First time w/ Fishing Guide-few questions

[Dave Stewart]

Great advice from everyone, here are my $0.02 from a few years of guiding flyfishing out west:
Tips are great, they are usually cash and can be anywhere from 0-$200 for a day depending on what the trip is, how it went, and who is tipping.

What to bring on a trip depends on a great many factors, sometimes all you need to do is step on the boat, and everything from sunscreen to drinks to bait is provided. Find out exactly what you need to bring before you go, and then take a few can't fish withouts just in case. In bad situations I have had friends hire a guide and leave their gear in the truck only to wish they had it out on the water.

Then you speak with the guide BEFORE you go and AFTER you shake hands about what you both think the day will go like, it might change.

Not being a bass guy I don't understand why you wouldn't take a GPS and a map with you, if you are trying to learn a lake I would have those as well as a notebook packed and used before I wet a line. I have had some great days guiding when in 8 hours we fished for an hour or so. If a client is moving to an area and wants a guide to level out the learning curve for potentially years of future fishing, working crankbaits off some main lake points seems like something that can be done without a guide.

Instead I would focus on seasonal changes that can effect the fishing, things like drawdown issues, tournament timing, plant blooms, regulations, conservation issues, ramp closures, stocking schedules, bait shops, and whatever else you can think of.

A guide knows that if he teaches you a lake and you are going to fish it often, even if he doesn't show you the honey hole, he is going to pull up with a client one day and there you will be. That is part of fishing and being inclusive, you might be nice enough to say hello, and let him in because he is earning a living and you are out for fun.

I do see the guide saying no to a GPS if you tell him you want all of his money spots for an upcoming tournament, but I'm not a bass guy.

Actually most bass guides will let you bring gps or maps in the boat unless they are also tournament anglers and plan on taking you to spots they fish tournaments on that day....the guides that specialize more in panfish like Crappie ecetera are the ones more likely to say "no" to maps and gps...check out some of their websites....most bass guides are like me...we are catch and release...you don't clean out the fish on those spots when you are letting them go...but you can clean out the panfish on the spots the guide takes you to when you are taking them home to eat. Most panfish guides spend a considerable amount of time building cover etc to get those panfish there and plan on fishing them many times day after day....as well as the fact that many of these guides do not cover large amounts of water such as bass guides do....and bass guides are more pattern anglers than spot anglers too.

Also, a good guide will already have established criteria for certain types of trips...such as I do on bass: just for fun fishing, tournament preps, lake familiarizations and focused teaching trips....they are all different types of trips as far as the focus of the trip goes....and then the guide takes the input from the client when he books the trip and adjusts the particular type of trip to what the client's wants and needs are, combine that with the wind, weather, water etc....conditions on the day of the trip and works from there. There are many varibles that come into play when you plan a guide trip for each client....both at booking time, a day or two before the trip and the morning of the trip....a good guide will have many hours spent for that few hours you are on the water with him.

[lovetofish]

I have hired as guide at least once a year for the past six hears from Ga. to Wi. to take myself son inlaw and 10yr old grandson fishing for everything from crappie,strippers and walleye have had only one bad guide the rest were great especially with my grandson and all of his questions for that they deserve a tip they have all let me use my gps to mark there spots brush piles ect. of course they new we would probably only be there for a week but I don't think it really made that much difference to any of them. I think guides are a great way to go a lot of the times that is the best fishing you will have if fishing a new lake for a short time

[james_677]

Just wanted to say thanks to everyone for weighing in, especially Mr. Stewart. Very through answer!

[GeoFisher]

Be happy to give the class....come take it and you will know why those bass were around those stumps and more. I still have openings for this month and in February.

Daves class on Elimination and Shad Migration is one of the BEST things I've ever done to improve my fishing.

I still struggle to get out of "old habits" but when I STICK to the plan, we generally stick more fish.

take the class....you will DEFINITELY appreciate the information you learn.

Later,

Geo

[roadrunner]

Great information there Dave.

I've always wanted to do an on the water type of class with someone, but as far as maps, I would want one, not for marking spots, but for the simple fact that, you need to "see" what you are fishing. If you are throwing at stumps 5' off the bank, you need to see what is around that brought the fish to those certain set of stumps.

I myself would also love to take an off the water class on eliminating water, and what to look for on maps and how to decipher travel patterns. I need more work on "finding" the fish.

Take his class it is the best money you can spend. I also recommend his lake orientation trip both are excellent.

[dbayponyc]

dave stewart please send info on your jan and feb class to [email protected] plus a contact....thanks joe

[JTM]

I would also like some details/info on that class if possible. You can email to [email protected] or if you have a website even better. Thanks.

JT

[Dave Stewart]

Emails have been sent to both of you. Anyone wanting to see information on my class can find it in my last weekly fishing report on this site on the Kentucky Lake Report page: http://www.fishin.com/reports/ky/ky-2/kylake.htm or on the Report page of my website: www.kentuckylakeguide.com .