Guides Who Don't Produce

[Bob La Londe]

We got many guides that read this group?<br /><br />What do you do on those days when you just can't produce. The client is <br />working hard, and doing the best they can. You are hitting all your best <br />spots for the season and weather. The fish just aren't cooperating.<br /><br />What do you do?<br /><br />I don't mean to catch fish. I mean to take care of business and try to keep <br />the client happy. I am really talking to the guys who make a living from <br />guiding. Those who count on good word of mouth from clients. I know a <br />couple guides. They count on repeat clients and refferrals from past <br />clients as much as any amount of promotion they can do.<br /><br />What do you do to save the day?<br /><br />For Clients of Guides:<br />As a client I am sure your main interest to have fun is to catch fish, but on <br />those days when the fish just won't cooperate what else can a guide do to <br />make you feel satisfied with the day?

 

[nothreat]

Re: Guides Who Don't Produce

I recently used a guide on Cumberland Lake for Stripers. We had no success. I walked away happy though because I could tell that guide was working his butt off. He was interesting, told stories about the lake and just plain knew his stuff. He was also honest. After several hours of hard fishing he just said "We can stay out here and I'll do my best to put you guys on fish, but I don't think it is going to happen; or I can take you in and just charge you half price" Now whether we fished or not he had committed to us for the day and that was half a days pay for him. Very fair and I'll go back to him.

 

[FLATHEAD]

Re: Guides Who Don't Produce

Nothreat hit it on the head. Just as long as the guide was "honest" and "Fair" I would have no problem with an unproductive day,, we as fisherman know it happens.<br /><br />Being a guide for a living has to be high pressure. I would imagine that it would take a lot of the fun out of fishing. I know a few guys that do it just in the summer, they always seem a bit stressed.

 

[gonfishn]

Re: Guides Who Don't Produce

A good guide can put you on the fins but they cant makem take a liking to your presentation.<br /><br />Most know I mainly fish for Musky..A couple of years ago I paid a guide to take my friend Neaumans and my self and paid 280$ for a day of gator huntn. A couple of follows is as close as we got..He did not offer more time nor did he cut his rate..We had a good time and the only reason i had him guide for us was to learn Leech lakes musky zones. At 102,000 acre lake the money was well spent. Now I know where to hunt..<br /><br />I will never reccommend him again because of his negative offer at the end of the trip..<br />Now had he put a trophy in the boat he would have been given a nice tip.<br /><br />Btw way Bob in northern Minnesota where my homestead is Bass,heaven forbid are considered not worthy. We catch 4 to 6lb large mouth all the time.. I agree with Nothreat if a guide has did his darnest to put you on em and offers half pay at the end of the day I will tell all my friends..If he doesn't I will tell everyone i I happen to meet that hunts the fin not to use him..Imo of course

 

[roscoe]

Re: Guides Who Don't Produce

"I will never reccommend him again because of his negative offer at the end of the trip...... "<br /><br />Care to elaborate?

 

[oceansbreeze]

Re: Guides Who Don't Produce

Originally posted by roscoe:<br /> "I will never reccommend him again because of his negative offer at the end of the trip...... "<br /><br />Care to elaborate?

I believe he was referrign to his statement in original post:<br /><br />"He did not offer more time nor did he cut his rate.."<br /><br />I believe gonfishin wanted to stay out longer and the guide wouldn't do it....... correct me if I'm wrong. Thats how I read it.

 

[LubeDude]

Re: Guides Who Don't Produce

Originally posted by Bob La Londe:<br /> We got many guides that read this group?<br /><br />

Well, Im trying to be if I "EVER" get the paper trail done. <br /><br />Anyway, I take lots of people fishing though And I have studied the area over the years and have lots of tales to tell. When that dries up, I ask if they would be interested in learning some new techniques, something they have never done before, flippin, worming, jigging, most of the time they would rather do this than just go in. Seems once they are out there on the water, they dont want to come back. Some can spend hours just going through your tackle bags. They like to know how to rig things up also. Worms, different jigs and trailers. I can usually keep them pretty intertained. I tell them when I drop them off that now when you go out again you will know more about what to do and they are generally happy.

 

[jtexas]

Re: Guides Who Don't Produce

Good answer, LD. Show me some stuff, the price of a guided trip is not too much to pay for a good education. I won't badmouth you, but if you want referrals, offer me a steep discount on my next trip. <br /><br />But then, if I hired you it's because you got good referrals, so one bad day won't ruin your reputation.

 

[LubeDude]

Re: Guides Who Don't Produce

It probably depends on how busy the guide is if he is going to give you a discount the next time. If he is booked solid, he dosent need to. You have to figure that it is costing the guide about $50.00 just to be out there, with insurance and fuel being what it is. I would offer full refunds if the weather turns stormy early on.

 

[gonfishn]

Re: Guides Who Don't Produce

Thanks OceanBreeze.. He did neither..I have only used guide service a couple of times in my life..Maybe this one was having a bad day but.. But I figured I paid him 360 Bucks for two days and not a fin..yes we would have liked to stay on the lake longer.. He offered nothing except to hand me a bill at the end..<br /><br />But still had a great time and was well worth the money..

