Professional Fishing guides....ya right

[Meadows]

Sorry to hear about your incident, but this is why I would never hire a guide to go bass fishing. If you really want to learn something, fish some BFLs or an Open as a co-angler.

[hatcreek]

This is why I always keep a change of clothes in the boat.

[geodebasser]

Back in the 90s a friend of mine had some corporate guest so he hired a guide on Lake Guntersville in March. He asked me to bring my boat and follow with one of his guest. The guide fished with a shaky head and was catching dinks along the bank. I had enough so I split off to some flats near deep water and started throwing a rattle trap. I set the guest in the back of the boat up and after catching a dozen keepers, we went back to the guide boat and told him but he ignored us,
Now the story begins. A thunders storm rolls in and we all go to my friends lake house for lunch and to wait the storm out. The storm passed and we were all outside eating grilled hamburgers except for the guide. When we went back into the house there were beer cans all over the floor and the guide was passed out on the couch. I ended up being the guide for the afternoon.

[BigFishSteve]

I just read that people hire guides just before tournaments? Is that a thing? Allowed?

[Ditch_Pickle]

I would not have any regrets about naming him. Reluctance to do so just allows him to continue pulling the same scam on others.

And do the same when a good guide puts you on fish, so others can book them with confidence.

[Warhawk]

I’ve been fishing with the same guide on Texoma for almost 30 years (stripers). He has never failed to put fish in the boat, and I’ve been out with him on some BAD days. Now I live near lake Ouachita where big stripers live. Shortly after moving here I went on a guide trip on Ouachita, we trolled with giant umbrella rigs all day. I caught two, my brother caught one. Fish were 7 to 10 pounds. Over the next couple years I went on 2 guide trips, using live shad every time, grand total for both trips was a 3 pound largemouth that I caught. No one else in the boat caught anything on either trip. My last Ouachita guide trip, we caught Several fish including a 30 and 31 pounder. I caught the 31 and it was the only fish I caught all day. So 4 guide trips on Ouachita and 4 fish caught, 3 stripers and a largemouth. That was my last guide trip on Ouachita, I’d rather catch bluegills than spend another expensive day hoping for a bite.

On the other hand, I’m going to Texoma in October for a 2 day trip.

[Fishingchucknj]

I used a river smallmouth guide a few years back. He was pointing out spots and my son and I weren’t having any luck. He starts fishing all the spots from behind us and was reeling them in one after another. He kept trying to shake them off so I wouldn’t see. I finally told him to stop letting them go. I wasn’t upset that he was catching them but that I hit the exact spot without success. After watching him catch a few more I finally figured out I needed to slow down my retrieve speed. From there it was game on. We all fished the rest of the day probably boating about 150 smallmouth(guide included) I didn’t care that he caught a bunch because we’re we as well. It was a great trip And I’ve used him several times since.

[basscat21]

I just read that people hire guides just before tournaments? Is that a thing? Allowed?

Was quite common back in the day....... Jim Bitter won the Hudson in 95 based on hiring one of the top local angers.

[TownesZ21]

I just read that people hire guides just before tournaments? Is that a thing? Allowed?

Depends on the tournament. All of our larger tournaments prohibit it now. Wasn't always the case and likely not everywhere.

[TownesZ21]

I used a river smallmouth guide a few years back. He was pointing out spots and my son and I weren’t having any luck. He starts fishing all the spots from behind us and was reeling them in one after another. He kept trying to shake them off so I wouldn’t see. I finally told him to stop letting them go. I wasn’t upset that he was catching them but that I hit the exact spot without success. After watching him catch a few more I finally figured out I needed to slow down my retrieve speed. From there it was game on. We all fished the rest of the day probably boating about 150 smallmouth(guide included) I didn’t care that he caught a bunch because we’re we as well. It was a great trip And I’ve used him several times since.

This relates to my earlier post.

Some people think catching is only about location, very much not true.

Great attitude on your part, I wouldn't want a guide fishing in front of me but would want a good one fishing to show me the small details and perhaps dial in the pattern.

[188Musky]

Once, I was fishing with my wife, and got a nice one.

Didn’t have another set of clothes, but her sundress looked like it kind of fit me.

Ya do what ya gotta do.

