Bay fishing Galveston Bay area.

Thanks

15% Just like any other service based industry. But then again, just like any other service based industry my tip will always be based on the service. (not the amount of fish caught, but the service provided)

I always have tipped $100.All the guides I have used have been good to fair guides and persons..they are in the fishing business but also more importantly "The people business"..
When you are out with your guide...they will do everything they can to help you CATCH fish and for you to have a happy-fun -enjoyable time with them alone,and with your friends and family...cause if not..you will not send them any business-ie other friends and persons if they are not very good fishing or enjoyable to be around..
And also..The guides have no other income...most of the time..
and a tip $money is part of their income that day..week,month,and year..so please help them out..The guides are just trying their best to make a honest and enjoyable living..
besides..if you do not tip good ,not much,or any..and you request another trip with them..some may not want to guide you with their services again.so treat them the way you would want to be treated
if the hand was turned.

I would say a 20% tip just like most other industries for good service.

good stuff has been posted ... but IMHO - a guide is gonna work his tail off no matter what and he's not thinking about the 'tip' he's thinking about the 'fish', where they are ... and putting you on them !

I have always kept an extra Benjamin Franklin to tip a guide at the end of the day. Just mentally add that extra hundred to the price when you book the trip and you will always be ready for it.
It would take a pretty bad trip, and I'm not talking a lack of fish, to make me not want to give a tip.

Where I worked at in FL, 6 of us would book a charter out of Clear Water once or twice a year, we would split the cost of the charter 6 ways, then add $100 each for the tip. The Capt and his first mate would split that.

Most guides work very hard for what they make, and after all the overhead and dead time, a good tip helps keep them around for next year.

Thanks to all, I was already guesstimating a "Ben". I just wanted to make sure. Someone in the service field does right by me I will take care of them, and yes just like with a server not being at fault for a kitchens screwup, a good fishing trip should NEVER be judged by the number of fish caught. Sometimes it just dont happen even for the best. Way too many things out of your control.

Thanks to all

We went last year and fished with a guide out of Galveston for Black Drum, although we only caught 3 fish a 60-40 and 35 pounders my dad still tipped the guide at least a hundred that I saw. We also have booked a trip with the same Capt. for this coming Tuesday for the bull reds that are running.

Reason for the tip, the guide put us on fish, worked his butt off to help us catch fish but we spent the majority of the time just shooting the breeze and enjoying our time on the water. we missed a lot of fish, but that was not the guides fault.

I meant to say 15-20% or 100$ which ever is greater is what I usually do. A lot of guides do a lot of work and are great. Just watch some of these budget trips that pop up with guides that aren't well known.

We had a guide once out of the yacht basin in Galveston. He seemed to be unhappy to be there the whole time. Didn't talk with us, didn't joke with us, would get really frustrated with us, just drove us around. Didn't put us on fish (i know that isn't always their fault). He finally took us out to the jetties to look for fish (was supposed to be a bay trip) and we got into the sharks. It was fun messin around with them, but he wouldn't even let us put on steel leaders, so we were getting cut off within 30 seconds every time we hooked up. It was pretty aggravating. I think my dad gave him the standard tip too. If it was me i'm not sure if I would have. I doubt he's doing business as a guide any more. So stick with the well known established guides... they get well known for a reason.

But if you are happy with your trip 15-20% or 100$ what ever is higher is my rule of thumb.