Guide Service

[Champ188]

28 minutes ago, Unimog said:

This is why the two guide trips I've been on were without any tip given. Nothing like paying a guy $50/hr to fish while you're in the back. 

If fishing was slow, maybe he was trying to figure out how to help you catch some.

[abkeenan]

3 hours ago, Unimog said:

This is why the two guide trips I've been on were without any tip given. Nothing like paying a guy $50/hr to fish while you're in the back. 

I guess people have different expectations when they go fishing on a guided trip. Some just want to catch fish and feel the tug on the end of their line. They could care less where, when, how and would be happy with a Snoopy pole and a half hot dog if it's catching them. That's perfectly fine. Then there is the other person that doesn't care much about the results but wants to know exactly where, when, how and why the guide is doing what they are doing to get bit. Sure catching is fun but the old saying.....give the man a fish. I'd rather learn than be entertained for a few hours. Learning and then executing what you have been taught should entertain you for a week, month, season or rest of your life fishing. Just sayin'.

[dwiebenga]

I have learned through many things in my life that "close observation" is critical to learning something new.  I have been blessed to fish with Babler on 3 occasions and I want him fishing with me because, I want to see exactly what he is doing.  Then, I can replicate on my own.  As the old saying goes, "imitation is the best form of flattery".  

[top_dollar]

I've never hired a guide on table rock,  but I totally agree with the mentality that when your on the water with a professional you ask lots of questions and absorb information like a sponge.  Who cares if the fish are biting,  that's day to day anyway,  but it Def behooves a fisherman to learn exactly why the guide is doing what he is doing.  I hired Bob Bennet on Stockton and in 8 hours he taught me how to fish for crappie walleye and bass all year long.  Fishing was kinda slow that day,  but the information he gave me that day has kept me on fish for years now.   Honestly...I wish I would have brought a notebook to jot down notes.  It's like fishing class.  

Shout out to Bob Bennett. ...great guy and true master of his craft,  as I'm sure most fishing guides are when your fishing 300+ days a year.

 

This time of year on table rock is easy IMO though at least for good numbers of decent sized bass and huge bluegill   no fishing guide needed.  Find gravel points on the main lake, and drop a 1/16-1/8 oz split shot rig with a whole crawler (half if the gills are ankle biting).  Put the boat in 15-35 fow and drift around with the crawler vertical.  If no bites in 20 min move to the next point,  fish are either there or they are not don't waste too much time.  This is great for kids (and everyone really).  Put 6 people on a pontoon and hang a wall of crawlers.  On another note....I have never seen a school of nightcrawlers swimming around in open water,  yet fish tear em up,  they are dumb animals.

[jim m]

top_dollar said fish are dumb animals but they sure have been smarter than me on numerous occasions! for myself the reason to hire a guide would be to LEARN all I can while with them

[top_dollar]

1 hour ago, jim m said:

top_dollar said fish are dumb animals but they sure have been smarter than me on numerous occasions! for myself the reason to hire a guide would be to LEARN all I can while with them

I don't think the fish are smarter...I just think the fisherman overthink things.  I know I have a tendency to make it more complicated.  

[jim m]

2 minutes ago, top_dollar said:

I don't think the fish are smarter...I just think the fisherman overthink things.  I know I have a tendency to make it more complicated.  

that's me, there are way to many ways to catch them and you can't do everything, so pick a few techniques and learn them well

[Bill Babler]

Quick weigh-in on the topic.  Never feel responsible to give a guide a tip.  A tip is a very subjective thing.  It is really not how well you do or how well he does but just how you feel about the day.  Guides use guides.   We use them where ever we go, from Alaska to Colorado to Florida to Louisiana to Texas.

My criteria is preparation.  How well does this guy or gal know the body of water and how much information and in what manor do they give it to you.  How does he present him or herself and what is the quality of their equipment weather it be new or old including boat and gear. Is the guide punctual and has a plan in mind?  I want to learn more than just about fishing, I want to know about the area and a bit about the guide.  I want to ask their opinion about seasonal patterns not just at the  moment we are fishing.  If you are quiet, most often the guide will be quiet right  with you.  Ask questions and you will 99% of the time get quality answers.

I don't have very many trips as a guide that I don't pick up a tip or two from a client.  You should pick up a bushel from the guide.

99% of the time trout or fly fishing guides do not fish.  They are either on the oars or positioning you in the right locations.  90% of the time pan fishing guides or saltwater guides will fish.  Some at the invitation of the client, most thru necessity to correct changing patterns and baits throughout your trip.  On the White River system it is almost impossible to get front ended by a guide.  Yes under some circumstances it can happen, but most often this is not target fishing, it is open water fishing.  I only know of a couple of guides here that will take some advantage and fish hard.  Every fish you catch, I catch, so for me it works great if you catch them all.  It is also a big joke and a laughing point to tell the buddies that the guide caught 1 and you caught a dozen.

Not a trip goes by that I will have a client say "No one ever told me or showed me that before."  In a lot of situations you can tell and tell and tell, but if you show someone it gets their attention.  It is never and I mean never any one thing big, it is a multitude of very small little things that make us more successful.  Most of us want to teach you one more little thing or 1/2 dozen if that's possible.

On the Rock, it is not only what we use but how we use it.  Technique is important in everything we do as is our equipment.  Only a certain percentage of my clients will fish live bait.  Most want to learn how to present and use artificial bait on Table Rock.

In the past week, I have had trips that I got zero tip and I have had trips that I got enormous tips.  Two different trips out of our Lodge.  I took a couple fly fishing this past week.  The wife caught 20 and her husband caught 27 all rainbows.  Probably one of the nicest best trips I've had in 2016.  I cleaned 8 rainbow trout for them that were simply magnificent.  The other also out of the Lodge.  I preformed way above my pay grade and the fish more than helped me as on this 3 person trip we caught and released 40 rainbows and these folks had never fished much before.  All on artificial.  No tip on either trip.  Last Monday I took a bass  trip with 3 guys from Florida.  We had a decent trip, but nothing to write home about.  I think they had 7 or 8 each, all on artificial.  Decent day, but they gave me $200.00 each, tip over the guide trip price.  One of them saying there was no way I could make a decent living with the equipment I had and what I  was charging for a 1/2 day trip. Said the same trip in Florida was twice the price.  I have other folks ask why we charge so much to take them fishing.  It is all perspective.

The guides here on the Rock are not getting rich in comparison to our brothers and sisters elsewhere in the country.  Most are just hoping for a great life meeting super fantastic folks and guiding them to the best day they can on the water.  Most of us have investments in equipment ranging in the mid-six figures and it really has to be that way to be competitive in todays market.  Everyone wants to fish with the biggest baddest and best. Hardly a bass trip I take from a new client that he or she wants to know what boat I drive and what kind of gear I have.   Most even want to know the tow truck. 

Lots goes into being a fishing guide, and doing it the right way.  If you feel your guide did it the right way regardless of the total number of fish on the trip and you feel he qualifies I will guarantee you that he or she will appreciate that 10% or what ever you deem is right for the day.  Our slogan is we never expect it and always appreciate it.

Good Luck

 

 

[johnm]

These guides mentioned here can teach u how to fish (no matter who u are), new places, new techniques, targeting certain fish or just how to fish your favorite area of the lake.

[Pepe]

Very well said, Bill.  Excellent post!