I'm not naming the guide because I don't know if he always does this and I don't want to set any expectations for the guy. But he's more than welcome to chime in if he wants. He's an awesome guide.

I fished with a guide on Fork a few years ago, in the last week of February, post cold front, it had already been cold for weeks, absolutely brutal conditions - and I knew it going in. I zeroed, my wife caught one and the guide caught 2. At the end of the day he offered me a free half day trip, or a half price full day. I was ecstatic. I knew the conditions were AWFUL and I didn't blame him one bit for the bad day. We talked to 3 or 4 other guides that day and they all had the same story. 1 or 2 bites, if they were lucky. I thanked him and made sure to still tip him well, he worked his [censored] off to find us some active fish that day and they were just not going to cooperate. I didn't expect any type of compensation so it was an awesome bonus.

The possibility of a zero is always there when you hire a guide - and that's ok. It's always a little bit of a gamble. It doesn't matter how good you are at finding fish, if they won't bite you just aren't going to catch them. I don't judge a guide on fish caught, I judge them on overall experience. That day I zeroed, I learned, and I learned a LOT. I learned a few hunting tricks that I still use to this day. I learned how to fish a couple of lures I wasn't familiar with. At no point in time did I feel like I wasted my money.

It's fishing, not catching. It's gonna happen, even to the best of us.

When I guided on Lewisville, I guaranteed that you or I would catch a bass that day, or you got your money back, $250 of mine AND another trip. Never had to make good on that guarantee in 106 trips. Sure, sometimes, we only caught a few fish, but that is fishing. Sometimes the lure you need is a hand grenade (J/K) to get them to the surgace. But, I WORKED MY BUTT OFF trying to get you on fish. Most of teh anglers were T anglers and wanted to know the lake better, so I taaught them what I could when fishing. I only charged $250 when I guided too. Of course, being on the lake 494 times helped me with my confidence and my logs really helped. Hope this helps. Tight lines, keep safe and good luck.

Thad Rains

I've never bass fished with a guide but I paid for a duck hunt for a friend and myself once. 3 hunters and the guide hunted and we killed 4 or 5 ducks. The guide said we didn't have to pay because his spot didn't produce. I made him take the money anyway because he has expenses and tried his best to put us on the ducks. He said he would take me out again at no charge. We went back a week later and hammered them. 5 hunters 5 limits. I gave him a tip that day even though it was a "free" trip. I know it's apples to oranges in a way but he could have shrugged his shoulders on the first trip and said "well, that's hunting" but he didn't. It went a long way with me and I've recommended him to many people since then. I know a lot of Lake Fork Guides would go broke if they didn't charge when the clients zero. That lake can be brutal a lot of times.

Yes twice at fork

I have had some awesome trips with guides. The most memorable was easily Mark Pack last year. He put me and my buddy on both of our PB's I got a 9.8 and my buddy got one just over 10 his first DD. Awesome experience and I have another trip booked with him in April.

I went out with Dannie Golden the year before on Roberts. We didn't catch a lot of fish but Dannie is a funny dude and made the experience awesome. That fella knows every inch of Ray Roberts like the back of his hand. Hell the ride was worth the price of admittion! 75 MPH turns through trees that I didn't think his Legend would come close to fitting between. Wild Ride! I tipped him even though we didn't catch much,and I will go again.

Went out on a 1/2 day trip on Fork. The guide had to have someone fill in for him in the morning because he had the flu. I don't blame him he needed the money so he kept our appointment. But he was in pain the entire time. We were using bigger baits and had a couple of short bites. After over two hours of nothing in the boat I used my own rig. I caught 5 including a 5 lbr and I also had to duck fast (without warning and the lure was headed straight for my face) when he missed a top water bite. We thanked him but didn't tip.

Man's gotta know his way around a boat. I dodge my comrade's and my own lure(s) every trip.

The bass guide that hasn't blanked or had a 1-2 fish day hasn't take very many trips. Nobody wants to talk about it but it happens to everyone if they guide long enough. IMO what you catch on a single trip shouldn't be the only concern. You will know if he worked hard for you by the effort he showed changing baits, depth, locations. You should be more concerned about learning something during your trip to help you be a better fisherman and able to catch more fish from there on out when your on your own. There is the real value in a guided trip.

I learn way more from a guide on a bad day than a good one

I have had both good and bad trips, always paid and didnt expect a free trip or anything. The only thing that does slightly irritate me is when the guide talks about the clients the day before catching 30lbs

As long as they are earnestly trying then I don't hold it against them. Would I be disappointed? For sure. They aren't magicians but if I were a guide I'd have a few spots that I know hold fish that I avoid at all costs unless things are going down hill. Even then, some people expect to be double fisting DDs all day and don't increase the tip or tip at all. People are people and people are weird.

I have and the guide offered me a free trip. I scheduled the new trip four different times nd he canceled all of them on me the day before.

I went to Las Vegas with my wife on vacation. Where ever I go on vacation I try to work out a fishing trip. Even fished Disney World once! Anyway, I hired the only bass guide advertised on Lake Mead at the time. We went out less than one half mile from the ramp. (Lake Mead is HUGE). Naturally I'm fishing artificial cause I'm from Texas! Didn't get a bite anywhere in the bay where the ramp could be seen from any place we stopped. I kept asking about areas up the river I had scouted via Google Maps prior to going to Vegas. He didn't even act like he had ever been outside the area we were fishing.

Finally this guy breaks out some bait fish he had in his cooler commences to cutting them up and puts out two rods over the side of his BASSBOAT and hooks a striper about 20" long. Hands me the rod and has me reel in the fish!!! That was the only fish we caught!

He took $50 off his fee of $350.00. I spent more time talking to him about how and where to catch largemouth than he knew about the subject. He was about 20 years younger than me at the time. I chalked it up to "ya' gotta start somewhere" for him and a life experience for me!

I have had lots of trips with no fish or one. I have had some real good trips to. I am not sure where I really stand on this. I have been reading this and just thinking to my self if I hired any one else and paid them what comes to about 50 dollars a hire would I/or we still think it ok to not get what we hired them to do and pay them a tip? I know its fishing but do you really hire a guide and go with the expectations of catching no fish or only one in a 8 eight hours. I am not saying we shouldn't but it is the only place any of us would get bad service on a job and not get on here complain about it. LOL

I think it a little funny the way we can justify spending our money. I bet if we paid 400 dollars to get a service and they forgot to do it and just charged us for it we would be calling out the dealer on here in big bold type. just my .02

When I am on a guide trip and the fish aren't cooperating i use the opportunity to learn the electronics. What is he looking for, etc. Years ago Mark Pack taught me more about interpretations of what he was seeing and not seeing on each spot that have produced many more fish than I could count. Worth every dollar spent.