Guide Tip? (Dave Stewart)

[MLTSPCS]

My father and grandfather are going out on a 6 hour guided striper fishing trip @ Cumberland and wanted to know how much to tip. The trip is $250 total for the two of them for the six hours and the bait and equipment are provided and they clean cut and bag the fish. Just curious as to what is customary. Would like to @ least give the norm, probably a hair more. Any info or guidance appreciated.

[MLTSPCS]

Anybody with ideas or advice?

[Bucktail Wallen]

>Anybody with ideas or advice?


I know for myself and my father we take guided trips on lake Erie and it's usually a $50 tip.

[Rayman]

I would give him something between $25.00 and $50.00. If was an eight hour trip I'd give him $50.00.

[elnutsmalljaws]

This same question was posted a while ago and I think the census was to tip what you would leave in a restaurant, 10-15% depending on the service you received. $250 trip would mean $25 on the low end and $37.50 average certainly $40-$50 is not out of the question if you received excellent service. One thing I will tell you is that the better you tip and the more courteous you are to the guide may get you some "free" information on what the fish are doing later.

[Devils Horse]

This is good information. A friend and I went out with Dave Stewart last year. (The only guided fishing trip I've ever taken, but a buddy of mine does claim he should be paid for guide service) It was a very good and informative experience, yet it never occurred to me to give him a tip. I've tipped a lot of people that didn't deserve it near as much as Dave did.

[Dave Stewart]

Thanks for the kind words Jim. Not to worry...I certainly did not take it personal there was no tip...I never do....all guides realize that folks that are taking their first guided trip or rarely take trips are unaware that it is traditional to tip guides.

[pastorbass]

I posted this same question back in January as I was going to Vegas to do a wedding and instead of going to the casino's I went to Lake Mead for a fishing trip. People on here said to calculate in the attention the guide gives you, the knowledge he passes along, and how hard he works. I went alone, the trip was $225 for half a day. I didn't keep any of the fish. I tipped him $25. If it wasn't for the extra expenses I had to incur like renting a car and such I would would have sprung for a little more.

A couple of months ago a church member and myself went to Lake Michigan to fish for Salmon. My friend was a long time client and the guide gave us a good deal. But, the guide worked his butt off to put us on some fish and did everythign he could to ensure a memorable trip. Plus he cleaned and bagged the fish so we tipped him $75.

The guides I have talked to have said they don't expect tips, but really appreciate them and when they get "stiffed" they don't have the same hard feelings as say a waiter would have because they figure everything into the price. But I always try to err on the side of tipping too much rather than not enough.

If the guide goes out of his way, everybody has a good time, you learn a lot, and have the extra cash I would probably go $50 or if its just an ok trip, nothing special around $25

Blessed Fishin

[motalot]

I would assume guides don't live in mansions. They guide because they love it and they are good at it. I would recommend tipping $50 for a full day as a minimum. Now if your paying for two kids as well you may adjust the tip but every guide I have been with has worked his butt off and earned the money.

If you don't fish very often and you catch fish it is well worth a guide.

So tip em good

[MLTSPCS]

Thanks for the "Tips" guys. My father and grandfather will appreciate the input of all you avid fisherpeople. Never been on a guided trip myself and wish I could go, but it's too hard right now to get away from work when they are putting so much OT in our laps. Gotta grab some of it because between my fishing addiction and my wife's spending addiction I gotta have that extra cash for a rainy day (or a slightly overcast day w/ water temps around 68-70 w/ a light western breeze on a full moon lol).

[Dave Stewart]

Sorry it took me so long to answer you...I have been out of town since Tuesday and did not return until late last night. Some good advice has already been given you here....10-15% is the norm with more for exceptional service and less for less than good service. The best question to ask yourself is did you receive good service for the type trip you were taking. Not all guide trips are all about catching fish...some like tournament preparation and purely instructional trips do not lend themselves to catching a lot of fish but these type trips sometimes cost the guide much more than just for fun fishing trips. Basically it comes down to this....did you get good service.

[MLTSPCS]

Thanks everyone for the input. It was a 6 hour trip and they tipped $40 for the good service and catching their limit plus a bonus huge cat. The pictures of their stripers can be seen on the stripertimes.com web-site under the Johnson 10-10-06 pics.