks


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come to Texas and go with one of our local boys , it wont be nothing like that trip for sure ....just saying

A couple things caught my attention here. Every venture is a two sided coin, and 50.00 is a sizable chunk of change for me. 1. It should have been agreed upon, before booking the trip, How you were going to fish. Be it Live scope, single poling, Pushing, pulling, or what have you. 2. In my opinion, there was a better way of showing you the method of fishing with live scope, other than the guide grabbing the first pole off the rack and starting to fish, saying look here fellas, I'm gonna fish, you watch and you'll learn. Unless that's what you agreed upon beforehand. Kinda reminds me of a video I seen where a young top professional crappie fisherman who guides when not on the trail, had some folks out and was supposed to be guiding them. Most of the video the guide was fishing wi
while the others were Which brings up my other point, why wasn't something said long before .5 hours into the trip??? I could see maybe 30 min. but unless the customer is dumb as a rock, they should have a grip on what to do. Show them, put them in the seat, assist them as needed. My opinion. Hope you have a better experience next time.

Always ask if they don't tell you , how you will fish . Most people are switching over to livescope . There are folks that can not and will not be good at dropping on a fish watching a screen . They will not like it. But many want to learn livescope . I have seen guys that were suppose to be great fishermen that can't put a bait where it suppose to go . Many just trolled cranks or spider rigged . It does take some skills and I have even got in a boat with local guides that bought livescope and tried to help them . Even if you had been trolling or spider rigging it may have just been a bad day with the flood . But guide should not have charged you or atleast offered a free trip another time .

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Originally Posted by M R Dux

My clients pay me to take THEM fishing, not go fishing with me.


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Doug is the best guide I have ever met and fished with. He teaches, and explains methods and techniques. Generous with his knowledge and time. He will answer all your questions too. He will get you on the fish and if the fish cooperate you will take some fillets home.

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Originally Posted by Jamesdean

A couple things caught my attention here. Every venture is a two sided coin, and 50.00 is a sizable chunk of change for me. 1. It should have been agreed upon, before booking the trip, How you were going to fish. Be it Live scope, single poling, Pushing, pulling, or what have you. 2. In my opinion, there was a better way of showing you the method of fishing with live scope, other than the guide grabbing the first pole off the rack and starting to fish, saying look here fellas, I'm gonna fish, you watch and you'll learn. Unless that's what you agreed upon beforehand. Kinda reminds me of a video I seen where a young top professional crappie fisherman who guides when not on the trail, had some folks out and was supposed to be guiding them. Most of the video the guide was fishing wi
while the others were Which brings up my other point, why wasn't something said long before .5 hours into the trip??? I could see maybe 30 min. but unless the customer is dumb as a rock, they should have a grip what to do. Show them, put them in the seat, assist them as needed. My opinion. on Hope you have a better experience next time.

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Some guys never could catch with me and I resorted to holding a pole dobbing a jig on surface of water so they knew where to drop the bait . Some you will tell the Crappie ate your bait . They would say no he did not bite . Finally tell them to lift their pole . Then they hollar a got a big one . :crazy: Some folks need to go with old school where they sit on a brush top with a minnow under a bobber or troll . It should be understood upfront what method and skills the folks have in advance .:twocents I have an old Bass fishing friend that has been in my boat several times that cannot see his jig on livescope and took 12 year old kids that picked it up in an hour of instruction . I can see guides getting frustrated when they have folks wanting to livescope but can't put a jig in front of the transducer . It takes skills many will never have . Some of my old fishing buddies can go in my boat and never see their jig . Then take another one and catch over 100 a day on same lake and conditions . Took one buddy last month and he started telling me not to let him pitch at every fish . We quit at 2 pm and counter showed over 150. We are both in our 60's . Have taken some in their 80's that do good and some that should not be in a boat . Always remember some will gripe no matter what . Used to take Catfishermen out and they kept a limit in an hour and still complain .

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Originally Posted by Rigderunner

After 4.5 hours into an 8 hour trip and us watching him dropping jigs on 100 plus fish

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So you watched him fish for 4 1/2 hours without saying anything?

When I've gotten guides in the past it is always discussed how we'll fish up front. I absolutely tell the crappie guide I do not want to spider rig period and only want to single pole. Bass guides, no live bait and I want to cast - Bay fishing I want to wade and or cast not watch a bobber and not fond of live bait but have been talked into using shrimp.

Not always the guides fault . I saw years ago pull up to a brushpile and fishermen said they are not biting . Ask them to hand me a pole drop in and catch one . Pay attention to the one instructing you not do what you always did . Some folks want to learn new techniques but know ahead of time how you will fish . Have seen times where we had to hand someone a pole with set length of line and a jig . Tell them to hold it and let us move boat to the brushpile .:dono

I may be new to guided trips in Mississippi but I’m definitely NOT new to fishing especially crappie fishing.
I feel like I should have never had to ask anybody that is guiding me to fish. I already did that when booking the trip.
I should have made it clear how we would be fishing before hand but I didn’t. Regardless of weather conditions or anything else we should have had a rod in our hand dipping the jig most of the day. We never changed spots or jig colors either


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Originally Posted by Rigderunner

I feel like I should have never had to ask anybody that is guiding me to fish. [/url]

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I'm not saying you did anything wrong just that there is no way I would pay to watch my paid guide fish for 4.5 hours without saying something. I wouldn't wait 1 hour even with my best friend!

