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Posts: 1996
Location: Pelican Lake/Three Lakes Chain | There have been a whole lot of posts so far this winter asking guides questions about their businesses. I want to turn that around and ask prospective clients what their expectations are when they hire a guide. I treat every day on the water with clients the same way. This is probably the one day of the year they have most of their hopes pinned to as their best chance at fish. Am I wrong? What are client expectations? |
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Location: Athens, Ohio | 1. A real cool boat (like Norm's), with plenty of room.
2. Knowledge of the water we're on (like Norm has).
3. A relaxed, fun approach to fishing (well, Norm did yell at me for missing that fish!).
4. A good time! m |
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Posts: 1516
| Don't get all PO'ed if the customer makes a mistake or screws up. Be careful with your language not every uses some of the colorful adjectives you may use to descripe a situation. I guess these are parts of items 3&4 of Milie's comments |
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Posts: 207
Location: Downers Grove, IL | 1. Sharing of info of the specific body of water - usually I'm fishing the water for a few days after the guided trip. Even if we don't fish it - pointing out spots/areas as we drive by to try after our trip is appreciated.
2. Enthusiasm - nothing sucks more than hopping on a boat knowing you're dropping a few hundy and the guy is already complaining about conditions, weather, traffic, etc. Even if things don't look promising - keep it positive!
3. Guide always has a line in the water - my back and shoulders ache too, but if you're not fishing a spot, I have little/no confidence that I'll stick one there.
4. Even if you'd rather be somewhere else - please don't be checking your watch all day and telling me how much time we have left until our trip is over. The best guys are the ones that at least make you feel like they're not willing to pack it in until you're ready to.
5. FUN, FUN, FUN. I've been fortunate to never have hired a boring one, but I can't imagine spending my hard earned cash to cruise around with some stiff all day.
My $.02 - thanks for asking!
Jeff
(by the way, Norm, I fished with you a few years back on Pelican - it was a hot, flat day and to tell the truth, we didn't see a fish, but you kept it fun and always made us feel like we had a shot...thanks!) |
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Posts: 457
| Be courteous, be extremely knowledgeable of the water we are fishing. Be able to control his boat (I mean really control it! I fished with a guide two years ago, really windy, and I could have controlled his boat better. needless to say, I was really torked, because he wanted to get out of the wind, rather than fish some of the best water for the situation). Be relaxed with your clients, if you are using his gear, make sure that it is in Tip top shape, make sure that baits are in good order, and not strewn about the boat.
Make sure you have an understanding about whether the guide is fishing or not. It is one thing that has never bothered me, but some go ballistic over it, again, I'd rather he fish than not, in most situations. Work out front of the boat/back of the boat. Sometimes I'd really rather fish out of the back, depending on the water, and what baits I want to throw. Outline the day for clients, give them some sort of reliable account of run time, and where you are going, what the general plan is. (most guides are capable of doing this on lakes they fish day in day out.) There are few other things, I'm sure. I've had a terrible guide or two, and none of these were touched, the boat control one was the worst, but the rest are still annoying to me. I like to have an understanding of my guide, and not be a mushroom. I'm reasonably knowledgeable, inclusive of most of the water I will fish with a guide, and expect not to be treated like a three year old.
I'll gladly shell out the cash to "re-learn" a body of water that I haven't fished in several years, so long as that guide is one that isn't there just to make a buck, and deal with his sports (regardless of how good his clients really are). |
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Location: Illinois | 1.Teach me one thing that I didn't know.
2.Be good company
3.Have an ounce of humility |
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Posts: 193
Location: Mayer, MN | Know if his boat will start on the coldest day of the guiding season after a long day of fishing in sub freezing temperatures.  Especially after he talks up the flawless operation of his powerplant earlier in the day. That was the ultimate jinx.
Mike Hulbert: Thanks for showing me how to properly work that phantom, I will be purchasing one this season.
Jason Roberts
Mayer, MN
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Location: Grand Rapids, MI | One I have heard many times from people that have fished with guides:
If you can't stop talking on your cell phone - shut it off. It shouldn't seem like the guide would rather talk on the phone than be guiding that day. |
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Posts: 1996
Location: Pelican Lake/Three Lakes Chain | Jeff,
I remember that day well, it was brutal. We had to go for boat rides just to cool off.
