if i was looking for a guide, i would want someone to put me on some fish....i could care less if he paid the goverment or some insurance company!

a guy on sandbass forum on lavon has good prices. if thats undercutting and called a bargain then sounds good for us that cant afford the so called real guides. go for but get a license. ask tarponfly also . he has dirt cheap prices for fishing from the BANK and small inflatable pontoons. he thought outside the box and has a ton of customers. getcha some

Everybody says that until a loved one, or they themselves is hurt. Or worse.

It's like 18 wheeler drivers, you don't care 99% of the time about what they do or what hours they drive. You don't care whether they've kept up their certifications, fees, etc. You don't even think about how your groceries get to the store so you can buy it, (as long as they are not out of what I buy!!).

Until . . . . . . he has an accident and hurts someone in your family. Then the family wants to know everything. The family is angry and wants to know "why". How could this happen? They want someone to blame. Who's at fault? Why didn't he have the proper papers, why wasn't he following the rules?

The lawyers come out, and party over . . . . .

Personally, I'd want the guide that was licensed, insured, and is out there operating within the law. BTW, I'd pay the extra for it too.

Until you fall and bump your knee, or get hooked...then you want to know who's gonna pay for it. Or the Game Warden decides to clean house on your "guide" when your on the boat.

The rules are there for a reason, We all need to follow them.

Capt runs a good deal (lavon), He's a "real" guide that runs party boat fishing. Carey (TarponFly) is an elite guide for sure. I bet they both have licenses and Insurance...

Does this mean that you don't bother to get a fishing license yourself? I mean, from the way you talk, you shouldn't care if you pay the government a fee so that you could fish...considering the fact that the government maintains the lovely area where you fish, stocks, tests, etc.

The guides pay a fee. It is more than what the rest of us pay just to fish. In addition to the fee, they have to maintain insurance. Let's see - they also pay for all of the gas, dock or slip fees, bait, lures, decent tackle, sodas/water/snacks, wear and tear and all repairs on their boat, camera for good pictures, and they do all of the work for anywhere from 4 - 12 hours. All of this, so that you can go out and learn good tips, and have a great time.

You won't get the best for less. No offense to anyone here, but it's kinda like buying the really cheap toilet paper - you get what you pay for. Ohh now I just know I'm gonna get flack for that statement !!

"You don't even think about how your groceries get to the store so you can buy it, (as long as they are not out of what I buy!!)."

that comment was made to the wrong person...i dont care where my food comes from..i spent time being homeless eating anything i could kill,or get my hands on...the problem is people want to sue for anything...pretty soon were gonna need a license and insurence to piss in a public restroom,just incase you dribble on the floor and the next person slips..its called life,sh!t happens!!!

OOKAYYYY....

I can just see you saying that, Keith - LOL.

the funny part is more people in cars cause the wreck with a semi that gets their family or themselves hurt or killed. its just easier to blame it on the guy going down the road carrying 70k lbs of freight

Would i use a cheap guide? The truth of the matter is yes if i thought you could put me on fish I would go However the truth of the matter is that these guides charge what they do for a reason There is alot of expense and time involved in operating a guide service and most other buisnesses for that matter Sure the guides that stay busy and work their tail off are making big money but im telling you they are earning it getting out of bed when many of us are going to bed to get prepaired for the day catching shad fueling up ect just to make sure they are doing everything they can do to assure that the odds are in their favor of their clients catching fish Thats when it goes from a fun hobby to a job!!!! What about the mornings when they get up at 3:00 AM and don't feel good? You can bet that most of the time their not going to call the group of customers that just drove 500 miles and tell them sorry but i need to rescheduel, All things to think about. Bottom line is if you want to be a guide don't play cutthroat on the dollars price yourself competitivly with the other guides (you may want to be able to work with them in the future) There is nothing wrong with making money or charging a premium for a job well done.

Was just trying to make a point, not intended to offend. Didn't know you had gone hungry, just trying to say that you have to protect yourself and your family these days. And use people and/or services that are letigimate and within the law. Otherwise, your right, "stuff happens".

no offence taken, we do what we have to!..the whole point is the guy lost his job,and should be able to make some money if he knows how to put people on fish,and he shouldn't have to be loaded to be able to do it,but thats how we,ve made it..just because someone made a law dosen't always mean its just.were all just trying to make a living and survive

and yes when i can afford it i do buy a fishing/hunting license, hopeing they do put the money back into the resources..but if someone cant afford it,i dont think its my wildlife and they shoudnt be able to harvest whats needed

you dont need a license to fish from the banks of state parks