Thread: Should guides keep their own limit? Yes or No?

This must be a trick question. There isn't a generic answer available. Let's start by looking at just what the limit, or better yet, limits are in a few situations. There are many other situations but, since some state lakes have their own separate regulations above and beyond that of the actual state regulation for MS, I'll keep this to just a minimal few. The state general daily creel for crappie is 30 per person per day. Size limits vary from No Size Limit up to 12" MLL (Minimum Length Limit). Now, this is general for all waters within the state of MS. With the exception that state and federal lakes may set their own Creel and Length limits within the state's limits. Which is what many do. So, if we take the big 3, Grenada, Sardis, and Enid, the creel limit is 15 per person per day with a 12" MLL. With that, there is also a 40 fish limit per boat of 3 or more anglers. So, if a guide takes out two people and allows the customers to catch their limit 15 each, the guide is only allowed to catch 10 fish. There are times when guides will have three fishing customers on the boat, which means 2 of them are allowed 15 each and one is allowed 10, the guide is allowed zero. Guides are in the business to make money. If they pick and choose their customers by the number of fish the guide is expected to catch, they're likely to not have enough customers to fill out their schedule for the year. As stated in one of the replies on this post, the guide is going to do whatever pleases the customer in order to maximize his income for that trip with a hopeful, healthy monetary tip in addition to his fee. Whether we agree or disagree is irrelevant. Fish guiding is a business. As long as the guide is operating within the laws of the state they should be able to catch and keep within the state's regulations. Guides aren't cheap and customers want to feel like they're "getting their money's worth". Not all are interested in catching a limit. I rarely use a guide. The only time is if I'm fishing a large lake I've never been too. I'll fish it solo first and see how I do. If I'm not satisfied with my success I'll hire a guide to learn something about that water. Sure, I want to catch fish, but I'm not interested as much in limiting out as I am learning how to fish that water. If I learn something of value, I've got my money's worth, limit or no limit.

Originally Posted by Grumpa

While I agree it should be a boat total, not individual counts. The law states otherwise, I do believe the guide's clients were actually law enforcement but I am not positive. Hopefully someone else from IL will chime in

I’m almost positive you’re right on the clients being law enforcement doing an investigation. The said guide is now back to guiding in Illinois. If he served his penalty and learned from his mistake, I have no problem with him guiding in Illinois again. I don’t have a strong opinion on guides keeping their limit or not. On big lakes that are good crappie fisheries, are a few guides keeping there daily limits really going to affect the overall population of the fish. I don’t think so , but I’m no expert or have even researched it.


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Originally Posted by Dodgeman

We all see the pictures of guides everyday putting pictures on social media with one guy and 30 fish or two people and 40 fish. Why would they keep their limit. Do you feel guides should keep their limit?

Ok, here it is from my stand point. Too many get hung up on limits, if you have 25 (5 short of a two man limit) did you have a piss pore day, heck naw. If I have 2 clients on my boat then we are looking for 30 legal fish, this gives me some room in case I have miss counted. There are times we do the 40 thing but that usually is a repeat customer that we had a sub-par day (for whatever reason) the last time we were out. I hear people all the time, look they just put that short fish in their box, how in the heck do they know how long a fish in another is and why is it their business. Bet they call tag numbers for everyone running over 7- on the interstate!
Fact is, if the law is followed then there is not much to complain about. I do not fish when I have clients unless it is just one.
I have seen tips ,mentioned some in this post. The day on the water shouldn't be about catching the limit and being off the water early, it should be about making memories with and for folks. I have never figured my TIP would be better if I would have done batter, I give my all each time I have clients.
As far as a Captains License I think that is on the way as well as a guide license with out-of-state guide fees being elevated. I do not care either way, the ole deckboat gonna try and be legal whatever the law says.
Tite lines guys, good thread.

Well said!

Originally Posted by Rees Guide

Ok, here it is from my stand point. Too many get hung up on limits, if you have 25 (5 short of a two man limit) did you have a piss pore day, heck naw. If I have 2 clients on my boat then we are looking for 30 legal fish, this gives me some room in case I have miss counted. There are times we do the 40 thing but that usually is a repeat customer that we had a sub-par day (for whatever reason) the last time we were out. I hear people all the time, look they just put that short fish in their box, how in the heck do they know how long a fish in another is and why is it their business. Bet they call tag numbers for everyone running over 7- on the interstate!
Fact is, if the law is followed then there is not much to complain about. I do not fish when I have clients unless it is just one.
I have seen tips ,mentioned some in this post. The day on the water shouldn't be about catching the limit and being off the water early, it should be about making memories with and for folks. I have never figured my TIP would be better if I would have done batter, I give my all each time I have clients.
As far as a Captains License I think that is on the way as well as a guide license with out-of-state guide fees being elevated. I do not care either way, the ole deckboat gonna try and be legal whatever the law says.
Tite lines guys, good thread.

Don't try to hide it. My wife saw you put that short fish in the box.

Originally Posted by Kevind62

Don't try to hide it. My wife saw you put that short fish in the box.

I seen her looking, bout pee'd all over myself!

Originally Posted by Kevind62

Don't try to hide it. My wife saw you put that short fish in the box.

And I thought she was looking at the color of my crank bait

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