Tipping a guide?

A friend is taking his son out with a top rated guide on Fork soon and asked me what is a customary tip for a guide. I’ve never been out with a guide so I don’t really know what’s customary. Is it a percentage, flat $, driven by catch/experience, etc??

Thank you for your insight.

Oh no,..here we go.

If you have a really good trip nothing wrong with a tip. I have been on trips with guys that mailed it in.

Over the last few years I have been on 4-5 guide trips on lake fork (some well known and some not so much probably). I have been with some that took me to the exact same locations the previous guide took me to (community holes) and some that really seemed like they put some work in. Can’t make fish bite, but if you learn something on the trip and the guide goes out of their way to teach you, I feel they should be compensated with a tip. I tipped all the guides anywhere from 50-120 dollars. Funny thing is the one I tipped the most We only caught a couple of fish, but I learned a lot of different areas and techniques, and we had a fun trip.

A good friend of mine Jack W. went on a guided Fork trip a few years back. Told the guide his tip is based on catch and quality.

1-4# $2.00 each
5-6# $6.00 each
7-9# $10.00 each
10# + $100.00

He tipped the guide $ 60.00 the guide replied that he enjoyed the added challenge. Jack still shows the pic of the 7.5#er from that day.

Odd tipping method but I enjoyed hearing about his day...

Guides set their rates based on no tip. If you feel a guide has gone ‘above and beyond’ what you expected then a tip is always welcomed. Your friend needs to determine what he expects out of the trip, whether it’s catching lots of fish, big fish, or instruction for his son, and then base any tip on that. BUT, he needs to give the guide an idea of his expectations for the trip so the guide can do the best job possible. P_102

When I wS GUIDING, I MOSTLY got tips, except from tournament anglers, then no tips. It depends on what the guide does on the tri. One father son pair tipped me $500 because I put both of them on their biggest bass in their lives. Not been fishing but 6 or 7 years, but still 5 and 6 lbers out of Lake Lewisville is pretty tough. He was a doctor and I told him I couldn't take it, but he insisted that I do. Anything in between is acceptable. generally, it depends on how hard the guide works to get them onto fish. If he mails it in, a lower tip would be expected. If the guide is working hard to try to get his customers on fish, that deserves a tip, in my opinion, but what do I know. Hope this helps, amd as mentioned above, they do not base tehri pay on tips. But it IS nice to get one. Hope this helps. Tight lines, keepo safe and good luck.

Thad Rains

I was a guide on Fork for 10 years back in the late 80's and 90's and had a very good repeat client list. A person does not go Into the guide business to get rich, you have to love what you are doing. We were charging from $150.00 to $175.00 per day and a typical tip was from $25.00 to $50.00 per day.by the time u paid for a truck, boat, insurance, gas, oil, tackle and all that goes with fishing everyday u could just about pay ur bills and go out to eat a couple of times a week. We never expected a tip but always appreciated one. Most people did tip but some did not. Now that I'm in my 70's and go to a new lake I usually fish with a guide on the first day and I always tip,some more than others according to how hard they work for me.

Richard Duckworth

I fished with a guide on fork not long ago. I didn’t tip. He fished in front of us entire time , people would call him ask how fishing was going they’d show up if we had caught a couple and I watched him throw cigarette butts in the lake as we fished. All community holes. I did catch a 7.5. But that was all me.

I did these very things with a well known guide on FORK a couple of years back.
I met with him the night before, I explained my expectations, I explained that I fished FORK a lot & I also discussed his fee, times to meet/fish and what I would do as far as tipping was concerned. To me, tipping is for EXTRA SERVICE or a better than average result and I stated that up front. the trip turned out quite well and the guide "earned" a really good tip.
one thing I did tell him up front,,,,,, this was my fishing trip not his. He was to guide and not fish. worked really well.
I enjoyed my trip, he earned his fee +++

the key is to teel your guide what you expect and what you want BEFORE you go out.

Three day trip on Sugar Lake a few years back with a guide, multiple 10's, 9's, and too many 7's and 8's to count...I tipped him a full days pay and more, $600.00

This is a good plan.

I agree that it all goes back to the communication of expectations. Fished with a well known young guide about 10 years ago on Fork. Asked him to ignore me and help my wife. He stuck a spinning rod in her hand, put her on the back of the boat and didn't help her at all. He flipped bushes, caught 7 or 8 fish, I caught 4 or 5, my wife caught zip. I didn't want a guarantee of her catching fish, but I specifically asked him to help her. He ignored that expectation, but still tipped him $50.

