Hiring a guide, not all like Mike

[Old Ironmaker]

Hopefully as tempertures drop and winds blow colder more real fishing reports will start coming in and I can then live vicariously through others exploits and this winternet thing will die down. But until then.............

 

I really enjoyed reading Mike Borgers latest submission and enjoyed it as usual. I had the pleasure of Dan Columbys company and his Musky expertise on the West Arm of Nipissing this past September and because of Danny I knocked down my fish species bucket list by 1. And Danny has to be amongst the top of the list of the 20 or so charters and guides I have experienced over the years.

 

As I was reading Mikes fantastic trip report he alluded to the fact that his guests couldn't have been 2 better guys as they had much in common and got along very well. I wondered what if a guide meets a customer or a few customers for a day, or worse for a weekend, and they just dont get along. I guess it is a skill a guide must have and that is very tolerant and able to get along with everyone. I know I will never be guiding anyone in this lifetime. But there are jerk bait guys that show up for a charter half or all in the bag after pulling an all nighter puking all over a guys boat and tackle. I have one story that goes exactly like that. No not me, it was one of the guys that split the charter with us and we had never met him. I knew the charter guy fairly well and knew he wanted to strangle him. I could not take it anymore as he was being an a hole on my dime and either the Capt. dropped him off on shore or I was going to drop his almost sober pal and him offshore. Then there was the charter for Walleye we booked out of Port. Colbourne. The guide had 2 more helpers onboard plus the 3 of us and and only 4 places to sit in a cramped Bayliner Trojan. I nearly threw them overboard too when it became obvious they were pre fishing a tourney and making 75 year old Ozzie stand while they sat in our seats, not for long after I noticed it. Helper number 2 would pull the rod and forget to hand it off to a paying customer. We paid what we agreed to even though we could have disputed it. I gave him a tip, get some overtime shifts at GM to pay for his gas. I went around the plant and posted our experience in all the canteens, at the Union Hall and a few lunchrooms. I think the plant fishing club talked about them too at a meeting. We had over 12,000 guys working back then. He did not get any charters from anyone in that plant I guarantee you that and never heard about him again.

 

Have a horror guide or charter story please share until some good reports come in from this weekend.

 

JD.

Edited January 3, 2015 by Old Ironmaker

[solopaddler]

I've only ever had one really bad experience as a guide and it happened many years ago. I was fishing a very large remote lake with a father and his two young daughters. Weather was nasty which always makes things more difficult.

The girls were great, but the dad...words cannot describe.

 

Constant complaints about lack of fish even though his two girls were hauling in walleye hand over fist. We made a 45 minute run to a remote bay to cast for pike. He took one cast with his baitcaster and snarled it into a horrible birds nest. I handed him one of my own rods which was always in the boat - same deal, instant birds nest. Then he yelled at me saying there was no fish in this spot.

 

Around lunch time with wind and rain pelting down I asked them if they'd like a fire to warm up. "Of course you idiot!" were his words. Finding a sheltered spot under a canopy of trees I went about the task of making fire. It's always been something I've prided myself on even when everything's wet. I had cut and split some dry wood and set it up in the pit then went into the bush to find some dry tinder. While I was gone, (maybe 3 minutes?) he poured a bunch of gas all over my split wood taking it from the boat tank using an empty beer can. He didn't say a word to me and I honestly had no clue. When I crouched down to light the fire it flared up like a bomb and burned my eyebrows almost off. He actually laughed. Amazingly I kept my cool.

 

The next two days they fished alone, and mainly for the girls sake I outfitted them all with proper jigging rods since all of their gear was garbage. Came back in from a long day on the water with another guest and all 3 of my spinning rods were leaning against the door of my cabin broken. They'd flown out that morning without saying a word. No apology, no tip, no nothing. Great guy he was LOL!

 

Like I said in my post I believe most anglers are kindred spirits but there are exceptions.

[Terry]

at shinningtree I know the water pretty well on the lakes I fish

 

a guy in the cabin next to us got to talking with us and said no fish and the worst year ever according to a guide and said too bad hat I wasn't doing well too

 

I told him I was having a good trip...yeah he said he saw we never brought in any fish so he knows we aren't catching

I said I don't keep fish till Wednesday when we have a fish fry

 

he said bull, he has been paying a guide every day.....I whipped out the camera and showed him pictures.he couldn't believe the fish we caught

 

just then his guide showed up the worst looking piece of crap boat I have ever seen

 

off they went

 

later in the day I saw them going back to the camp, I headed in , they got 1 fish

 

the guide pulled me aside and offered me a 100 bucks to show him where I am fishing...I said no

 

I took the guy from the other cabin out and showed him some spots, they were not my best spots, they were not even good spots but they had the same conditions as my good spots .. we fished for half an hour I caught two walleye he caught 1 and a pike, he was happier then hell and the rest of the stay was great for him and didn't cost an extra 200 bucks a day...I could not believe the guide makes a living like that

[Bondy]

I would say that 99.9% of people that hire guides are good all around people. They just love to fish and tell fishing stories. I only brought one guy back to the dock in 21 years of guiding. Nothing pleased this guy so I told him since none of us were having fun, we were done. I was happy to let him rot in his hotel room for day two as well. But again that happened only once in all these years.

