What's your opinion about fishing with a guide and then returning to his spots later? I know their are some guides on this site and would really appreciate your input here. I've had people fish the brush piles that I built and really don't mind but I'm not trying to make a living off that brush pile either. I think everyone agrees that once that brush sinks to the bottom that it's fair game but still going behind a guide doesn't seem right to me.

I'd think a guide would come to expect this and only take clients to holes they don't mind sharing.
Not saying I condone or disapprove of this, just if I was to guide, I'd expect the spots to become "Community Holes" very quickly.



I'll have to watch this and see what some of the guides input is

I found it to be heartbreaking in the beginning after dreaming of fishing my favorite spot only to find someone on it on my arrival.

Looking back now I realize that feeling along with my tight lip (no sharing) was due to my lack of fishing ability. I couldn't find fish at any given time.

Now I find someone on a good honey hole, I smile wishing them the best of luck. I then head to one of many other locations or scan to find them.

In all reality a guide cannot depend on a few locations and we are addicted so you can't expect a fisherman to not go back to locations they are shown to produce.

That being said I see your point and certainly agree.The right thing to do would be to leave a guides spots alone but those are really high expectations.

That's why I fish alone, way to much time and money invested. To many don't want to put the work in.

Tommie has it right. You can't put all your cookies in one bag and expect it to produce time and again.

Nothing is sacred these days with sidescan and downscan.

Just go out and enjoy the day and be glad you've had another day above ground.

Nothing better than to watch a child put the smackdown on some crappie. The pics I see on TFF are awesome.

Gman

Or figure out how to catch fish in places others can not. Hint... that's how to produce big fish consistently. Brush piles are overated!

I agree with both of Tommy's post, there is not anything that beats time on the water. A person starting out, are not knowing the water I am sure a guide is a good way to go. What you want to learn is why his places work. Its about the same on lakes 30 feet are 50 feet, just takes time to read what's going on around you.

Even though I have not officially started guiding yet. I understand that is part of being a guide, which is why it is important to have many spots that produce fish for your customers and to rotate your spots so that you dont ruin those spots.

I'm sure if you come to an agreement with the guide when the deal is set he would show you some "spots" that produce that will not interfere with his work....
I've almost come to exclusively feesh lone stumps out in the middle of nowhere land just to keep the "shoe clerks" away...yet they still pass by within spitting distance try'n to drop waypoints....then expect my to wave at'em...pppffftttt yeah right...
Think I need a new boat, I've contaminated the one I have now.....LOL

I fished with a guide on toledo bend for crappie eight years ago thinking it would be something I liked. It was summertime all we fished were willow piles with minnows under slip corks. He was very up front with us letting us know he better never see us fishing his piles. Really kind of turned me off to crappie fishing.

This last year have I learned that you dont need minnows to catch crappie and its alot more fun that way. With my previous guide trip in the back of my mind, I went out with Jason Burton a few months ago on Palestine. Before we even got started I asked Jason what his thoughts were on us coming back at a later time and fishing spots he showed us. His response was a lot different. He said he had absolutely no problem with it. We havent really fished any of them out of respect for him, and also you have to figure they get worked over pretty good anyway. That being said I did check one of his piles this morning and it was flat loaded. Threw them all back for his clients to catch later.

I know one that will shake her fist at you or flip you off if your where she wants to fish!! Regardless If it's one you put out or not!! But I ain't saying where.

I like your thinking......I want to feesh the stuff that just gets passed over....sure have help my catchn......

I've met Mr. Ray Hubbard. He tried to board my rig one day when I wouldn't leave a pile I put there. I trimmed up my motor and hit the hot foot dang near blowing him off his deck. The water didn't seem to cool him off though. Oh, well!

I think it is "fish".

When I began really learning how to crappie fish, my friend who was teaching me the ins and outs told me to not just be a "spot" fisherman. He said that one of the most important things to catching fish consistently and being a good crappie angler was the ability to find fish and not just fish "spots" that I know of. It really sank in when after a short time, I found that when I went back to the only BP's that I knew of, I either found them occupied by others fishing those BP's or no fish currently on those BP's. It changed the way I thought. It really sank in what my friend had told me. I'm still learning the "searching" part but I feel that I'll be a better and more successful pursuer of crappie.