Since that day my gatorade consumption has gone way down! |
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Posts: 54
| will schultz,
i agree 100% but.............
i have my cell phone on only for emergencies. i have 3 young daughters and if something is wrong, i have priorities. so if its not nikki calling me. they simply leave a message.
great question.
and great post norm.
dannyboy
dannyboys guide service
musky crazy
laona ,wi
715-674-2061
[email protected]
www.dannyboysguideservice.com
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| I would expect if I'm paying a guide that his bait is last thru the water, and isn't running the boat from the front and getting the first shot at the spot. any guide that does that is not worth hiring imo.
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Posts: 189
Location: Barrington, Il | Don't be hungover and late because you stayed up late drinking to celebrate a 40#er. If you are late, stay out extra to compensate for the time wasted. |
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Posts: 8772
| It really depends on who it is and why I'm there...
For example: I hired Steve Herbeck because he is Steve Herbeck, and I felt he was someone I needed to fish with. Expectations? Well, I expected a lot of yelling and swearing. That didn't happen.
I hired the rest of his guides because I only had a week up there, and I could easily have wasted the whole thing fishing stuff that looked great and didn't hold any fish. My expectations of the AML guides were basically "take me to the fish" so I could maximize what little time I had on Eagle.
I hire Howie Meyer from time to time, and that's a totally different thing for me.
When I hire him, I am there to learn how he does what he does, where, and why. I am not looking for "take me to the fish". To me a day in the boat with Howie is kind of an honor, and when I step out of the boat at the end of the day I am a better angler. He's kind of the quitesential old time Northwoods fishing guide, and you just don't get to spend a day in the boat with a guy like that very often. No ego, nothing to prove, no BS, just a guy that loves fishing as much as me and though he won't admit it has learned a thing or two about Muskies fishing up there for almost 50 years.
I have hired Travis Richardson more times than I can remember. Travis taught me most of what I know about muskie fishing, from how to cast, figure 8's, how to work lures, where the fish might be and why ... I suppose the first few times I hired him to simply "take me fishing", but over time that transitioned into really learning the Yahara Chain; the baitfish movements, structure, what patterns are good where and at what times of the year... And that's why I kept going back, because the level of what he taught me has evolved as I have evolved. I hired him to learn the Yahara Chain, because it's only 2-1/2 hours away, and the closest shot at a good fish I have living where I do. At first it was "take me to the fish" but in time it became "help me be better equipped to find them next month, or next season."
Generally speaking, there are a few things that will determine whether I re-hire a guide, or whether I recommend them to anyone. Norm, I think this was what you were looking for:
1. I expect to learn something. If you are making your living fishing muskies here, there is certainly a lot of value that you can impart. Please do so at a level that suits me as an angler. You will have to figure out what that level is.
2. Don't be a jerk. Seems obvious, but I don't care what you know or how famous you are if I don't like you. If I don't like you at the end of the day, I'm not coming back. I will tell also probably tell anyone who will listen what a jerk I think you are.
3. Let's not forget that fishing is FUN. I'm pretty intense about it, probably as intense as you are. But when it stops being fun, well... What fun is that??
4. We are out here today to try to put fish in the boat, that means you too. Let's work together to make that happen. If its bad enough outside where you have to just run the boat and not fish, fine. Otherwise, fish like you'd fish in a tournament. |
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| 1.) I expect him/her to put me on Fish. Now, if there was a cold front that came through the day before dropping temps 20-30 degrees it would be excuseable weather notwithstanding I'm looking for a minimum of a lazy follow.
2.) Explain why you're doing what you're doing and how you think each spot should be fished. Pay attention to those who are in the boat to make sure they understand burn a bucktail, pause a weagle, etc.
3) Have Fun!!
4) Don't mention that tips are appreciated or any garbage like that either in the boat or at any time prior. |
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Posts: 654
Location: MPLS, MN | 1.} Fish good spots
2.} Teach Techniqe
3.} Fish in back of the boat |
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| All good coments guys! Thanks for your imput. I'm just starting out in the Muskie teaching business. And I find that you guys have went through some of the same things I have. One thing not to forget is that your at the service of your customer's. Treat your customer's the way that you want to be treated.
Gary |
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