Learning technique and locations from guides

[Bricks]

When I have hired a guide it is a given I am paying for his or her knowledge, spots, on a given body of water. Taking GPS coordinates is strictly rude even to me. Most guides I have hired will ask up front are we fishing for eaters or trophy's the answer will depend on where and how we fish. From my experience talking to different guides, most people looking for eaters are not likely to return trophy fish to the water.

[Hanr3]

With AutoChart Pro, Lakemaster maps, Side-Imaging, Sonar SI-Mosiac there are no private spots on a lake. However, fishing spots a guide makes a living on goes against my grain. I hire a guide to teach me what works on that body of water. I have spent years trying to figure out lakes I visit once or twice a year. A guide greatly shortens that process.

[ozarks ranger]

It does the same backwards too. We found the fish big ones 11to 13.5 in a spot that I have never seen anyone else fish. the lake was crowded because of a couple good weather days. any hoo in the other boats fishing the other fence row was a guide boat with two customers catching small males close to the bank. as we would land a good one they were pointing and such and as we left the guide motored to where we started. we were done for the day we had our limit. Next morning guide was there with two new clients in boat smack dab in the middle of fence row. Should we get a kick pack from him.

[Hammmerhead]

It does the same backwards too. We found the fish big ones 11to 13.5 in a spot that I have never seen anyone else fish. the lake was crowded because of a couple good weather days. any hoo in the other boats fishing the other fence row was a guide boat with two customers catching small males close to the bank. as we would land a good one they were pointing and such and as we left the guide motored to where we started. we were done for the day we had our limit. Next morning guide was there with two new clients in boat smack dab in the middle of fence row. Should we get a kick pack from him.

Thanks for sharing this.

My Grandmother has an old house on another local lake we stay at some time and I have put 4 large PVC structures behind it about 50 feet off the bank. It makes a great spot for the kids to go anytime and catch a variety of fish every time they're there. She tells me quite often that there are regulars there pulling bass off of it and I think its great, just so long my pontoon doesn't constantly get plugged by 1/2oz jigs. I have been told of one guide that would run people off a spot which is on a Federal watershed lake. Don't know if he placed the structure there or what, but that is not cool in my book and he certainly has no sole rights to anything on that lake.

[M R Dux]

I've dealt with this situation in both guiding waterfowl hunts and fishing trips. I've had snow goose clients go back to lands we hunted on and try to get permission to hunt the same spots we hunted a few days or weeks ago. Rarely were they given permission because I spent decades making friends with farmers and landowners who trusted me because of the respect I showed to them and took care of their lands like it was my own.

I've been guiding fishermen for a couple of years and still have tons to learn but I do know people and how they can be. If a client gets in contact with me, I try to find out what they are looking for and why. I've had some who were very vague, almost secretive and others who came right out and told me they wanted to mark spots so they could fish them later. Being honest upfront with me is always better. I've had prospective clients who told me upfront they were going to GPS spots because they were on vacation, had their boat with them and wanted to save their time for fishing and not looking for fish. I still took them out to spots they should be able to catch fish. It was then up to them to duplicate my techniques and many were not able to, some do.

Two things I have to say about guides and their clients: If I take a person or group out for a trip, I'm going to go to the spots where I think the clients can catch the most fish or learn my techniques. Holding back most of ones spots just because one is afraid the client will go back to them is just wrong in my book. The thing that really chaps my arse is a guide being hired by a group and HE spends his whole day catching fish while the clients sat in the back of the boat watching. I'm not talking casting jigs to a bank--I'm talking the guide dropping a marker on a piece of structure, easing the boat up to the marker and essentially keeping the clients from even being able to get a bait near the structure while they sat in the back of the boat. I see it a lot sadly. When a group books with me, they are paying me to TAKE THEM FISHING. I'm not there to fish, I'm there to put the clients on fish while I control the boat, manage tackle or bait, and show them how to catch the fish. In that vein, If I'm not fishing, they have no right to ask if they can catch my limit also. That's not how I work.

[Tracker81]

I've dealt with this situation in both guiding waterfowl hunts and fishing trips. I've had snow goose clients go back to lands we hunted on and try to get permission to hunt the same spots we hunted a few days or weeks ago. Rarely were they given permission because I spent decades making friends with farmers and landowners who trusted me because of the respect I showed to them and took care of their lands like it was my own.

I've been guiding fishermen for a couple of years and still have tons to learn but I do know people and how they can be. If a client gets in contact with me, I try to find out what they are looking for and why. I've had some who were very vague, almost secretive and others who came right out and told me they wanted to mark spots so they could fish them later. Being honest upfront with me is always better. I've had prospective clients who told me upfront they were going to GPS spots because they were on vacation, had their boat with them and wanted to save their time for fishing and not looking for fish. I still took them out to spots they should be able to catch fish. It was then up to them to duplicate my techniques and many were not able to, some do.

Two things I have to say about guides and their clients: If I take a person or group out for a trip, I'm going to go to the spots where I think the clients can catch the most fish or learn my techniques. Holding back most of ones spots just because one is afraid the client will go back to them is just wrong in my book. The thing that really chaps my arse is a guide being hired by a group and HE spends his whole day catching fish while the clients sat in the back of the boat watching. I'm not talking casting jigs to a bank--I'm talking the guide dropping a marker on a piece of structure, easing the boat up to the marker and essentially keeping the clients from even being able to get a bait near the structure while they sat in the back of the boat. I see it a lot sadly. When a group books with me, they are paying me to TAKE THEM FISHING. I'm not there to fish, I'm there to put the clients on fish while I control the boat, manage tackle or bait, and show them how to catch the fish. In that vein, If I'm not fishing, they have no right to ask if they can catch my limit also. That's not how I work.

Well said mrdux well said?

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[Sarg]

This is a true guide right here
All questioning on the other side is pure greed at face value
Notice the others in thread lame qualifiers? self serving right?
Strong Work Tracker81

Using the techniques is pretty much going to happen by all that are guided. I have numerous spots on the lakes and I have seen people in them that I have guided. I personally believe that it's OK. I've been doing this for years and have caught fish for a long time and I'm pleased to see someone I took in one of my spots. I have even showed people some that we didn't fish. To me it's all public land, water and fish. Everyone is welcome to fish anywhere i believe. That's why I tell everyone if you need help on reelfoot all u gotta do is ask me I don't mind sharing anything that I know.

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[hart8]

The only guide I've ever hired was Lee White on Lake Fork.I yold him I wanted to learn how to catch Crappie in January.He said we would be fishing main lake humps in 40-45 ft of water.I asked him in advance if it'd be okay re-visited the spots from time to time.He said bring a map with ya',and I'll mark it up for ya'.
I'm not gonna hurt the crappie population on Lake Fork by any stretch of the imagination!

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