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| Most guides post hours with there guide fees - half day 4 hours $150 etc. I have always fished considerably longer than the minimum when out with a guide.
Are the listed hours a fall back in case your client is a real tool and you can't stand fishing with them any more? |
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| hahahahha, I dont think so.
I think guides say 4 hours as an approximate. I do know some that pick you up, and bring you back 4 hours on the nuts, but only a few. With todays economy most guides are very generous and want repeat business, thats why you see more guides putting in a little extra time.
When I guided a half was 5 hours and full was 10-12 hours. The repeat customers got unlimited time with me or until their arms fell off on full days.
Believe it or not. Once I got a complaint for guiding a half day 5.5 hours. We had some weather move in and I was eager to take advantage of it. They were not and I heard a complaint later about that....go figure.[;)] [:)] |
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| Dave,
There is a lot to what your saying,it could be a way to quit exactly on the hour.I post 6 hours for a 1/2 Day and 12 hours for a Full Day.Most of the time the 6 hour day ends up being 7 hours or more.The 12 hours ends up being sunup to sundown or sundown to sunup.But in late November you can't get much more then 6 to 7 hours in before darkness sets in with below freezing temps.So the times are set for the most available time on the water at the end of the season.If Big Fish are hitting you may have to force me to get off the water.
Capt. Larry |
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| For the most part I use the 1/2 = 5 hrs. fishing time as a base line to go off of. In the limited guiding I've done we have usually spent more time on the water just like Jason and others referred to...
I work my tail off to make sure the clients get their money's worth and then some. I don't set a stop watch and usually don't quite until they say "Uncle".....so far I've been fortunate and haven't had any "tools" in the boat, I try to screen my clients to make sure I can give them what they are expecting from the trip, but I'm sure my day is coming for a trip with the "toolbox"...Thanks for the idea Dave...[:bigsmile:]
Best,
Curly |
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| I usually pick up my clients around 9:00 AM in the summer (allows me to do a few things in the AM), and fish till 8:00 PM or later to get in the best part of the day. It doesn't get dark up here till around 10:00PM or so in July. I will vary this some if it looks like there is an early morning bite, which sometimes happens if the water temps get real high. In the fall the hours are shorter, I still usually start around 9:00AM to let things warm up a little, and then pretty much fish till it's about dark, mostly because the days are shorter.
The whole thing is pretty flexible, but it's at least 10 hours on the water, and usually closer to 12 or more. This can get pretty tough on the old bones when you do it for 50-60 days in a row. I usually don't do half days because of the distances you travel on the LOTWs.
Doug Johnson |
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| Most of my clients are repeats over a lot of years so a half day usually turns into a "full" day which turns into an oddyssey that can go on and on. It not unusual for us to fish three,four,even five different lakes in a day stopping for both lunch and dinner breaks.
I dont mind it a bit and love fishing that way. The "obligatory" after fishing critique and celebration of life in general at Skyview Lodge in Presque Isle is an almost nightly occurence .
Part of guiding is the entire experience that your trying to create for your people. Most of my clients have fishd for years and want to hit the best spots on the big area lakes. If it takes twelve hours -so be it-This is one business that you truly reap what you sew.
I did come home early one night about five years ago. My wife asked me what arm I had broken. |
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| I may be a little different here as I advertise a minimum of 10 hours but naturaly in late fall it gets down to 9 and maybe even less but we do fish untill dark. I have had clients that ask to leave earlyer as 10 hours is to much for them and some to start later because they don't want to get up to early in the morning.
Now I have a family and this is my main job so I guide 10 hours on most days, I will stay later if the fish are on at the time or if we had a tough day but thank god those are rare.
Now I don't guide half days and rarely do single days most my clients come for 3 to 6 days so I am sure to get them on good fish as the odds are slim to have 3 bad days in a row. I also offer little extras for my long term clients, at least one day that week we will fish 5 hours in the morning then take an afternoon break and then go back out and fish last 5 hours before dark, this is normaly done during the summer hot days. Then I often take clients out for some bonus fishing the night before that are coming for a week, that is how Zach (Starfire55) got his 53 incher with me.
I actualy had one guy quit of exaustion this summer LOL but it was one of those 105 degree days and we started cathing fish at 1pm and had 4 landed up to 44 inches by 4pm. He said I don't think I can reel in one more so lets go, so I asked him if he would mind me stoping and doing one pass on this spot near the launch and he said yes well in under 2 minutes I had a rod go off and this great fighting 47 inch male gave him the fight of his life. I will try and post his picture here. Needless to say after he released that fish he sat down looked at me and said "no more please lets go". LOL
One thing for sure everyone gets their moneys worth that fish with me that for sure.
[img]http://www.trophymuskiecharters.com/pics/13-8-47x20PaulZz.JPG[/img]
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| Dave,
I think we all just use that as a guideline, although sad to say that I have fished with a couple that spend tooooooo much time looking at their watches. One in particular (a very well known guide), kept telling us of his plans for that evening and we didn't even do 8 hours on a full day's trip. Needless to say, I will never see the inside of his boat again!!!!!![:(]
If you step into my boat, you had better be ready to cast "ALL" day long, sun up to sun down!!!![;)] |
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Dave,
It was said in a couple other post that its kinda a guideline for time...I have spent considerable amount of "extra" hours on the water with clients.
It is easier to do so when the fish are moving however...or if a client has never caught a fish and I want to help them with there first.
Brad
breuerguidewservice.com |
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Guide Hours - question for you guides out there.