[Pro-Hunt]

You should name the guide but if not at least name the lake.

We have been with guides on Table Rock and thankfully all of them were really good.

We told them all we wanted to know different ways to try and catch them while we where there on our trip. We didn't want to just go catching or be shown spots but wanted to know different things to try depending on weather and stuff.
They were all great at doing just that. Yes we could have caught more by sticking with whatever was working that day but by being shown different stuff it helped out for the whole trip.

[Brandonbgc]

Only really a couple of options for guides that do reports. And table rock Is the most likely for drop shot.

[dstep0]

There is a certain guide on ky lake that does the same thing. He posts pictures of 3lbrs and says his best 5 went 25lb...with an average of 5# why didn’t you post a pic of a 5 lol. He also recycles pictures. For instance he caught a double on a sexy dog years ago and he reposted it last year and I called him out with a screenshot of the original. “Oh I uploaded the wrong pic” the 2 people I know who personally fished with him caught 1 fish all day on separate trips. He even took them to his “tourney holes” and told them these spots they weren’t allowed at themself. Pretty sure he lied about the fish count on his fishing report for both but can’t rememeber. Sad thing is he posts 3#rs calls em 5s and people believe him because he has such a following and they don’t know any better.

[Pro-Hunt]

Only really a couple of options for guides that do reports. And table rock Is the most likely for drop shot.

The guides I know of only do a weekly report. The OP said the guide does a daily report though. Not sure who does a daily report.

[GregA]

Ok ive got a question and some comments about guides.In my case I hired a fishing guide in Missouri recently....for a 6 hour trip for $395 . Me and 1 other person went with the guide... now this guide has a daily fishing report of his adventures and on average he posts that he catches anywhere from 10-20 Bass a day with as many as 5-10 keepers. He pretty much fishes every single day. The day we went out was actually a good day for weather it was cloudy with a little chop on the water. We threw top water first no bites...we threw swimbaits next no bites then we went drop shotting for the next 4 hours .And us( being the clients) caught 1 small fish apiece and the guide caught 2 fish one was a small keeper at about 15 inches....and that was our day.. I wasnt happy at all to say the least...I could of done as good on my own I believe...But ive always wanted to go with i guide to learn how they break down a lake that they fish on every day....NOW HERES WHAT REALLY TURNED MY CRANK! On his daily fishing report for our trip he put that we caught 9 fish with three being keepers.....He must of stopped and fished after he dropped us off LMAO! So is that common practice in the guide service to mislead people on what they catch just to make another sale of your guide service? I was not offered a discounted trip or anything of the sorts....just an apology for us not catching them.....It was a bummer but fishing is fishing and not catching but when I read his daily report it just kinda didnt sit well with me... I think its more of saving face with his other guide friends to say he atleast caught 9 fish that day...........Im interested in seeing what you guys think about guides and this situation.

My only guide experience was poor, like yours. It turned me off guides.

[Umckibben]

The guides I know of only do a weekly report. The OP said the guide does a daily report though. Not sure who does a daily report.

On lake link alot of the lakes in my area the posts are constant guides taking on how well the fishing is, every day, happy customer after happy customer, it'd be nice to hear the happy customers version every now and then, I'm guessing most would be similar to the op.

[dean c]

There are 2 things in life I don't like to pay for and 1 is fishing.

gigity!

[Ohirolina]

My guided fishing trip success.
Lake Okeechobee- Shiners. Worst weather day of the winter. 2 fish. Great guide!!!
Stick Marsh - Artificial only - Can't remember for sure but I think 4 fish.
Lake Lanier - Artificial only - Guide caught 3, partner and I zeroed.
Lake Jocassee Night time trout fishing. Four of us. Zero trout. Four carp.
Lake Hartwell - Striper fishing. 5 of us. Caught our limit by noon. Great guide!!!
Lake Hartwell - Striper fishing. Three of us. Zero fish. Different guide this time, but very nice.

[TownesZ21]

The guides I know of only do a weekly report. The OP said the guide does a daily report though. Not sure who does a daily report.

Not sure why you would do a daily report. Everyone has bad days and if you are committed to a daily report you are backing yourself into a corner and have to either lie or post bad advertising. Much better to be generic but honest.....