 

[brownies]

Re: Guides Who Don't Produce

IF you EVER considered, even for a moment, about inquiring about any sort of "guarantees" from a fishing guide. <br />Or anything remotely close to that. You would probably be better off not to hire a guide.<br /><br />If the thought never crossed your mind, odds are, you will be extremely content with catching nothing. (just pay close attention to how "service" oriented your guide will get when there are no fish hitting)<br /><br />Carefull with who you take with you on a guided trip also. A good friend can convice you that you had a horrible time just by elaborating on how bad of a trip it was for them. And, when your buddy says "You shoulda asked if he had some sort of guarantee?".....then it'll be too late.<br /><br />Lets see: My tackle box is now full of new and different lures that really work, but, sure didn't "that day".<br />I used to idle through this stumpy mess, but, can now run it wide open (never knew where that four miles of "lane" actually was, until "that day")<br />Those fish sure are in that location this time of year, but, weren't "that day".<br />Those fish sure are over there, there, and there in March, August, January (never would have known about "that" if the fish were jumping in the boat "that day".<br />If you step off of the carpet, on the "top cap" of my boat, you might just bust your butt. I probably never would have asked that guide how he kept his 2005 model hull so "slick and shiney" if I had been busy relling em in. BUT, it was a bit slow "that day" (and that boat was a 98 model ??? WOW!)<br />I've now got a whole new arsenal of "boat protectant" stuff and IT WORKS!! Thanks to "that day". <br />90% of the time those trees that look like That hold fish. Those trees that look like That don't. That would be a correct statement.<br />It would have been just another tree had I had a "pick-up" every time I cast beside one.<br /><br />"That Day" of not catching much of anything was probably the best money I ever spent.

 

[JB]

Re: Guides Who Don't Produce

Hmmmm.<br /><br />I have used the same guide on LOTW for 15 years now. He works his butt off. Some days we score, some days we don't. It isn't his fault if we don't.<br /><br />The idea of expecting a discount if we don't score offends me. Guides have no control of weather, barometric pressure, etc., or client skill (or screwups).<br /><br />My guide gets his fee every day and a bonus if we score well.<br /><br />In my mind nothing else is ethical.

 

[Dunaruna]

Re: Guides Who Don't Produce

A genuine question JB, after 15 years why would you need a guide?<br /><br />Aldo

 

[LubeDude]

Re: Guides Who Don't Produce

Originally posted by Dunaruna:<br /> A genuine question JB, after 15 years why would you need a guide?<br /><br />Aldo

Because every day with a guide is like a year trying to figure it out for yourself.

 

[JB]

Re: Guides Who Don't Produce

Check out a map of Lake Of The Woods, LD. 15,000+ miles of shoreline, 10,000+ islands. One couldn't learn it all in 100 years.<br /><br />There are lots of places that I know and can find with my GPS, but even Scott, who grew up on the lake and has been fishing it for 30+ years, finds new good spots all the time.<br /><br />My GPS has 50+ waypoints in it labeled for musky.<br /><br />I have taken a boat up there and split the days between guided and non-guided fishing. I guess I don't really need a guide any more. I think it is worth the fee to have someone else's boat and someone else to do all the work while we just fish, eat scrumtious shore lunches and enjoy the spectacular scenery. <br /><br />I learn new stuff about LOTW every time I go there.

 

[jtexas]

Re: Guides Who Don't Produce

15 years ago, you had not ever hired this guide before. If you didn't score that day, you might be tempted to look for somebody else next time. Or he might offer a discount just because it's his way of doing things.

 

[DJ]

Re: Guides Who Don't Produce

Not always thier fault, IMHO. That's why they call it "fishing" and not "catching".

 

[JB]

Re: Guides Who Don't Produce

I guess I don't judge a guide's performance on whether I catch what I am after, JTex.<br /><br />I am more concerned with quality of service, and that covers a lot more than my skill and luck.<br /><br />We did not "score big" until our third trip, but Scott makes the day a pleasure for his clients in a hundred ways.<br /><br />I guess that's why I call it "fishing" rather than "catching".

 

[Rockchalk]

Re: Guides Who Don't Produce

I have chartered a bunch of salt water trips and like some of the others have said it all comes down to how much effort they make to put you on fish. Some of these saltwater guys just want to take you on a boat ride and collect your money. Others (most) work their tails off. I went out with a group in Cabo San Lucas not long ago who basicly were on a mission to run for 8 hours and not burn too much gas. They did manage to save their day by hooking me up to a 150# marlin but i still was not all that happy with them and would not use them again.

 

[Tom2697]

Re: Guides Who Don't Produce

Hiring a guide is like hiring a coach for any other sport. Sure, you want to win..err..catch fish. But, what you really hire them for is to learn new approaches to catching fish or to try to correct what you are doing wrong. It shouldn't matter if you learn a new spot, a new way to present your bait, or a certain weather pattern when you should avoid trying to fish. You should always learn something. Unfortunately, many people EXPECT to catch fish when hiring a guide. A good guide SHOULD be able to find the fish for you. But, check out any tournament. Why don't the most experienced anglers or the professionals always win?