This thread is a prime example of why this site has half the activity it did 2 years ago and why a ton of good guides avoid this place like the plague. What a shame.

I agree. This section used to be loaded with great fisherman giving out free info, now 90% of the posts are somebody crying about anything and everything and making empty threats.

I applaud Tom, tiny, dam, bankfisher, and the few other great fisherman that wade through the BS to post actual info still.

Facebook with high school girls is what it resembles sometimes more than a fishing forum.

I think what happened is the people giving out all the "Free info" realized the pressure and attention it was bringing to their home lakes and they put a stop to it! (This forum single handily will be the demise of Tawakoni)

Dallas will be the demise of Tawakoni.

Ha Ha too funny...

Ya know, I've fished with some of the most amazing anglers in this country over the last 55 years, and paid big bucks for guides. Although I haven't spent time on the water with Capt Larry in quite a while, I sure as hell had no complaints when I did... as the following pics reinforce. Sometimes people tend to blame those around them or the elements for their own failures... Give 'em Hell, Lar!









Capt never had a problem finding some nice lil' white bass either...



Get a clue, boys... Larry is a damn good man, who knows Lake Lavon better than anybody I've met. Look in the mirror if you didn't catch fish.

To all of you that are whining and crying about a post. DONT READ IT THEN. yall talk about it spamming up the forum with open seat ads, etc....but honestly. How hard is it to just not read it? If something offends you ok tv or radio do you call them to complain or do you just change the channel?! If its allowed then they arent in the wrong. YOU are!! And you have no damn right to say [censored] about it. And then to change the subject, you start talking about how bad the open seats are and rip offs, etc. And then apparently someone has a problem with a specific guide so instead of being a MAN and confronting their problem face to face, they wanna try and be a keyboard warrior and act like a dirty little snake by bad mouthing them publicly. Regardless of whether people take this thread seriously. What you have already posted has already damaged someone's business in some way and hurt their way to provide for their families. Even if only one customer uses this thread and decides against going out..and you don't [censored] with someone's means of supporting their family. Good way to get hurt...Cuz I'll be honest. That guide that you're crying about must be twice the man I am considering he isn't feeding into your teenage girl drama and [censored] talkin. I don't play that [censored]. Ive got some mental issues that I acquired from some traumatic events of my past and in the service that give me a pretty mean and violent temper. Which normally i have an extremely good grasp on controlling. But nonetheless. If You got a problem. Handle it like a man. I'd find you and confront you myself since you won't for whatever that reason may be... I don't understand the point of arguing over this...every person has their own right to run their own business the way they see fit and what is best for them and their business....not sure I see why people have such a problem with someone else's decisions that in no way effect them....if you know people who don't like it, or you don't like it, well....here's my advice to you...GET OVER IT.... your whining and complaining isn't gonna change it, so honestly, why waste the energy crying about it? All you're doing is causing drama that resembles that of a gossiping high school girl and also making enemies along with giving people the impression that you're an idiot...when you have your own guide service, then run it the way you want....but don't tell anybody else how to run theirs...you're being a hypocrite....Cuz how would you feel if somebody bashed you on the way you run your own business? Prolly wouldn't like it would ya? How about you quit acting like an ignorant immature child, and try to be a positive part of this brotherhood/sisterhood we call fishing....we all share the same passion...so why in the hell fight over it if someone else's method is different from ours? You are a prime example of what is wrong with this country...everybody thinks that things should be done their say cuz their way is right, and everybody else's is wrong...I tend to try and get along with people on here and not instigate stuff...but I'm tired of hearing it...I really hope youre a young guy....Cuz if you're older, that just makes it way worse....the last advice I can give you is try and GROW UP!!!!

I get on this forum to learn, share, and support those who all share the same love for this beautiful sport we call fishing...I didn't get on here to hear a bunch of bickering and whining like little girls. So people need to keep their mouths shut if they have nothing respectful or nice to say. Pretty sure we all learned that when we were kids...I'm only 24. And even I realize that if you don't like something somebody does and they are breaking no rules, that I need to just bite my tongue because not only is it not gonna change anything, it's gonna cause unnecessary drama, it's not your decision, and also make you look just plain ignorant...so. from now on..how bout we all respect the other members on this forum. And act like the mature adults that most of us are. We may not understand why someone does something....but that gives us no right to say that it's wrong...wake up people..we should all be one big family...this should be a brotherhood/sisterhood....this is the reason I left catfish1.com...too many hypocritical. Judgemental, cocky pricks that thought they were better than everyone else...and if anybody ever needs any help or advice or tips on catfish, I hope that I can help, and I will also post reports as well...because that's what this is all about....it's labeled Catfishing, not Bitching. There is plenty of other types of forum websites for that....lol. I'm done ranting....oh wait...if you don't like what I said. All I can tell you is get the hell over it and realize the way you feel now is the way you make others feel when you do what you do....

Mad-catter1990, you are a smart man. Keep fishing, keep postin, catch a big un!!!!

So is someone really on here complaining because of a $50 seat on a party boat type trip and they didn't catch a limit or trophy fish? It's hard to tell without reading 20 more pages of past posts.

