Yes two times on Fork. Both after extreme cold fronts.

Or hearing you should have been here yesterday. They were on fire.

yep this..equipment = good clean boat, good rods and reels, lines hooks and baits
teach...if we arent catching fish, fine..tell me what you are thinking and doing...tryiong different techniques and different depths
finally attitude...you can tell when a guide is just trying to get through the day...calling wife, checking texts... not moving cause they dont want to burn gas trying to get you on fish...its easy to tell the turds..
thankfully there arent many becasue they dont stay in business long

My first guide trip was on Fork years ago. I hired a very popular guide thinking my buddy and I would have a great day. The guide fished the front from 11 o'clock position to 2 o'clock position. I was only able to cast past him 2 times. He told us to throw white spinner baits at the shoreline 25 ft. away. He caught fish after fish directly in front of the boat on a chartreuse spinner bait in 12 ft. of water.
All that was ok, until he started putting my buddy and I down for not catching any fish. That continued for the rest of the full day trip. I paid him but didn't tip. Never called him again. He is still there "guiding".

I hired Jeff Kirkwood for numerous trip each year after that. I had a couple of trips when I didn't catch one fish. I didn't mind, because every trip with him, I learned far more about techniques, baits, and different lake conditions than I could have ever learned on my own. He was a great teacher. It was a sad day when I learned he was no longer going to guide. But happy for him to better himself in the medical field.
A good guide is always a good teacher.

So, he front ended you, had you fishing with different stuff in different depths than what he was catching them on and in, and then belittled you for not catching them? I would have been deducting $50 for each put down and told him at the end that he "mouthed" himself out of the day's pay, or most of it. That just wasn't right, nor kind, nor what he was getting paid to do. All I can say is.....WOW!!

Well said, Sir! To each his own. I understand and respect that some guys want to go out there and catch fish on their trip. When I fish with someone or someone fishes with me, I always try to learn from them. I've been on a few guide trips and, more times than not, I didn't catch anything! That's okay with me. Even on those days when I didn't catch anything, I knew the guide was doing what he thought was best based on his experience. I learned a whole lot from those guys, and I can't put a $$$ figure on what I've learned in those few trips. Chances are, I never would have learned what they shared with me. I appreciate that the guides make a whole lot of sacrifices to do what they love and that they are willing to share their experiences with me for the day I have with them.

Been with a Fork guide twice. First time was pretty decent mid August caught about 8 with a nice 6 mixed in. Learned about locating summer fish.

The next time was in early November and he took us to Monti. Day after a front, high winds...it freakin sucked but this guy worked his can off! It was a half day trip and after the 5 hours were up he just said y'all got anywhere to be? Stayed out there with us til dark and only wanted money for a half day. Gave him a huge tip, which I think turned out to be almost hisnfull day rate. He showed me a new way of fishing a fluke that day and I can't tell you how many fish I've caught on it since. In the last hour we finally caught a few with my dad catching a 7 pound kicker. Before he left he said "you know I always want my clients to catch fish but if they have fun and I can teach them something they can go catch fish with, the day isn't a waste." Haven't been with him since but haven't been on another guide trip since and absolutely wouldn't hesitate to hire him again and again.

Twice on Fork. First one was about 15 yrs ago. Caught a couple of small ones. He didn't really seem to be trying too hard to put us on fish but I did learn to use a carolina rig that has served me well.

Second one, learned nothing. Used 2 lures for the entire day. Caught 2 fish less than a pound each. Just kept casting all day in the same couple of areas with the same results. Asked about swim baits and was told they weren't biting any moving baits. He fished the entire trip. I felt like I just went fishing with someone in the boat with me and I had to pay him for his fishing time. Didn't really teach anything. By the end of the trip I was pretty pissed off. I was fuming the entire 2 hour drive home for being taken.

I don't know if I'll ever use another guide after the last experience. I'm fine with not even catching a fish. I'd be disappointed but know that is how it goes sometimes. All I ask is that when you make a web page describing your service, that you actually care enough about your client to atleast pretend to be concerned and look like you are really trying to catch fish not just waiting to go home.

Just learned a 350.000 lesson last week. Do Not Go Out With A Multi Species Guide On A Bass Fishing Guide Trip.

We went out once and the weather absolutely fell apart on us( pre scheduled spring trip and a major cold snap jacked it all up). At the end I said how much do I owe ya? "For that?? Save it for next time when we catch fish!" is what he said. We've been out several successful trips since.

Go have a good cry. Maybe your mom will hear you and call the guide mom.

I do not pick up a rod unless the client wants me to. The last client really got on me about not fishing claiming that's part of my job. "You can't just stand there, your on the clock." As far as being paid for no fish... I get nothing but the deposit to cover some of the fuel cost.($40)The client gets a free day equivalent of what was paid for. Half day for half day of full day for full day.

Yes a number of times. 0 to 1 or 2 dinks a few times. One time it was April in Texas and not a fish for us.The guide caught a few but no one else. Not going back that is almost unbelievable but it happen. I can do that without spending money. But it is fishing and it can just be next to impossible to catch'em sometimes but April on a very good lake. Either he just took my money because he has enough clients that he was not going to mess up his fish for a one time customer. You would think there is always sight fishing, water was clear enough.

I've booked a bunch of guides over the years and only ever zeroed once. You guessed it, on Fork. The guide was sociable and knowledgeable, the only irritating thing was that as soon as we got on the water he let us know we would have to do some exploring because he had been doing nothing but hog hunting for the last couple weeks. That made blanking that day a little tougher to swallow!

*edit, I've also blanked musky fishing with a guide, but that doesn't count!