I live in the midlands and occasionally book local guides (Murray and Santee) to take my customers out. I have noticed about half of the guides I have hired :
show up late - I would think they would be at the dock ready to go.
2)their boats a mess - Again I would expect them to have a reasonably clean, well prepared boat.
I guess my question for the many guides I see post here is what’s your position on the above? I as a paying customer expect the guide to be on time, prepared and at least rinse the boat off and dispose of your previous trips beer cans and trash. I have actually been embarrassed on more than one occasion by the trash, leaves, limbs, dead bait, etc sitting in the boat when my customer and I arrive.
From a business perspective I am paying for my customer to have a fantastic day on the water and my tip is influenced by these things as well as the fishing experience. I am NOT trying to bash guides in general, taking customers out on a fishing trip is a great way to build strong business relationships. Beats the hell out of golf!
I can’t speak for everyone, but I’ve been beat to the landing by a client 1 time - they were 45 minutes early.
The Kayak Fish SC fleet gets at least a rinse after each trip. More often than not, I swing by the closest car wash and give boats, rods, reels, and trailer a thorough going over.
Looking forward to hearing what the powerboat guys do.
I don’t guide much anymore, but I always make it a point to be an hour early. The boat is spotless, the tackle is rigged and ready. The boat is in the water and the engine warmed up when the clients arrive. I’ve never been beat to the the dock by my clients. In my experience, it’s usually them who are late. To turn your scenario around, I can’t understand why someone would pay $400 to go fishing and not show up on time.
my boat stays washed,rods rigged,bait secured,ice in cooler and try to have it all done 30 minutes before the trip is to start.
Boat is always clean, sometimes i dont have time between trips to get everything done, but i am never late with a dirty boat.
I can vouch for Too Busy’s guys. Went out with Carter with my two sons this past summer. Everything good. Maybe I’m just unlucky or keep picking the wrong guides although I’ve never booked anyone without references from people I know. Had a guide on Santee that showed up late, spent the first hour following some clown in a jonboat around who was putting out untagged trotlines. Our guide would wait for him to pull off and then ease up and pull the guys lines while on my dime with my customers on the boat! Then to top it all off our guide’s motor gave out so we sat for the next 3 hours waiting for a friend to come pick us up. Guide told me since we didn’t get to fish he would allow me to reschedule my trip but everytime I called him over the next 2 years it just wasn’t a good time to go as the fish weren’t biting. I finally gave up and found another guide for Santee but anytime anyone would ask about that specific guide I would fill them in.
If I show up at the marina less than 1 hour early I feel like I am running late. Fishing my bay boat I typically have at least 7 rods to put in holders, ice in the cooler and a pre trip wash down and dry off before my customers show up. I always like to have a few minutes to have a few sips of coffee on the boat and relax before anybody shows up. I really try to be ready 30 mins before departure. 1 hour early minimum and that is with the boat already sitting in the water. Any later than 1 hour and I feel like I am playing catch up all day.
ALL the guides I know including my son are on task and very early. An hour early at the least. When it is live bait, they have bait in the well when they pick up. Sorry if you had a bad experience but I really think the next time it will be better.
ALL the guides I know including my son are on task and very early. An hour early at the least. When it is live bait, they have bait in the well when they pick up. Sorry if you had a bad experience but I really think the next time it will be better.
I went catfishing on Lake Greenwood and monticello with the same guide. Both times, his boat was atrocious. The deck was black with fish slime and leaf stain like it had never been washed!
We caught some fish but I haven’t forgotten that nasty ass polar boat!
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brianh, not the same guide but it seems to be more common with the fresh water guys although the bulk of my charters have been fresh water. The fresh water trips seem to be a little lesser expensive as well. I think I’ll try an inshore guide in the next few weeks. I’ve got a customer that’s never done any inshore fishing and I’ve done VERY little myself. Like I said before I’m not bashing guides and have not named any of the ones I was dissatisfied with but if anyone is looking for a good striper guide on lake murray I will be glad to reccomend one.
My boat is clean and at the dock 30 minutes before the trip is to start. I do however keep a rod or two to rig while I’m there, so I’m not standing around looking antsy. If my guide showed up late with a dirty boat, I would wonder how seriously he took his job.
As a guide I would be embarrassed I take pride in what I do for a living!!! I may not have the most expensive boat on the market but I payed good $$$ for it and I like to take care of it and keeping it looking sharp for my customers. In my eyes I am a good business person, (THATS NOT GOOD BUSINESS)and that would kill be showing up late and having a messy boat. I hope those guides comped you the trip. I havent been late for a charter personaly but I would have thrown in some extra time.
This might be the best question with the best responses I have ever seen on this forum…
I have fished with alot of freshwater guides on many different lakes and for the most part even the best of them do not run as tight a ship as most saltwater guides I know or have used myself. The number one reason IMO is that the freshwater guides don’t have to clean their boat or equipment after every trip…a saltwater guide has to or he won’t have a boat or equipment in a few months.
Next difference is that most freshwater guides have a 22’ foot or larger CC or a pontoon and take up to 5 or 6 anglers that are meat fishing for cats, stripers, crappie, etc. They also charge $200 to $400 for 6 to 8 hours or longer. The few bass guides I have fished with are more like the saltwater guides…ship shape to the T.
Saltwater eats everything it comes into contact with and maintenance is mandatory.
This is not an excuse, just the reason…IMO.
As far as being late…there is no excuse. My son booked a guide in October on Santee-Cooper…guy was an hour late, no bait, no rigged rods and had an excuse for every thing that went wrong…and there was a lot that went wrong. Now I used to know and use this guide years ago…he is not a newbie, used to be one of the premier guides on the lake there…tough times I guess.
The only time I see dirty boats around here is when the guide has a double on the same day and then most wipe down the boat and re tie all rigs.
From the guide standpoint…why is it that a charter customer shows up 30+ minutes late and then has a complete hissy fit when the trip ends at the appointed time??? I usually go overtime when they are late, but sometimes they still get a 'tude if we don’t fish 4 hours.
Again, great question and great responses…although mine is a tad long.
quote:The only time I see dirty boats around here is when the guide has a double on the same day and then most wipe down the boat and re tie all rigs.
Exactly. We used to run a lot of 4 hour trips and in the summer we could often run 3 trips a day. The boat was always cleaned between every trip and the tackle re-rigged. It only takes a few minutes to clean the boat, or to keep it clean as you fish. There ain’t no excuse for a dirty boat, or an unprepared guide.
quote:I usually go overtime when they are late, but sometimes they still get a 'tude if we don't fish 4 hours.
A long time ago I used to feel the same way, but you really can’t make a living like that. I’ve done this a long time, over 30 years, and I’ve learned some things. If you’ve got 2 or 3 - 4 hour trips booked in one day, or a 4 hour and an 8, or whatever. If the first party shows up 45 minutes late, I will not make the second party have a 45 minute delay because of it. You’ve got to make it clear up front that they hired you and your boat from 6 am until 10 am. I’ll be ready at 0530, but if they don’t show up until 0800 the trip is still over at 1000, because I’ve got another one scheduled at 1030 and I won’t be late for it either. And those 1030 folks want a clean boat and all bait and tackle ready to fish too.
