how to get along with fishing guides

Click Here to Return to "How-To-Fish" Home Page

how to get along with fishing guides and charter boat captains

by Herb Allen

Some frequently expressed complaints from the guide's standpoint:

A fisherman who comes to a camp for the first time and immediately tells the guide where and how to fish his waters
A fisherman who continually spouts off about how great the fishing was at another place. If it was that good, then what is this guy doing here, most guides are left to wonder
A guy who brags about how much money he makes, but leaves a meager tip--or no tip at all
People who use abusive language or cuss too much
The guy (or gal) who can hardly cast, sets the hook too late, loses fish through ineptness, and then blames the guide, the waters, or the fish camp

On the positive side, characteristics that are appreciated by guides:

When weather conditions are unfavorable, the guy understands that fishing is likely to be poor and doesn't expect miracles
Someone who has an appreciation for the beauty of the land
Someone with an upbeat temperament, even when fishing is lousy
Someone who'll lend a helping hand with chores
A client who offers a pat on the back or a couple of words of appreciation when a guide does a great job in landing a fish or performs any of his other duties well above the norm
A fisherman who promises to send an item or photos and follows through on the promise
Treat your guide as an important member of your team and chances are that he will produce good fishing for you

But, what happens when, for one reason or another, your guide is uncooperative, surly, or totally inefficient?

"It's best in this situation," says Chapralis, "to mention it to the camp manager or owner. Let them know while you are at camp and maybe something can be done about it."

Too often, moan camp owners, we never hear about it, or, when we do, it's too late.

Native Floridians can certainly relate to some of the guide's gripes.

For example, how often have we heard a "snowbird"--or someone who recently relocated to Florida--tell us:

How to run things the way they did in New York?;
How much better things are in New Jersey than in Florida?;
How much more money they made in Michigan?;
How much nicer the weather is in Pennsylvania than in the south during the summer months?;
People who talk "Brooklyn" ridiculing those of us who talk "south"?;
How much smarter Boston people are than southerners?

Oh, well, you get the idea.

Thanks much to Herb Allen for submitting this article.