I've fished with many guides, mainly on Fork, and most worked very hard to put us on fish, caught several 8 plus, 1-10(my friend and customer, not me), but 90% of them did an excellent job WORKING for their fee. If I learn, see a few new spots, catch some fish, but mainly, if the guide shows he is working for us, then I believe at least 20% is warranted.

I've also fished with some that 8-10 years ago worked very hard, but now seem to call it all in. I tip them on the last trip I will ever take with them!!

Those who expect big fish, or lots of fish, and base their tip and general demeanor on those expectations, better not EVER fish Fork, with or without a guide. I don't care if someone fishes Fork everyday, there will be low number days and the big girls, on Fork, are just too smart for most of us 365 days a year!!

I'd suggest you just make sure you hire guides that are highly recommended. They are usually the ones to hire, based on work ethic, knowledge, professionalism, and general effort. Guys like Niggemeyer, Mitchell, Pack, Caldemeyer, Allen, Margraves, etc. Not that others aren't good, I just may not know those guys. Far more info than you wanted I'm sure.


Oh yeah, went with James Biggs and Slade Daugherty both, didn't fish at all!!! Both outings were VERY much worth the money!!

I went on a swimbait guide trip last spring, and it was a tough day. we fished 12 hours and I didn't catch a fish, but he worked his tail off. I tipped him with no hesitation.

We do a lot of guided tarpon fishing trips out of key west. Trips are usually 600 for 6hr and I always give him $100-120 because he works his butt off for us.

I’ve paid 300 tip for a 150 trip 3x. The guide was that good. I had To repair his boat motor 2 of those times. He was way under charging. We caught walleye cat small mouth and pike. He called his shots. If we didn’t have a fish in 3-4 minutes we left the spot. He clearly did his homework. The only spots we left were for larger catfish. This was in South Dakota.

I’ve been with one bass guide and I tipped Him 200 for a 500 day. He makes weekly videos and I had Already learned enough from him prior to the trip. I only Scheduled the trip u repay him for such good video information and told him so. He basically pre fished for his and my upcoming tourney with me so we moved a lot and fished a little. This was on table rock.


If I didnt Tip so well I would hire a guide more often. Hmmmmm

What does your gut tell you? If you feel he did more than you expected , tip him , if not dont. Pretty simple

Same as a waitress: what ever I want or fell good with. Not really interested in what others think I should tip.

If a guide is trowing cigarette butts in the lake I'm not sure I would last the trip. Just can't stand it.

There you go ,,,,

it is one thing to pay a guides RATE for the day ,,,,, be it $350, be it $500. THEY set their rate based on what they think their time and ability is worth. Their FEE is not like a waitress' hourly pay or a cabbie's fare from the meter, those are determined by OTHERS. A guide's daily rate is set by him. TIPS are/should be based on service, performance & results (IMHO) give em' what they earn or base it on your feel good rate after the trip.

I bet Eric really likes you!

15 to 20% if the effort is solid.

Not to be a contrary, but when you are fishing out of someone else's boat on their spots, it's really mostly them when a fish is caught.

JP ,,, not to be contrary,,,, BUT ,,,, you didn't read the post very well. He stated "ALL COMMUNITY HOLES" ,,,, that really doesn't qualify as someone else's spots.

I'll stand by my statement. If I'm fishing out of someone else's boat, at their spots, I figure I am catching their fish (unless we are both deciding where to fish). Even on community holes, approach angles can sometimes make or break the bite.

I have to fish by myself so a guide fee for a day is all i can afford. I always hope a guide will realize a client not splitting the trip is already in pretty deep. Wouldn't he rather you come fishing than just feel priced out by addition of a tip?

Oklahoma has the worst tippers and want to keep every fish caught!

I tip about 10%. If I ever caught a 10 pounder, I would probably give $100.

Smurfs....

Oh Man

True, I am always by myself and did notice they allow two people..

I'll answer that since I think I was your guide a couple times way back.

Yes, a guide would always rather have a trip than not. As Richard mentioned a tip is not expected but always appreciated.

I take 4 or 5 trips a year. If the guide gives good service and I learn from them, they get s good tip. If I get hit with hidden fees that were not explained to me me ahead of time that eat away at the cash I brought with, not much I can do. But I always tip at least a little. Some guides deserve way more tips than others!

I have tipped everytime except once. Guide was not feeling well and wasn’t engaged. Was getting short strikes so switched to smaller baits and finesse gear that I brought. Bad mouthed the brand of lure that I was using. Only thing good about the trip was when we got off of his boat.

Guiding is a customer service deal, if you think you guide went above and beyond his rate throw him a tip.