Guide Tips

[single spin]

hey guys I am going to Texas next month and will be taking a guided fishing trip. I have never hired a guide before, and do not know the protocol on tipping. I'm just wandering how much your supposed to tip a guide and when to give it?? just don't want to feel like an idiot

[rps]

Great question! No single answer will be correct.

Try this:

Did he run you 35 miles before the first stop? If he did, without telling you why first, drop down to 1%.

Did he tell you why you fished each spot before you did? Add 10%.

Did he talk to you as you fought the fish, letting you know what to expect? Add 5%.

Did he assume you kept fish or assume you released fish? If he did, drop 5%.

Did he talk about how expensive it was to guide? Subtract 5%.

Did he tell truly funny local tales? Add 5%.

Did he stay out a little longer or do something else to show he was trying to make your trip special? Add 10%

The best guides I wound up adding 20%. The worst guides got their standard rates plus $10.

Always tip at the end. Say thank you and let the amount say the rest.

[Doug Weston]

I would like to hear from some of the local guides on this topic. What do you guys consider a great tip, average, and how should the customers judge the service?

RPS I like your answer, it seems like a good rule of thumb.

[Phil Lilley]

I think it's a combination of what you can afford and how much (or little) you appreciate their work (or lack of).

I relate it to tipping a waiter. If I like the service and appreciate the work that's done, and I can afford to tip more than the average (15%) then I will.

Same with guiding.

rps covers the good points very well.

[focused fishing]

I think Phil is right, if you feel the guide did a good job and actually worked to put you on fish and helped you catch them 10% - 15% would be a good tip.

There really isn't any rhyme or reason to the tips I have received; I’ve taken people out and they have told me it was one of the greatest fishing experiences they have ever had (numbers of fish and size) and they haven't tipped at all and others we have struggled to catch a few and they have tipped very well. I think it is an individual choice based upon how you feel the day went.

Don't know if this helped at all........

EP

"So I jump ship in Hong Kong and make my way over to Tibet, and I get on as a looper at a course over in the Himalayas. A looper, you know, a caddy, a looper, a jock. So, I tell them I'm a pro jock, and who do you think they give me? The Dalai Lama, himself. Twelfth son of the Lama. The flowing robes, the grace, bald... striking. So, I'm on the first tee with him. I give him the driver. He hauls off and whacks one -- big hitter, the Lama -- long, into a ten-thousand foot crevice, right at the base of this glacier. And do you know what the Lama says? Gunga galunga...gunga -- gunga galunga. So we finish the eighteenth and he's gonna stiff me. And I say, "Hey, Lama, hey, how about a little something, you know, for the effort, you know." And he says, "Oh, uh, there won't be any money, but when you die, on your deathbed, you will receive total consiousness." So I got that goin' for me, which is nice."

- Carl Spackler

[Gavin]

It depends...I usually tip 15-20%, but adjust for the level of service I recieve..If a fellow really works hard to meet my expectations, put me on fish, teaches me about the fishery, and treats me well.... he deserves a decent tip regardless of the numbers or sizes of fish that land in the boat. You also want to make sure that your guide has an understaning of those objectives before you book the trip. Cheers.

[Whack'emGood]

"So I jump ship in Hong Kong and make my way over to Tibet, and I get on as a looper at a course over in the Himalayas. A looper, you know, a caddy, a looper, a jock. So, I tell them I'm a pro jock, and who do you think they give me? The Dalai Lama, himself. Twelfth son of the Lama. The flowing robes, the grace, bald... striking. So, I'm on the first tee with him. I give him the driver. He hauls off and whacks one -- big hitter, the Lama -- long, into a ten-thousand foot crevice, right at the base of this glacier. And do you know what the Lama says? Gunga galunga...gunga -- gunga galunga. So we finish the eighteenth and he's gonna stiff me. And I say, "Hey, Lama, hey, how about a little something, you know, for the effort, you know." And he says, "Oh, uh, there won't be any money, but when you die, on your deathbed, you will receive total consiousness." So I got that goin' for me, which is nice."

- Carl Spackler

Classic movie!!! Now that's a good tip!

I personally have never hired a fishing guide. But, no matter what type of service I am getting from someone (food service, hair cut, bag handler, valet, etc.), I always tip on effort and/or "did the person genuinely seem nice and happy to serve you?" Keep in mind though, that everybody deserves something. There always needs to be a minimum tip, no matter what.

Just my 2 cents.

Whack'em

[focused fishing]

Classic movie!!! Now that's a good tip

A few of the guides I run with refer that line after guide trips.

EP

[techo]

Hey EP!

Not to steal the thread, but you have had some great fishing shows the past two weeks. I liked the feller that you interviewed two weeks ago. His life sounds a great deal similar to mine.

I still think a forum with topics from local fishing shows would be cool. The whole kid fishing league and Kast for Kids tournaments are an example of topics that might get some people more involved in the future of fishing.

Now back to your regularly scheduled topic....

[focused fishing]

Hey Techo,

We kicked around the idea of adding a forum to the espn site but neither of us wanted to monitor it. I don't know if Philis interested in putting something on Ozark Anglers, Kory and I could ad topics and see if anyone want to talk.

The Kast Kid Tournaments are going to be cool, going to start with two this year, hopefully four next and eventually a championship. The whole idea is to get more kids fishing.

The website is up and is filling out more and more;

http://www.kasttournaments.com

back to your regular topic....

EP