[manitoubass2]

I've only had friends guide me to new places to fish lol.

 

I bet for every angler that hired a bad guide there is a 1000 anglers that the guide hates haha

[outllaw]

I ran a charterboat fer years on lsc and erie. while most are great folks that want to have a fun day . theres the ones that will stiff you bounced cheques, broken equipment and of course the chummers..

[aplumma]

I guide about 10 trips a year on my boat and every once in a while I get a bad customer. Most people do things out of ignorance so we have an introductory speech before we cast off the lines that outlines what to do if an emergency arises and what is appropriate boat behavior. We had a few excessive drinkers on the boat (legal drinking on my boat due to head and sleep quarters) they were not the primary charter so we requested the charter to not invite them next time. Since I supply all of the equipment it does get a few knocks during the season but so far anyone who has been the breaker has offered to pay for the damage. I would have lots more bad stories I guess if I was a public charter but it is all referrals so I can pick and chose my charters.

 

 

Art

[Moosebunk]

Have certainly catered to many over the years, guided if you will but never directly paid as such. And each year for a number of years people often wanted to get on board for different trips which would first be researched and arranged, then always booked at an equally reduced and fair rate for all. Being the planner who puts it together, I often felt it my duty to try and ensure everyone enjoyed themselves, and because so, during the trips I pretty well always took the reigns for the meals which, 90% of the time were prepared for and served by me. This somewhat puts other people on your schedule if they want to eat their plentiful portions hot from the cabin or camp stove. 90% of the time, this wouldn’t be an issue for myself or others, for anglers on a fishing trip are generally eager and happy to spend as much time fishing as they can. Getting to relax a little more too as things are taken care of for them. Experienced planning and personal hard work, much like guiding, allows for this. But yet I have an example of efforts that didn’t work out too well one time.

 

Over the winter it was decided to hit up a huge lake. New area but plenty experience there, like always, I began researching everything such as the fishing, accommodations and the especially the lake. It all got mapped out, safe harbors, camping and all known and potential spots for targeted species. Secondly, a full meal plan got drawn up and from that, a complete grocery list which had only what would be needed, eaten, leaving little to waste and keeping everyone’s costs minimal. Full big breakfasts, sandwiches, wraps and snacks thru the day, and huge dinners often with dessert planned out and made daily for our trip. Once booked I kept the guys informed of other things such as travel and accommodation plans, deposits, food costs and made sure all were OK with it and paid up. This one time too, on this trip said, because of some past difficulties, I even set up a “savings” plan schedule to help ensure this one friend would meet his share of the cost and be able to join us. I hadn’t tripped with this guy in years partly because I was weary of things which might happen and have with him and others, but, I offered up a place for him with us as a kind gesture for some recent troubles he’d been having, as he still was to me a friend with a good heart, and with whom I’d shared some great times in the past..

The day we are to depart from my home the fellas show up a little late. My friend is intoxicated from his sleepless night before and in the 25 or so minutes needed to load the vehicle he pours four maybe five more beers into himself at 6:30am, before crashing out 9 hours on the drive in the back of the truck. Coming to late in the afternoon when down the road, his first need was to hit a beer store and grab a traveler 12'er for the rest of the ride, every coffee or gas stop along the way he downs one or two. In the box of the truck, his two 55-packs and three 24's for our 7-day trip remain waiting untouched.

You can see where this is going......

and just now I had finished typing up a lengthy one here that in a weird and sad way tied in a different sense of guiding, life, alcoholism, slander, threat and lost friends, over what for me was actually a good trip in many other respects.... I can't seem to post it now for just any and all though. It was simply and by far my worst and only one of a few difficult times while fishing.

 

 

[troutologist]

A guide client relationship is a partnership. Being the best you can be as a client will get you the best of your particular guide.

 

Do some homework on the fishery, ask the guide questions on what to expect, what to bring and use some common sense. I guide icefishing for instance on Lake Winnipeg in cold conditions. Don't show up in running shoes.

 

If there is an agreed upon detail, prices, terms etc. Give prior notice of any change in plans. Every guide has great stories of asshatery and days to forget.

 

The bulk (95%) of guests I deal with in a year between Scott Lake, Birdtail and icefishing (~600) are fantastic people, interesting, interested to learn, generous and excited for the experience. 5% well....we just make fun of you after the trip with guiding buddies over beers.

 

 

The clip by Tom Rosenbauer on WFN outlines this very well.

 

The thing a lot of people forget, this is a competitive service industry, it is in my best interest for you to have your best day afield each time we go out. Why did I take you here? In my opinion this is the best place I know right now for your to meet your goals for this trip (which you should have been clear about when asked...) If guides could control fish and game, there is a product to retire on.

 

What should be looked at as a good, hardworking guide is how well they manage the variables in their control.

[glen]

While adrift on the Atlantic I waited till after the boat was repaired (2 hours) to tell the captain we would be returning to the nearest port ASAP. The trip worked out ok and we laugh about it now.

[Old Ironmaker]

It is scary when the captain of a broken down scow of a boat off the coast off the California Baja asks if anyone has a cell phone or a compass?

[manitoubass2]

I though he feared being thrown overboard lol.

[Old Ironmaker]

No Manitou that was a different charter. I guess it's true you get what you pay for. That charter worked out to 20 bucks each for the 3 of us.