Totally up to the client. If the guide has them on fish, then he doesnt need to. If they are trying to figure out what the bite is, he might catch one or two, but thats probably it. If the guide catches one during demonstration, thats understandable. If the client wants the guide to fish, great. With all that being said, sometimes I try to throw crazy stuff while the client is fishing what we expect to work best, just to see if I might stumble on something. That way I dont feel like I am taking any fish from them. For example, throwing a big spinnerbait out deep while they pitch a brush line.

All guides should wet a hook for sure. This is the only way to truly know if the fish are biting on that spot. They can help you determine a pace to fish your bait also. Now if you get a spot where they can be hammered he should let you have your fun since that's what you paid for! As for me I don't mind a guide fishing just cause it's fun to have everyone fishing. Plus if he's catching them and I'm not it shows me that I'm not doing something right and maybe he could help correct what I'm doing wrong. Now if the guide is front ending you and paying no mind to you then you didn't get a guide you just paid someone to take you fishing. Had that experience before and it blows!

Most of us are paying to learn. I personally pay to learn where the fish are and why, while also learning the technique that is working in a situation and why. I don't want to be skunked but I do expect to learn what they have knowledge wise and that is show me and let me imitate.

My brother hired a guide at Fork last year and the guide was in the front of the boat hitting all the spots first and caught most of the fish! Thats alright? Just to hire someone so you can tag along and fish behind him? I say thats a bunch of [censored]! if there is no fish being caught then yes, its ok, to locate fish and see what they are biting and how but thats the only time... unless its just been a kick butt feeding frinzy~!

No, jb, that is not ok. And very few guides would ever do that to their client, regardless of the client's level of experience.

The answer to this question depends on many facotrs. Some of them are lake, pattern and the paying customer's own ability.

If you hire a guide and can't fish a lick, then he is going to have to fish occasionally throughout the day to identify patterns, etc. Once he does this, then he should be coaching you, without a rod in his hands. If he needs to do a rod in hands demonstration, do it away from the school you have located.

If you are an experienced fisherman who can hold your own and knows their way around the boat, then you should discuss this question with your guide before you hit the lake.

The guides I fish with fish along side me, all day for the most part. And that is how I want it.

I'm good with the guide fishing, one more bait in the water can help to fine tune the pattern and key in the guide on what will really get em going.. Its also a great way to watch and learn how to properly fish a certain technique. In my experiences with hiring a guide, once you get something working they put the rod down and focus on the clients catching em.

I enjoy fishing and to me it is more enjoyable if we all fish.

If it is slow I much prefer that the guide wet a line and if he is catching and I am not then I must be doing something wrong.

Im hiring a guide in sept... ok he is going fish cause i want too learn what he is doing plus what you pay a guide for is his time he spent numerous of hours preparing for your trip learning the hot spots... too take you too so you will catch some fish he wont guarantee you a lunker, but what he will guarantee is his knowledge and thats the key he is giving up his spots.... that he so worked hard too find and saying here they are way point them its all part of learning not what your catching am i wrong here Knowledge is key for me thats way i feel about this subject

i say for the most part no, if he wants to pick up a rod and throw a few times throughout the day thats fine. but i don't think the the paying client should be put in the backseat/deck while the guide fishes the entire trip off the front deck with 90% of his time looking forward and not paying attention to the paying client.

The last guide I fished with at Fork was Rick Loomis, a different type guy that's for sure. He just pissed my partner off all to be damned. He was catching them on a tube bait (of which I finally got the hang of it and started wearing them out too, my partner notta..). However, he was very arrogant and fished the whole time and a bunch of his fish, he'd look at my buddy and say "hey, your getting a bite", then he'd (Rick Loomis) set the hook and catch another one. That really ticked my buddy off, but what took the cake was when he would pull up on a spot and just as soon as the motor shut down he would run to the front, put the trolling motor down and catch a fish before me and my partner even had a damn line in the water...I don't know to this day what his point was. He didn't get us as a returning client..

I agree with this

IMO, yes, but they shouldn't front deck you. Jim Behnken fished with my buddy and I but it was obvious, his goal was to put us on fish. We'd pull up to a spot and he'd say "See that spot? Put your jig right there." etc. He caught a nice one and apologized afterward. Like a few have mentioned, discuss what you expect with your guide before your trip and that should settle things.

didnt read all the replys but the answer is yes, a guide has to fish to feel the environment and know whats goin on. its the only way a guide can make your day more successful.

Very well said...

I don't have a lot of experience with fishing guides but I'm a professional hunting guide and, from that perspective, I would be FINE with my guide fishing with me and my party- as long as its not negatively effecting the fishing for the clients. There have been many good reasons, for guides to fish, already posted. Most importantly, though, is creating a bond with your guide. Yes, you are paying your guide (hunting or fishing) to help you BUT that doesn't mean he's your servant. I work hard for all my clients but there's no doubt that I give a higher level of service to my clients that treat my more like a hunting buddy than a low-level employee. Bonding with your guide is always going to result in better results. Treat him like a servant and all you're going to get is a MINIMUM of service.

Each situation is different, though. A guide CAN take advantage (i.e. he's catching all of the fish and not making an effort to help you) of the situation. So each situation needs to be evaluated individually. Guides are just people and there are good ones and bad ones and there are just "poor fits" - a guy might be a great guide but if you don't "click" with him, you just need to find another guide for the next trip.