Hiring a guide

[Radnine]

I was watching Ramble hanging around with Pete Bowman again today (for the 200th time, I feel like I know Dave better than his mom) and it got me wondering a couple of things about guides.

1. How much is it (typically) to hire a guide?
   
2. Do you tip them at the end of the day/week?
   
3. Does every guide make you a shore lunch, or is that just on TV?
   
4. If one is new to a lake (say Rice Lake, or Sturgeon) would you all recommend hiring a guide for a day to show you some spots/techniques for the week?
   
5. If you are using a guide for the day when you are staying for the week, will they load you up with a weeks worth of spots and tips, or would that be job security suicide?
   
6. Does it make me less of a man if I hire a guide instead of pretending that I know enough to find fish on my own?
   
7. Has anyone ever hired a guide on a lake that wasn't from a resort that they were staying at?
   

Thanks in advance all!

Jim

[sonny]

1 usually guide prices vary from type of fishing,equipment needed and location

2 usally tips are welcome,,,but most deck hands work mainly for tips so a good idea to tip the deck hands for sure

3 shore lunch is usually provided by guides working out of a resort,,other provide for an extra fee(i think not to sure)

4 Yes always a good idea when fishing new waters,,,guides have a wealth of knowlege that they are more then willing to share!

5 I don't think they will show you everything but enough to get you started!

6 Even the pro's hire guides on new lakes!! Anyone can learn from others,,,I've fished for 30 years and am still learning!!

 

 

There's as much as i can answer from what i know!

[trapshooter]

How much is it (typically) to hire a guide?

 

Depending on experience, equipment (your boat or the guides) and number of people - $160-$400/day

 

Do you tip them at the end of the day/week?

 

Either way, it doesn't matter to me. Most of my guests tip at the end of their trip. Not getting tipped (which has never happened to me in 4 years) would send a clear message that you didn't have good experience at all.

 

Does every guide make you a shore lunch, or is that just on TV?

 

Depends what you want. Where I guide, shorelunch is included with every guided day on the water.

 

If one is new to a lake (say Rice Lake, or Sturgeon) would you all recommend hiring a guide for a day to show you some spots/techniques for the week?

 

It would definitely shorten your learning cure for that lake and (hopefully) have you on fish for your trip better then if you started from scratch, on your own. Definitley find out how much the guide is actually on that body of water. The more the guide fishes any particular lake, the more likely they will know what's going on with the fishing.

 

If you are using a guide for the day when you are staying for the week, will they load you up with a weeks worth of spots and tips, or would that be job security suicide?

 

Double edged sword for sure. This really depends on the individual guide. The best thing you can do is talk to perspective guides before hand and get a feel for these things you're wondering about.

 

Does it make me less of a man if I hire a guide instead of pretending that I know enough to find fish on my own?

 

No.

 

Has anyone ever hired a guide on a lake that wasn't from a resort that they were staying at?

 

No.

[TDunn]

I was watching Ramble hanging around with Pete Bowman again today (for the 200th time, I feel like I know Dave better than his mom) and it got me wondering a couple of things about guides.

1. How much is it (typically) to hire a guide?
   
2. Do you tip them at the end of the day/week?
   
3. Does every guide make you a shore lunch, or is that just on TV?
   
4. If one is new to a lake (say Rice Lake, or Sturgeon) would you all recommend hiring a guide for a day to show you some spots/techniques for the week?
   
5. If you are using a guide for the day when you are staying for the week, will they load you up with a weeks worth of spots and tips, or would that be job security suicide?
   
6. Does it make me less of a man if I hire a guide instead of pretending that I know enough to find fish on my own?
   
7. Has anyone ever hired a guide on a lake that wasn't from a resort that they were staying at?
   

Thanks in advance all!

Jim

 

 

1) Depends where....typical walleye/pike fishing lodges $100-$150 per day....Great Lakes and private guides I would say $200-$350 depending on a few factors....boat size, equipmet used, species, # of ppl in your party...really depends how hard the guide has to work also....

2) Tipping well its really your option...When i worked at a lodge i would say 99% of customers tipped....I would say yes always tip and tip accordingly to the service received. Lodge guides work their a$# off for tips....Award them.....

3) No not every guide does a shore lunch..Most walleye/ pike lodges do offer shore lunches...Im not sure if many great lakes guides offer this but i am going to lean towards no....

4) Yes i would recommend hirring a guide for say rice lake if you are not familar with that body of water. Besure to inform your guide on your intensions before returing to the area later in the week. Some will not like this as they might us the spot daily for other groups.

5) Same as the last questions pretty much. Just ask the guide right away before booking. If you are at a walleye lodge I am sure they would definitly agree to this but the private guys/charters I doubt will be as willing.

