I booked a trip with a well known guide at a local lake. On the morning of the trip, I texted him from the ramp asking if I was at the wrong spot since he was nowhere to be found. After a minute or two, he texted back that he had forgotten about the trip and would be there in 30 minutes. About 30 minutes later, he showed up and was very apologetic. He told me up front that the trip was free. He worked hard to put me and my sons on the fish and the boys had a blast. At the end of the trip, I thanked him for the freebie and gave him the regular cost of a trip as a tip. He earned it. I have recommended him several times since then.

What if a guide has to take a phone call or go to the bathroom right before the check comes for lunch? Does he still get a tip? Or is it expected that you buy him lunch too?

You are correct, I forgot to switch the "903 filter" on before I read it ...

I have been out with several guides, if I feel like they went above and beyond I will gladly tip an extra $40-$50.

I have been out with guides that I felt like I was paying them to fish so I did just that and gave them what their asking rate was and no more.

when I hire a guide,, I hire them for their lake expertise & knowledge.
I have my own rods & reels,,,,, I have my own tackle ,,,, so I do not need to use their equipment.
I want them to show/tell me how a lake fishes and to put "ME" on fish.
I also don't want my guide fishing on my time & money. I feel like when a guide is fishing he/she is possibly going to hook into a fish that I might have caught, plus if he/she is fishing then they are not putting 100% of their effort into my fishing experience.
The best guide I ever booked was for Falcon,,,, Billy Tompkins.
He sat in the back deck chair and ran his trolling motor by remote,,, M/K Terrova.....he did not fish until we asked him to.
He put us on spots and told us why we were fishing there and how to fish that spot.
He taught me how to use a crank bait in a creek channel and around trees (anyone can throw a crank bait out in open water) + he taught us how to get it free when it got hung up in tree branches.
He put us on plenty of fish in Mexico on spots that we still use today to catch fish.
I wish he was still a guide and not in the insurance business,,,,, dang wives.
Lake Fork .... David Ozzio the same he taught us how to drop shot,,,,not that I like doing it but he did put us on fish.
Tipping ..... yes these guys were tipped good,,,,real good. BUT,,,,before we ever went out I told them what I wanted and what was expected for the $$$$ I was paying them for the day. The "tip" would be for the numbers (1st) & size (2nd)of the fish we caught.
An arbitrary "tip" just because the guide showed up and ran his boat around the lake would not happen.
Guides charge a lot of $$$$ for a day on the lake, they set their own fees.
Tipping is for the service you receive. It should be done when/if you feel like you have gotten "MORE" than what you are charged for up front.

Yep, proper people who tip and cheapo types that don't.

I do believe a guide needs to fish for 2 different reasons. The first reason is that by fishing, he/she is able to locate the fish for you and will be able to tell you where to cast. The second reason is that maybe the guide finds a technique that is producing more fish and he then in turn can tell you to switch up to better your catches.

I'm fine without getting a tip. Sometimes having a customer pay for your lunch can mean just as much. I view the tipping as a show of appreciation. 10 dollars from a man with 100$ is worth just as much as 100$ from a man with 1000$. Thanks my opinion.

2 different schools of thought ......
whatever the customer wants and the guide agrees to.

Now as long as the guide isn't catching more than a couple just to locate/find what the fish want then I don't see a problem with it. To each their own.

Yup...spot on right here Ken.

We always tip. If we catch big fish, I have no problem with 20%. Once at Fork, I caught two small dinks with a guide that kept having boat trouble. Note- take care of those problems before you get on the water- so no tip for you.

Also, When I book for a full day, I want to fish a full day. There is one guide that I won't use anymore who started setting his start times back later and later, taking more time for lunch then quitting earlier. Him, I don't use anymore.

Also, guides who are on the phone constantly giving free tips to their buddies just bugs me to no end. Maybe age is turning me into a grouch but I think you should have their full attention for the day.

Also, if the fish really haven't been bitting, then give us a call beforehand and let us make the decision to come ahead and fish or not. That's just doing the right thing.

Good Luck

You guys are brutal. Funny but brutal!

I want my guide fishing. He can find them and what the want to eat. My rule has always been when my guide stops fishing I'm laying down my rod and ready to move. My only exception is a guide that front boats me or pulls into a cove telling me it's a big fish spot and then hits every piece of good structure before I can, that guide had his last trip from me.

In my opinion, if you want to tip, Thanks! If not, Thanks! I really appreciate the business and the opportunity.
I want the customer to enjoy the day, catch fish, and learn the lake and patterns.
I will always ask the customer if they mind if I fish, and I have never had one say that they did not want me to.
If the fishing is tough, I may only make a couple of casts all day.
If I do my job correctly, I will get a return customer, referrals, and make a friend in the process. Making friends is a bonus.
As far as lunch goes, I always offer to pay, some customers pick up the tab, some do not. No big deal either way.
A good friend of mine once said "It's hard to complain with your mouth full".