that's my thinking too.

John Tanner. Give him a call. No one better!

I don't guide or fish on Fork, but I do find the topic of being "fronted" an interesting one...

Personally, I don't fish much or at all during my guide trips. After all, why would anyone want to get "fronted" by the guide, right?

I completely understand. In fact, back in the early 90's, I spent many a night trip being fronted by one Brazos River impoundment guide in particular. His name was Ron Gardner.

Name sound familiar? If you know anything about the top 10 largest smallmouth bass ever caught in Texas, it probably does.

Ron personally caught seven of the current top 10 including the previous State Record and is a true master of the craft.

I was priveledged enough to meet him on Whitney early on in my fledgling years as a smallie chaser. Together we spent countless hours hunting trophy smallies in the Middle Brazos Basin. Ron was a prince of a guy and would work me in when he had cancellations or was pre fishing in between guide trips.

I will be the first to tell you that it flat out sucked watching him in the front of the boat systematically pulling out big night bite smallies on the same bait I was throwing. Of course, he had the spinnerbait bite flat out dialed in.

One of the key turning points for me as an angler, was when I got just mad enough to do something different the next time I found myself in that same scenario.

I decided to quit competing for Ron's spinnerbait fish and throw 1 oz. jig and craw the entire trip. Every trip. I even fortified my newfound discipline by only bringing along my jig box and 2 jars of pork.

Guess what???

I started catching some of the heaviest smallmouth of my life. In fact, to this day, the results changed the way I fish and think on the water FOREVER.

All because I kept getting "fronted" by my guide.

That REALLY sucks!

Heck just pick out one of the Lake Fork guide that cant catch them if he was fishing then you don't have to worry about it. There are all kinds of stories on this forum about guys that have gone out with Lake Fork guides and not caught any or many fish.

I have fished with 3 guides on Lake Fork. Jimmy Everett fished only to locate the fish for us, then he would basically just direct us on where to cast. If the bite slowed, he would fish a little bit to confirm that they weren't biting, then we would move on to the next spot. Same deal with Tom Redington.
The third guy pretty much did what that guy did to Dentonian. He did not hustle to put us on the fish. It seemed like he didn't really care much about having satisfied customers. I think he was just looking to get through the day, collect his $375, and go home. Very disappointing.

I suspect if he runs his business like that, his life as a paid guide will be short lived.

Your experience with Jimmy Everett was sure different from mine. I fished with him twice, first time hard to tell about him as it rained hard all day but the next trip was not good. Pitching plastic to matted grass we caught several fish but felt he was hitting the good spots and I was constantly fishing used water. Then a hugh swirl in the grass and for ten minutes I was in the middle of the cut while he tried to hook up this big girl. the whole day was like a contest with him. I have always liked my guides to find fish and to do that they have to fish but with Jimmy I was back boated all day long. Add to that his boat was in bad shape, electronics not working and I've never had a worse day.

I have fished with 4 or 5 guides on Fork had bad days but always enjoyed the trips and learned something each trip. With Jimmy I learned all guides are not equal.

You would be surprised how many "Guides" there are on Fork and other lakes that you haven't heard of. For some reason people hire them. I've seen guys that have just moved to Texas from another state and been here a couple months become "Guides". Just because they go buy a guide license people feel confident in them and lots of them don't have a clue. I'm not saying that is the norm. There are tons of great and credible guides out there, you just need to be careful who you hire.

a guide front ending his clients and them not catching fish wont be in business for long. a guide who puts his client on fish, and will also fish some to show the right technique for catching more and bigger fish, i have no problem paying. that being said, Lance Vick

I was out with a group a few years back, we had 4 guides. Pot bet of $20 a man for big fish. Guide taps me on shoulder and asks me to swap rods. You should be able to figure the rest out. I feel pretty good about guides fishing. The guide I use on a regular basis does fish but when sight fishing for example he has always let us work every fish. He may help in getting it ticked off but thats it. Was fishing with another guide and the guy in the back of the boat had 4 in before either me or the guide got bit. It really doesn't matter.

Back in the early to mid 90s, I used to use a guide at Fork by the name of Jeff Phillips I believe. He hardly ever fished. I had my best trip ever with this guy. Not sure if he is still around or not. I know what you are saying because I have hired some guides in the past and I felt the same way you did. I was basically paying them to fish. They did not seem too concerned whether I was catching fish or not. Good luck.

And it was too, RR. What's sad is Ronnie worked with another guide who was ten times worse than Ronnie. Biggest show boat I ever fished with in my life. I actually learned a lot fishing with Ronnie for five or so years.