If that's the case, said person must have no clue of the expense involved in owning a boat. Or how much a single 4hr trip to the lake can cost. Much less how much money is involved in running a guide business. Because yes, even if you run "party" trips, you still have all the legal requirements that any other guide does. I can spend close to $50 for a few hours in the evening during the week chasing Sandies and Hybrids, and I do so often.

Honestly, I won't hardly fish with guides any more. Not necessarily because of anything a guide has done wrong. It just seems like every time I book a trip, even during the best parts of a particular season, mother nature intervenes the day before the trip and makes the conditions as tough as they can be. My only real complaint about guide fishing is that they "can" get so focused on one particular method that has been working, they never stray too much from that plan even if it's not working that day. If I'm in my boat, the learning curve may be steeper at first, but there is a flexibility that I have yet to see with a guide; changing strategies, or even species.

I too dislike guides using sites like this to only promote their business but offer no information to other users. I'd love to log in on the TFF and be told what location, what bait to use, and how to present the bait so I could just go wear fish out at any given time. But, having fished Blues during the "trophy season" at Tawakoni for many, many years, I am glad to see that no-one is on here telling everyone with a boat and rod where to set-up and how to fish them. It's a finite resource, and you won't be getting a lot of info from me on the matter either, except maybe a clue or two in a pic if you know what to look for. I paid my dues to find the holes I fish, a noob can expect to do the same, hire a guide and pay for the education, or come out and make enemies trying to potlick others.

I do, however, find it amusing that such subjects and discussions will gain so much momentum that conversations about the subject end up stopping just shy of open threats of physical violence. I thought we fished to relax and have a good time. Evidently some people feel the need to whip out the tape measure before the first fish has been boated.

Marks fence repair guide service as soon as I retire we can do it no sitting on my boat only standing up pullin monsters off the bottom!

I went on a guided trip one time $350 for 2 people we caught over 150 fish in 4 hours I tipped him $100 I don't think there is enough fish to be caught around here though good luck on the trophies I would like to see a place around here where somebody could actually catch double digit fish consistently like SALSA your not gonna be able to do that as more and more people depleted the population of fish . More importantly like the guide said "the big one just spit the hook..." that s what happens yall must of been in the right spot just didn't catchem.

What it boils down to is: Buy a Boat , Aquire a "Guide's License" or "Captain's License" or "Both" and Take people Fishing, set your Rates according to Your Budget and FISH !!!!. I know Guides Here Near the Bay and on The Big three Lakes in Southeast Texas that Charge from $150.00 to $750.00 for a Half Day Trip.... The Big Guys always Critisize the Cheaper Guys, and Vice-versa, but . Fish with Whom you can Afford and Hope you get your Money's Worth. "One Man tells another" the One's who aren't Qualified or Lie about their Business will Falter..and Fall by the Wayside. But Above All!!!!! Be Legal!! Don't Moonlight your Skills for Profit if you aren't "Licensed" and "Insured" . The Fines are Hefty for those who get Caught. And above All!!!! Be Safe . ask to see their License and Safety Gear before you Leave the Dock.. CYA. in other Words. Here's to Good Fishing and FUN !!!!!!

I'm retired and have thought about starting a service to take families fishing. I have a pontoon boat with all of the electronics, bait tank and about everything else you need to fish. Not sure what I will charge, but around $50/person. Not looking to make money, just buy gas and minnows. I am sure I am not the fisherman that Kerry Dugan, Chris Carey, J.D. Lyle and other guys are that have done for a living. I can however catch a few fish and put people on the water where the fish are. I have no objection to them charging $125 per person and up for their services. There are plenty of people out there that can afford that and the quality they get. There are lots of people like my next door neighbor that work for a living and have a big family and can't afford the big guys. There is a place for everyone and remember all of the lakes are paid for by the public, not the people that guide on them. Tawankoni (sp) will not be ruined by fishing pressure, it will be the drought if we don't get rain. Now about guides telling you where they fish. If you believe they would do that, I have a bridge in Arizona I would like to sell. If you have a boat and time, spend more time on the water and less time on the TFF, go to one lake and learn it, you will catch fish.

cooncrazy ... you don't have to click on um but i also wondered a little about this stuff ... I took off coming to tff due to health and not feeling well when I'd get home from fishing trips and when I came back recently it seems like everyone is a guide now hahaha. You'd think that there wouldn't be enough clients to go around with everyone here turning into a guide and I wonder about the quality of the guiding experience they offer their clients as anyone can announce themself a guide and then sucker people into going out with them like an old boy I know here ... he read my book and decided he was qualified to be a guide then and I heard nothing but horror stories when people went out with him as he hadn't a clue as to how to put people on fish or anything. I wonder if that's what's happened here as it's really sad to hear how these people were treated up here with the so-called guide that just decided he wanted to do what I do but didn't have a clue as to where to start. After he read my book he also decided that made him an outdoor writer and I found out that he'd plagiarized my writing verbatim in an article to a local newspaper. I found it by a friend of mine who said on another forum that everyone needs to go check out this guy's article because it sure seems like he knows what he's talking about ... hahaha. I didn't tell him that it was my writing but he found out later when I confronted said person on my forum about him copying my writing to a newspaper article and told him to not did it again else I'd be very upset. Anyhow, I just wondered bout that as it's not a good thing to offer services that really aren't services but rather a guy just taking advantage of people and don't even know how to locate fish.