The popular quote "if I can make $200 a day fishing I would quit my job " is overrated. I made $200 today fishing and earned every penny.
My client wanted to catch white bass–usually easier than wallys unless this is the species you are chasing. We struggled to catch 10 fish 10-12 inches. If it werent for sheepshead our minnow tipped 1/8 oz white RoadRunners would have had an easy morning.
Figured the ‘rock pile’ out from Bingham’s point would be a little better. Not for whiteys ! Went from chrome/shad/white baits to FT5-JS firetiger SHad Raps and managed to scratch client a limit of 15-18 inch walleyes. Client wasn’t happy. he wanted white bass. Kids–stay in school. Stay off drugs. Don’t fish for a living. If you like Nikes and the guy you work for likes Reeboks…life can suck.
Hope you don’t mind me sounding kind of harsh here Ted, but this is a pretty bad report! The fact that you bring complaints about your clients into a fishing report doesnt bode well in my opinion. While I am sure it can be a frustrating time, it would seem more appropriate to just report on the fishing. Many people view these forums and this could really leave a sour taste in the mouths of someone who may be looking for a guide service. Innocent as it is, it can easily be damaging to other guides. Again, sorry if I offended you!
I think its a fine report.
It proves that guides are as human as the rest of us.
Anyone who hires a guide for x and ends up catching y, and gets upset about it, lacks a fundamental knowledge of mother nature. I hire guides for fishing and hunting and I expect them to earn their wage. 9 times out of 10, I have been pleased at the extreme efforts they go to ensure my success. But, mother nature is fickle. We all have had days where the birds fell dead from the sky into your game bag and the fish jumped into your cooler. Sometimes, things happen that are beyond our control and make it very difficult to find fish or game on a given day. Until my kids are grown and I am retired, I will only get occasional opportunities to hunt and fish. The phrase, “You should have been there yesterday” is an all too familar one to me. But, you have to keep at it, and every once and a while you will be blessed with one of those great days when everything clicks. Most days fall somewhere in between.
Excellent post.
Joe Jiacinto
Point taken Kornking. Still feel that a report by a staff member here should not be laced with negativity towards a client though.
Too bad there is not an ‘inflection’ button on the computer keyboard. I’m not down on my client–far from it. He was a lot of fun, a good hook and has already booked again.
Bottom line is I’m mad at myself. thought catching a mess of white bass would be easy..like it has been the last few days.
I tried EVERYTHING to put this great client on the fish he wanted—even a little 1/8 white roadrunner jighead with a minnow…my ‘go to’ killer.
Client insisted that I fish. He didn’t boat a SINGLE whitey…I caught them all. As a guide, this is DOUBLY devastating. You only get into guiding because you know you can catch fish..and think you’re good enough to get others to catch fish. I failed in this endeavor yesterday. I am thankful that the walleyes cooperated. I am thankful that the sheepshead cooperated. I am thankful that the client did a magificent job of whipping a 15 + pound buffalo on ultralight tackle….I am humbled and knocked down at least two pegs as a guide, ’cause i failed in getting my guy the fish he wanted…after displaying a fair amount of hubris on how good the white bass bite has been with a cocky attitude that this outing would be another piece of cake.
Hope the initial post helps y’all hook up with the walleyes a little quicker on Kosh…if that is your desire. If you’re looking for whiteys though, better hire Bola, he’s got ’em dialed in much better than me.
Guess one of the reasons I guide and could never make it as a tourney guy is that i lack any kind of ambition to go out with the mission of outfishin’ anybody else…especially the folks I share the boat with. Maybe I’m wired goofy, but would much rather find fish for folks and net ’em than set the hook myself.
Although this may sound altruistic, it is really an unbridled, selfish ego talking…think I’m so good that I can get ANYBODY fish. That was not the case yesterday. And may not be the case for the next three days with a dad and his two young boys booked in.
Nothing would tickle me more than to put them on a white bass feeding frenzy…then sit back and watch ’em just get wild about fishing . conversely, nothing is scarier for me than the prospect of taking kids out and not being able to provide an experience where they will beg Dad for more.
That’s why I admire guys like Hutch, Jimmie-O and Ron Barefield. Now, THOSE GUYS ARE GUIDES!
Well said buddy
see you soon.
You shouldnt sell yourself short on your abilities to guide! The fact you have been in the business as long as you have is proof of your abilities. In reading your original post again several times I guess I overlooked the good qualities of it and saw what I percieved as the bad. It was a opinion based on what I saw mixed with my personal experiance with a guide last year. I consider fishing guides as the meat and potatoes of the sport and I use them throughout the US for the pleasure of fishing, rather than the thrill of the kill so to speak. I look forward to your original and entertaining reports here and across the airwaves!
