Guided or non-guided trips

Hey all,

I’m planning a trip for later on in the month and I am just curious what some of your thoughts are. With all of the technology in fish finders, lake maps, and online forums, would you rather pay the extra money to go on a guided ice fishing trip out of lodge up on L.O.W, Red Lake, etc? Or would you rather rent a shack from an outfitter at a lower price and use the resources available to you to get on fish? Although I don’t have a lot of experience on the lakes up north, I definitely have knowledge of fishing and am equipped with all of the gear needed for the excursion. I am leaning towards renting a permanent and leaving the portable at home in the interest of comfort because of the company I’ll have with. Any and all advice is welcome. Thank you in advance!

Hey if you have the knowledge and skill nothing wrong with saving the cash. I usually reserve guided trips for when bring my own gear is impractical or impossible like deep sea fishing in another country. Most rental places are pretty good helping you find the fish too as they want repeat business! Best of luck!

I do so much research to the point I dont think I’d buy a guide. I get the reasons you would.
I’m lucky enough to have a few branches of guys around to where I’m always led in the right direction.
The trip its self is spendy enough to add the fee for a guide usually isn’t worth it. But some times I go home and wish I did buy a guide. But not that often.
I’ve never paid for a guide myself. But then again I spend lots of time figuring things out.
It would be nice to show up and have some one else put the hard work in. But that’s not my cup of tea.

Also depends on the group your with. If you are all experienced with gear I wouldn’t do it.

If you have some new anglers and don’t want to play guide yourself then it’s not a bad idea.

im taking a guide at lake of the woods. first time there. I have no experience on that lake. We are renting a day house for 2 days. I’m guessing if I go again, I will have gained enough experience about the lake and where to fish, I may not take a guide again. While we may be able to drive out to our spot in our truck, that might not always be the case. We are traveling a looooooooooong way, and don’t want to haul the side by side or snowmobiles. I will walk out if needed on smaller lakes. But i’m not walking 8 miles out. So, for us, on this trip, we will pay the guides. I kind of enjoy the guides when im on vacation. They generally know where to find the fish and do their best to stay on em. I really like it that the guides I use, also clean the fish. It’s not that I don’t know how, it’s just, im on vacation. It’s nice to pamper yourself once in a great while.

If you rent a shack know that often the spot that it is on was found by a guide.
BUT many of the big fish have been cropped off by now-yes they move shacks a bit and fish move too-Still that spot has been used and hit. You can search LOTW with your electronics-1 million acres 10 thousand islands-one acre is about the size of a football field. Your time is limited, get a guide if its a good one, pay for a half day, worth the money if its a good guide, people on this site are great for stearing you to a great guide. Trust your gut too.

Going to Red I would not get a guide. Going to Lake of the Woods that depends. Up on north end probably get a guide down on the south end no need for one in my opinion

I’ve gotten them before. Sometimes going to a new lake with limited time, getting a guide cuts the learning curve way down. I also didn’t have the equipment I do now. Not having a snow machine or some way of getting around, it’s nice to have a guy show you the techniques for the lake while fishing areas I couldn’t reach on my own.

I haven’t gotten one in about ten years now though. I actually learned a lot from some of the guides I went with in those days. I think if you want to learn a lake quickly a guide is a great shortcut.

Eelpoutguy wrote:

Going to Red I would not get a guide. Going to Lake of the Woods that depends. Up on north end probably get a guide down on the south end no need for one in my opinion

Exactly…..

I could see hiring a guide on LOTW if you’re running and gunning with his gear into secluded virgin territory.

But if you’re paying a guy to sit next to you in a sleeper shack off Wheeler’s Point…..well….yeah…..I’ll leave it at that.