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| I am new to muskie fishing and have a couple of guide trips lined up for a vacationa and just a day out. I know I should be tipping, but how much? Do I tip more for a fish caught, more tip for multiple fish? I just dont want to be turned away on the next trip because I stiffed a guide!!
Thanks in advance to guides and non-guides for responding. |
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Posts: 16632
Location: The desert | Prepare for about 4 pages of bickering about what is acceptable. Tip what you feel is deserved. |
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Location: Lake Tomahawk, WI | This has been hashed out many times on here, so why not one more time? 
I'll keep it simple. Tip your guide based on:
-information you gathered
-work ethic of your guide
-fun you had
Fish seen/caught can also be factored in. However, some of my best tips came when we caught nothing. I was forced to scramble, jump lakes, fish longer, and the clients learned how to deal with muskies struck with lockjaw. You are paying for a lesson, and while no fish might be caught that day, it could put many fish in the net for you over the years.
I understand times are tight, and not everyone has a lot of loose cash floating around, especially after paying the guide's fee. If you enjoyed your day, even buying the guide a burger and a beer at the end of the day is a great gesture.
JS |
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Posts: 89
| Tips are certainly appreciated! Jason summed it up pretty good, base it on your entire on the water experience. It's kinda like tipping a waiter, 15% or more for good service, maybe 10% for average and nothing for poor?
Edited by BJolly 6/4/2009 1:25 PM
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Location: Sawyer County, WI | BJolly - 6/1/2009 8:46 AM
Tips are certainly appreciated! Jason summed it up pretty good, base it on your entire on the water experience. It's kinda like tipping a waiter, 15% or more for good service, maybe 10% for average to poor?
Expecting a 10% tip for poor service ? That's ludicrous. Like respect, tips are earned. |
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| bad service= nothing I can't say I've never tipped a waiter before, but there was one time I walked out without paying for my meal after they kept bringing me the wrong thing that I ordered. Cold food, waited forever and the waiter was drunk. See ya!
Edited by Baby Mallard 6/1/2009 2:56 PM
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Location: Oswego, IL | IMO If you have to ask how much to tip, your not a tipper. |
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Posts: 8781
| Bring $50. Worry about how much to tip AFTER you've spent the day on the water. |
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Posts: 32886
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | What in the world does tipping a waiter have to do with the question? Wait folks make most of their living on tips, Guides do not. The question obviously assumes a decent day on the water.
I'm happy with any tip at the end of the day, expecting none in the first place. I set my price and expect I'll earn that on the water. If the client is delighted and wants to tip, that's GREAT, but not expected. |
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| If they enjoyed the day with you, normally they will tip, some clients don't beleave in tipping, which is fine and a few have tipped as much as $100. Lunch is also a good tip.
Go with what you feel is right for you.
Captain Ben Modica
Edited by MuskyFix 6/1/2009 4:14 PM
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| The only thing I'd say is to NOT make it relative to how many fish you catch or not. The very best of guides do get skunked now and then.
As Steve said, most guides don't really EXPECT a tip, so they're not going to balckbal you if you don't. But if you can afford it, and enjoyed the time with them, then be generous. |
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Location: Oswego, IL | Would you tip your phone company, or someone cutting your grass? You have a plan for X amount per month, if the service was great do you send them more money for not dropping a call, or cutting your lawn a cetain pattern? Guides are not based on tip, not minimum wage, and have a set fee, just like any other service you use. To tip or not to tip is all presonal pref. like I said before if you need to ask to tip, and how much, you are not a tipper. If you get blackballed for not tipping, then you did yourself a favor by not using them again. |
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Posts: 1169
Location: New Hope MN | I bartended for 4 years during college. If you tipped me well, you had better drinks & didn't have to wait when we were busy. Youou stiff me, expect to be last and have weaker drinks.
