Thanks guys just trying to get a better understanding of you guys down there. Its alot different up here in MN alot more lake but alot smaller. There is no way a guy could hire a guide on all these different lakes up here. I am on the water 3-4 days a week mid may to nov and try to fish with different guys threw out the year so we can learn from each other.

Learn more about an unknown lake, fish with a partner who actually knows what they are doing(LOL), close gurantee of catching alot of fish OR a BIG fish, and just to have a good time and plus you get to help their business out a little:)

The last time I hired a guide at my home lake (Fork) was to learn more about using electronics. I got exactly what I paid for. When I finally can afford to switch to a side imaging unit, I'll hire another one.

Being a guide in Hawaii, I'm always working hard to get my clients on fish and help them have fun. Your constantly under pressure to produce fish for your client. When I do get to travel to the "Big Island of America", it's really fun to hire a guide and just relax. My time on vacation is limited. I don't know the water or how to catch the fish there... one really needs a guide. LOL

My best day ever was on Lake Fork... I told the guide I didn't care if I caught fish, I can catch fish any time... I ask him: "Didn't you ever wish you had the time to do a little exploring on the lake... check out some spots you've heard about but never had the time to visit?" "Well, don't worry about me... as long as I get my Chicken Fried Steak for lunch (they don't have that in Hawaii) I'll be happy. Let's go exploring." We had a great time, tried many different techniques... even shot a carp with a bow & arrow. LOL. A fishing trip I'll never forget.

If a person can pick their time, fishing a draw tounament as a non-boater can also be a good way to get experience on a lake or methods used to catch fish at that lake. The cost could also be less than one might pay for a full day of guided fishing and could also pay some $$$ for those who are lucky.

Because they are fun to fish with..

Because i travel through the fork area about twice a year driving from west texas to arkansas, and by the time i pay for extra gas and storing the boat in arkansas it comes out just slightly more expensive to get a guide. And, theres a better chance of getting on fish being here one or two days

Good for lake orientation and if you can't catch your own fish. TOW is the best teacher. FZ1 don't need no guide on Fork.

Only thing i would add is with the price of gas. On a lake that is an hour or better from home a guide is probably cheaper if you need to learn something about the lake in a hurry.

There is always something to learn.

I have one last thought. The guides I have hired I have made some good friends from a few of those. But it's also supporting an industry that I love. No different than buying a lure from a local bait shop. The guides that work hard and know the lake you want to fish are worth developing a relationship with.

I have fished with only a few guides over the last 20 years. With one exception, the experiences have been great. I have learned techniques I would have never had the confidence to try on my own and learned "spots" I would not have discovered otherwise. Paying a nice guy who spends over 200+ days a year on the water to cut the learning curve to almost zero is well worth the investment.
Last summer my wife and I spent two days on Fork with a guide. I'd fished the lake a dozen times over the last 20 years, but never with enough frequency to get on fish without a couple of extra days of hunting for fish. And I would have never tried to fish deep structure, which is what we ended up doing. In the end, we caught well over 30 bass over 6lbs., and 20 of those were over 7lbs. My wife caught a 9 3/4lb. hog which thrilled all of us.
A few weeks ago we went to Falcon for the first time, and fished with the same guide (he spends 2 weeks on Falcon in the winter, and 2 weeks in the summer). I caught 2 DD bass on that trip, my first ever. On our second day, my best 5 fish went 46.55lbs. I had never fished the lake before, and there is no way I would have been able to have that kind of success without having an experienced guide put us on the fish.
In addition to the fish we were able to catch, I have gained an enormous amount of knowledge that I would not have picked up on my own. Fishing with a guide gives me the confidence to try places and techniques that I would not otherwise stick with long enough to have success. I will continue to use guides as long as I can.
The fact that most of the few guides I've used have been great guys, and I'm proud to have them as friends.

Usually to be able to just show up and fish when I am away from home and don't want the hassle of towing the boat or can't tow it. Also for Saltwater Inshore and OffShore. Learn some stuff from them.

This!

I am a former full time guide at Fork and I still hire a guide several times a year to fun fish different bodies of water when I'm traveling. I learned a technique at Table Rock with a guide catching Spots from 104' of water that has helped me at Fork and Monty.