Just curious how many guys out there hire guides to help prepare for a tournament.

I never have but I sure could use one.

Monte, you must have been on Chambers this weekend! haha

I never have and really doubt that I ever would. Sucess to me is much sweeter when I do it myself.

I have hired guides before. Especially on Lakes that I am not familiar with. Not really looking for spots to fish but trying to find patterns.

I agree.

Please.... Tell me you didn't fish the spots the guide took you too.

I don't think I would either. I'm big on do it yourself even though it can take longer and be really frustrating. Heck, I don't usually talk to my friends that I know live on certain lakes before I go just because I want to figure it out on my own. It's always just been a sense of accomplishment for me. If I can figure a lake out on my own, then to me that means I'm good enough to be out there fishing. I have though in the past couple years gotten to know some lakes really really well because of friends that are good on those lakes. Either we've fished buddy tournaments or just fun fishing and those times have really opened my eyes. I try to look at that as learning to be smarter and more effecient that actually using the information. I know everything I've ever learned from someone else about a lake I could have figured out on my own if I put in the time and work. I think the problem with getting information is you are getting bad info a lot of times because you can't do what someone else does and sometimes your chasing ghosts instead of using your head.

no guides for me, and try not to listen to dock talk. i like figuring it out on my own. when I do this, it usually reaps rewards. If i try to chase ghosts, it ends up in a big ol goose egg. time on the water is the only guide for me.

Chad and I even take it a step further in our team events. We hardly ever talk about specific locations or patterns we find when we practice separately. We both try to put in some time and work on the water. Then usually the week before or even a few days before the tournament we talk and get a game plan together that utilizes what we both found. Its funny cause we often find the same areas and pretty much the same stuff. That causes both of us to work harder and not get tunnel vision into something and miss a pattern or spot. It works for us because we both have faith in each others decisions and approach.
Now if we are absolutely whacking them we may share that in order to expand coverage in practice but half the fun of fishing for me is finding them.

I was at Granbury and it was a long day............

I hire a guide before every tourny and write down what he uses and carry a small hand held gps in my pocket and secretly mark his spots!!!! j/k

No guides for me.

No Guides for me but sometimes I should when on completely unfamilar lakes.

No guides for me before tourneys. I did go out with Tanner fun fishing before McDonalds last year, but wouldnt do it before a normal team tournament.
It was fun last year going down to Falcon and figuring things out on a monster lake like that. Even though we didnt finish as well as I would like, we still figured out a pattern and caught plenty of fish. Thats accomplishment enough.