If i used a guide and tipped him well the previous year, i think i could expect more "secret spots" and effort. |
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Posts: 767
Location: Ames, Iowa | 'I bartended for 4 years during college. If you tipped me well, you had better drinks & didn't have to wait when we were busy. Youou stiff me, expect to be last and have weaker drinks.'
Then you weren't a bartender, you just poured more booze to those you liked. You were a drink pourer. I did the same thing and made great drinks for people who expected great drinks, not burnt or weak drinks. I did good work, had fun, and allowed those around me to have a good time- because that's what they were looking for- and didn't expect tips, and found that by doing such, tips came to me.
Appreciated yes, expected no. I hope that's how the best guides operate.
I went out with arguably the best guide on my lake in 2001. He gave me a confidence boost when he said that my techniques I had been doing up to that point were correct. I learned some things about baits and boat control. I caught no fish (which was not promised to me), watched him land a 36" and learned while he correctly released it. I know we were on great spots because they are some of the hottest spots on the lake today. I paid him the remaining balance only and said thank you. Tipping never entered my mind and was not discussed all day. He still communicates and offers advice to me on his website to this day like that wasn't an issue at all. I think the guide makes his living on the quality of service he offers to generate word of mouth business and repeat customers. Waiter, bartender- completely different. No one came to the lounge because they heard I was good. |
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Posts: 1220
| 20% like with a restaurant server for great service, 15% for ok service. It should have nothing to do with fish caught but a lot to do with how hard the guide worked to try to put you on fish, give you a really nice day, and share valuable knowlege if you are teachable enough to listen. You should be a better angler (at least on that guys home water) for having spent the time. Last, not the end of the world for me, but if the guide is a smoker--he should ask if it bothers you if he smokes (I really appreciate being asked) and if you have a kid with you--he should not even ask. Marty Forman |
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Location: Oswego, IL | Junkman, I disagree if the guide smokes then he smokes and should on break if you dont, or sit you in front and smoke in back while moving, you wont even smell it moving. Why would it be rude to ask you if he can smoke if your kid is there? he doesnt know you you may smoke. Also his boat, his rules IMO. If the guy asks you if he can smoke, kid or not, he is a curteous guy. You all are nuts and maybe all guides but a fee is a fee simple, doesnt base income of tips and if he does then he should be charging way less. lunch absolutely, but I dont consider that a tip. If you have an awful time does he give you any money back? exactly. |
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Posts: 169
Location: Houlton, WI | if you leared alot and cought a few give them a good tip. If you feel it wasnt worth the money, give them a small tip |
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Posts: 89
| I never expect a tip on a trip and don't base my budget on them. The service is the same for all repeat customers, big tippers or not. Tips are certainly appreciated and I would say more clients tip than don't. If you want to tip go ahead if not that's fine too. If you enjoyed the trip and learned a lot, the amount is up to you. If the trip sucked, don't tip! |
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Posts: 73
Location: Indiana | 20% tip? Geesh...guides are already pretty expensive. That could easily be 60 bucks.
I think of it like this....when a girl tells you it's gonna cost 20, how often are you giving her 25 or 30??? Not often. You're tipping her by becoming a return customer or spreading the word. I'm just kidding...of course I would never do that. HA!
Edited by Halfpint 6/4/2009 11:57 AM
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| You should tip, it is the right thing to do..... |
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Posts: 2270
Location: SE, WI. | TIP??? Couple years back I had clients catch 3 musky in about 5 1/2 hours. They never caught a musky in their life. My fee was $195....They paid me $187 and thought that was enough.:( I guess I was supposed to keep the rain off their heads too. I had to bite my tongue!
Edited by jdsplasher 6/4/2009 8:42 PM
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Location: Hartford Wi | Its all on how you feel. ts really nice when I get a tip but its not expected. If its expected then I would raise my price. Makes sence..... If you have fun, catch fish, Learn something, one of them or all of them I would throw them something. Just what I think |
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Tipping a guide?