Weight It In Or Keep Your Mouth Shutt!

[brownieman]

Just noticed...thought there might be a prize or somethin for being the 100th reply...do I win Phil, lol

[edyer]

Just don't sound right does it ?

The thought used to cross my mind to be a guide, but always second thinking the situation I know I have always enjoyed fishing in my off time.

Often times things appear very appealing...I always feared if any sort of fishing became a job so to speak it would take away from my enjoyment and love of fishing over-all. When it becomes your 'job' sometimes it takes on a whole different perspective...don't know many that enjoy doing what their job involves during their time off.

Myself, never wanted to take that chance.

Twenty five years ago I fished one of the bigger circuits in Michigan for a few summers. I was gone ten weekends each summer from my wife and kids and spent Many of my "free days"prefishing. Even though we qualified for the classic each year and placed in the money half the time, it took some of the fun out of fishing. A few of my friends and I got out of the tournament grind and instead scheduled a trip to Table Rock during spring break, and did a late spring and fall four day weekend trip to northern Michigan on some great smallmouth/walleye lakes. I still fished some smaller local stuff with my son and an occasional weekend tournament, but fished more for the fun. On our four day weekend trips, we usually caught a lot more fish, and ended spending less money than if we placed in the bigger tournaments we used to fish after we payed our entrys, did our pre-fishing, and then traveled and paid for our lodging if it was too far to drive from home. The past couple of years I started fishing a few more tournaments, but I don't do as much prefishing. I have to admit, it's still an ego and respect thing when you win against your peers(other guys with regular jobs that do one day tournaments). As mentioned above, I also used to entertain the idea of guiding or opening up my own fishing tackle store, but I saw some guys that did do that(owned their own businesses), ended up not fishing much any more. I don't know Phil or Bill personally, but they seem to still be able to do both, so my hat's off to them. They must have some good people taking care of stuff back on the home/business front.

[Phil Lilley]

I don't know Phil or Bill personally, but they seem to still be able to do both, so my hat's off to them. They must have some good people taking care of stuff back on the home/business front.

We do for sure. Bill guides 250 days per year. I don't guide much at all... only when I have to.

[Sam]

I can't imagine putting myself under the pressure of making my living as a fishing guide.

I nearly always fish from my own boat rather than jumping in with someone else. My boat and tackle are set up the way I like them, so that's what I like to do. I fish by myself, or I've got one regular partner who often goes with me, or there's about 3 other guys who fish with me now and then. I fish a lot more than my partners do, and it's always me taking others out - a little bit like a guide in that way, I guess. Quite a few times I've said to whoever's with me "Well, if this was a guided trip you'd be getting your money back!", and we'll laugh about it.

But a professional guide knowing his clients are maybe on a once-a-year vacation and he's got to find fish for them THAT DAY, wow - that would be tough. Conditions change so fast and weather can mess you up as often as not, especially when a date is picked weeks in advance - that would be real tough. And as a guide, your reputation and repeat business would be on the line every time you take a client out.

My hat's off to guys like Bill who do this successfully. I sure couldn't do it - if anything could make me hate fishing, turning it into that kind of a high-pressure deal would probably be it.

[Don]

I don't mind hearing about the one that got away. I used to fish small tourneys and there were times I would have hit paydirt if it weren't for losing fish. It's not a complaint, it's just fact of the matter. At times, the one that got away was an exciting and exhiliarating part of the trip. Better to hook a big one than not at all. When I lose a big fish or hear about some else doing the same, I don't take it as a complaint but let such a thing instill hope instead. I even like to hear about when folks see big fish that are not to be hooked at all. When I hook or even see a big fish, my heart rate picks up and I get excited even though it never made the net.

Don

[crappiefisherman]

While you guys have been debating this dead horse I been catchin fish...................but I sold the biggest one to a patch wearin tournament fisherman and took my family to olive garden for dinner

[edyer]

While you guys have been debating this dead horse I been catchin fish...................but I sold the biggest one to a patch wearin tournament fisherman and took my family to olive garden for dinner

I didn't know they could weigh in a crappie? I've had days in Michigan where I wish I could of weighed in walleyes and Northern pike I caught while fishing bass tournaments.