6) Heck no...If you are traveling x amount of km's speeding all that money just to get to the lodge, pay for your stay , food, all that....whats another $150 to makesure you have a trip of a lifetime and catch fish. Im sure everyone could find the fish but time is of the essence at a fishing lodge. You want to get on the fish asap and stay on them for your entire stay....eliminate your searching time by using a guide.

7) Yes i have and I would again

 

TDunn

[Radnine]

Okay, so you tip a guide. What is a reasonable tip for a guide (percentage)? And if you hire a guide on a lake (not at a resort) do you tip them or is it like not tipping the barber (cause he owns the shop and gets all the money anyway)?

Thanks again,

Jim

[Billy Bob]

I would say tipping a guide is like tipping anyone else. 20% would seem fair if he lived up to your expectations.

 

I have never used a guide but from what I have seen at some lodges that have guides they seem to tailor there approach to the clients they serve. When they get a bunch of folks that really don't fish much they REALLY take that into consideration.

 

At a very nice lodge I have used several times I walked down to my boat after breakfast was served and the guides were sitting a bench up against the boat house. I had been getting into a lot of walleyes the past two days in a bay less than 2 miles away but I noticed that the guides had blown right by my area going up river. When I asked them where they had been going the told me a area that was at least 10 miles away (they only had 20 hp) so it was a ride for them. I said I was getting a lot of action in Deer Bay so why were they going so far. The oldest guide (he still works there) said, "It's like in the army, when your marching your not fighting". This meant a 1 hour boat up and another 1 hour boat ride back was better than untangling lines, etc..... for the non fishermen he was guiding. They caught enough fish for group even though they could of done a LOT better closer to the lodge. BTW all the talk between the guides while I was getting things ready in the boat was how they were looking forward to golfing in the afternoon.

[Ramble]

Ditto what Ben said.

 

Only one thing 'd like too point out. Some lodges have a "tip pool" for part of the staff. This does not include your guide at 99% of the lodges. So if you don't tip him directly he doesnt get one. I have had a few of those and seen co-workers get shafted the same way.

 

I would say tipping a guide is like tipping anyone else. 20% would seem fair if he lived up to your expectations.

 

20% would be on the low side of things. The fact is your guide works harder and longer then most "anyone else" you would normally tip...assuming you have an average or better guide. Especially if the make a good shore lunch. Normally my tips are somewhere between 35-60% a day....that's an average....of what it costs to book the guide.

 

 

I have never used a guide but from what I have seen at some lodges that have guides they seem to tailor there approach to the clients they serve.

 

Very much so. Ypu don't wanna try and make people do something that they can't. Crashing through 3 footers to get to some far off pike bay for an hour isn't for everyone. I always talk to my guests to see what there ability is and how "hardcore" they are. Then take them somewhere easy and close 1st. At that point its pretty clear what their capabiliteis are. After that its pretty much up to them what they wanna do. I always talk to them before we take off for another spot.

 

At a very nice lodge I have used several times I walked down to my boat after breakfast was served and the guides were sitting a bench up against the boat house. I had been getting into a lot of walleyes the past two days in a bay less than 2 miles away but I noticed that the guides had blown right by my area going up river. When I asked them where they had been going the told me a area that was at least 10 miles away (they only had 20 hp) so it was a ride for them. I said I was getting a lot of action in Deer Bay so why were they going so far. The oldest guide (he still works there) said, "It's like in the army, when your marching your not fighting". This meant a 1 hour boat up and another 1 hour boat ride back was better than untangling lines, etc..... for the non fishermen he was guiding. They caught enough fish for group even though they could of done a LOT better closer to the lodge. BTW all the talk between the guides while I was getting things ready in the boat was how they were looking forward to golfing in the afternoon.

 

That is pretty bad review of those staff members. If your guests are tangling lines and fishing with them becomes a chore....the guide isn't doing something right. There is 101 tricks to deal with even the worst fisherman. Its our jobs as guides to get them on fish. That might mean teaching them how to jig, or cast properly. Sometimes things they do might rub you the wrong way, but that's part of the job. Your best bet when working with a guide is to listen to them. If they want to do something a certain way, they probably have a good reason. My very worst guests over the years were the guys who would not listen to my advice.

 

I have never seen the guides at our camp more preoccupied with something else. Fish come 1st. We have a bad day with a guest we talk about it among each other. We often share info on what spots are producing fish and what lures are working. Some days walleye fishing you can find all the guides drifiting together where the fish are biting best......somedays thats 100 feet off the end of the dock.

 

One of the imporant things to remember about the guides is that they talk. So you're not benefitting from one guys knowledge, you're benefiting from the collective shared knowledge. Trusting your guide, and putting your faith in their abilities is the best way of getting the best outa them.

 

ANyway i'm rambling here like a mad man. ANother thing to keep in mind if you don't like your guide ask to switch him.

 

-Dave