And fairness. Why is it they are allowed to sell limits to customers on any lake for virtually any species?

I guess you need to tell the game wardens to have a talk with them.


Edit: apparently Mr. Ranter decided to change his comment after calling out 2 guides by name and saying that they were cutting trot lines that were legally tagged.

The bigger question is hiring a guide engaging in commercial fishing? I can't sell fish to anyone even if we catch them out of the same boat.

They aren’t selling limits.The limits are the customers rights as license holders. They sell a service. Guides pay their license fees. Many contribute in one way or another to stocking programs. A lot push limit conservation.

I am totally lost on whatever it is you are talking about. Would you please explain?

If i understand this correctly.....

In hunting they use to sell animals, prolly still do. You pay for what you shoot, even can shoot a specific animal they have on there property. So if they sell a limit why not? question is what do they do if you do not get a limit? alot another day to the customer? No different than just going on a normal guide trip in my opinion. Just a different marketing scheme.

You pay a guide to get you on fish and catch fish. I go to a grocery store and the guy behind the counter does exactly the same thing for me. There is a direct line between me paying a guide and receiving fish. The only difference overall is I can also pay the same guide and not get any fish so somehow that makes it not a commercial business?

So they are not selling fish? Would you buy their service if you didn't feel you would catch fish? I pay license fees so I suppose I contribute to stocking programs. Pretty sure TPWD stocking Stripers benefits guides more than anyone else.

What does this even mean? Guides contribute a lot to local and state economies. People come from all over to go on guide trips. Every one of those people has to buy a texas fishing license, food, lodging, gas, gear, you name it. The limit isn’t guaranteed nor is catching fish, but I sure hope those guides are putting people on limits, anything that helps small businesses (including the guides themselves) is a win in my book.

A farmer has to own land, fertilize it, pray for rain for the crop to grow, harvest the crop, market the crop, pay taxes on it when it's sold, pay taxes on the land he owes and income tax..

Where is a fishing guide doing any of the above.

The state of Texas pays to stock the lakes with fish each year and a guide makes multiple trips each day to remove the resource to put money in his pocket. Where is this fair to the tax payers of Texas?

A guide gets a free ride.

Guides should pay a heavy tariff to the state for their free rides..

A guide buys a guide license. He maintains a boat and all of the associated equipment, and he carries commercial insurance, which is much more expensive than the insurance Joe Blow has on his boat. The guide advertises, and he has to (or at least should) spend a lot of unbooked time on the water to keep up with what's happening where. The guide often incurs extra expenditures for equipment that clients lose or damage, and on some water bodies invests significant time and effort creating and maintaining artificial cover, such as brushpiles. The statement that guides get a free ride is a long way from realistic.

If your primary justification for fishing is just to fill the freezer you need to donate or sell all of your fishing gear and spend your money at the fish market. You'll come out WAAAAAAAAAAAAY ahead financially. You certainly don't sound like someone who enjoys the sport........

I think folks fail to recognize how little stocking plays into most fisheries in the state. A lot of lakes don’t really need it. Crappie, black bass, catfish, sandbass, everything except for hybrids and striper are self sustaining. A lot of lakes probably never even needed to be stocked for that matter. Being a guide is a lot of long hours and hard work for not that great of pay. Cut them some slack.

What other business gets a free inventory?

Why?

Some folks think they are "god" like". They are called "Captain". Why?