I have been on three guided trips and two were great while one was horrible. The horrible guy was not really a guide but a retired guy who lived on the lake and took folks out for a fee. It was a white bass trip and between of the four of us we caught one fish. He was cheap so I felt like a did learn the lake which had some value. My second trip was a white bass trip and we were doing horrible until we accidently ran into a school of them. We limited out that day. My third trip was with a well known crappie guy and this was pre-live scope. We were fishing a treeline along the river channel and the guide advised we would catch 2 or 3 fish per tree and then move to the next tree. He was exactly right and we caught a limit. I have never had a guide fish while we were on a trip. I do have a guide friend who would take me on his scouting trips all the time because he hated fishing along. I always gave him $50 for his hospitality. Always ask questions before booking a trip.

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Originally Posted by Rigderunner

I may be new to guided trips in Mississippi but I’m definitely NOT new to fishing especially crappie fishing.
I feel like I should have never had to ask anybody that is guiding me to fish. I already did that when booking the trip.
I should have made it clear how we would be fishing before hand but I didn’t. Regardless of weather conditions or anything else we should have had a rod in our hand dipping the jig most of the day. We never changed spots or jig colors either


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Sounds like you just had a bad experience and I hope that you continue to take guide trips. Most guides I know and follow will work their tails off to put their clients on fish. I do agree if the guide thinks conditions are going to be tough that he should convey this to the customer as early as possible. Most of the really good guides have been doing it long before Livescope came out. They are very good at many other techniques also. Seems like a lot of new guides have popped up since Livescope came out. Wouldn't hurt to ask for a few references to call if you don't know someone personally that has recently fished with that particular guide.

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Originally Posted by Rigderunner

I may be new to guided trips in Mississippi but I’m definitely NOT new to fishing especially crappie fishing.
We never changed spots or jig colors either


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If we are not catching we are moving but colors are more important to fishermen . IMO:ThumbsUp

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Originally Posted by Rigderunner

Just wondering what everyone’s opinion is on how my recent trip shook out. Not gonna publicly name names here cause I’m not that guy.
Recently took a trip to Grenada lake with a buddy of mine on a guided crappie trip. We loaded up and drove 6 hours from Georgia to fish with a guide and thought we were gonna really load up on some slabs. Two days before we were supposed to fish we had a storm with lots of rain that pretty much covered all of the south, the water levels were definitely up and it was sure to have some effect on the fishing. We got to the ramp met the guide turned out we were livescoping which is a method neither of us had much experience with but we planned to make the best of it. After a cold boat ride the guide grabs a pole and starts fishing telling us what to look for on the graph while he is fishing, we thought he was trying to figure out the fish and it seemed normal so we waited patiently. After 4.5 hours into an 8 hour trip and us watching him dropping jigs on 100 plus fish (according to livescope) he hands my buddy a rod. He gave it a few drops and we switched out but the guide would basically tell us to move the rod while he dropped a jig down on them. Soon the fishing was over and we headed back to the ramp, neither my buddy or me got a bite or caught a fish, the guide managed to catch a couple later in the day but that’s it.
So we basically paid a guide 450 dollars to watch him fish and a boat ride. I understand the weather had the fish screwed up and there’s nothing we can do about that, but things would have been different if we had got to fish most of the day. I left Mississippi very dissatisfied and heart broke that our trip wasn’t to good but after a couple weeks I’m thinking about another trip next spring.
Would like to spider rig or pull cranks next time instead of the livescope but that’s next years problem.
Im not trying to run the guy down or start anything just wondering what y’all’s thoughts are on a trip like this.
Thanks


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I believe I would have spoken up after about 5 minutes.
Sorry for your bad experience.
I am an old man but I would have filled that boat full of uppercuts. Lol
Or maybe He would have gone swimming!!
Probably zero liability insurance.
Don’t know if guides have to be inspected and licensed in Mississippi.
Sounds like they should be.



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Dang. That really stinks. Hate it for you. Now I’m worried as a buddy and I are going soon. Will be our first time. I’ve been so excited I can hardly stand it. I know everyone is Livescoping and I do want to try it. But talked on the phone gif a while with our guide and he discussed that we will be at the mercy of the fish. Might Livescope. Might fish structure. Might cast to shore. Might wade.

Sorry you had such a bad day. Don’t give up. There are better people out there. And fish can be caught all year. Heat if the summer or cold December water. The belly might not be swollen bet they can still be thick and long.

Dayton.

I have been on alot of guided trips to different lakes. This same thing happened to me on Weiss a few years ago. Not livescope but the guide started out fishing & didn't even give out a pole to us. Was just telling us how he was catching fish as he was catching a few. We finally did get a pole in hand but after about 4hrs I had enough & told him we came out to fish so let's call this a 1/2 day & go in cause I'm over it. To me a good guide will help & teach you the lake you are on. He may wet a line to show what to do but you should catch the fish. When you find a good one tip them good & return on a regular basis. I have really only had 2 bad experiences & they were both on Weiss.

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I feel like it's ok for the guide to fish also as long as he's demonstrating the proper techniques to use. The clients should be using the same rods, baits, etc. I know with Livescope, sometimes the best way to teach inexperienced anglers is for the guide to barely touch the water with their jig right where the client should drop on the fish. Also, if the clients don't catch their full limits of crappie the guide can include his catch for them to take home also. As long as this doesn't make them exceed their limits. Never seen any complaints about that!