George Welcome

My take on this! "The guide fishing is the main point of contention I have heard about over the years. My position is I'm paying you to take me fishing. You fish on your own time with your own dime." Whether the guide fishes or needs to fish varies from lake to lake and situation to situation. "Any variation from that is at my invitation." It's important to talk with the guide as has been noted so many times in previous posts. As an example: The above statement put to me would get the following response. Find another guide. A client comes on my boat for a days fishing, and to use and learn some of my expertise both in location and in fishing mechanics. If the client thinks that I am going to place my reputation into their hands they need to think again. When I do fish there are several reasons to do so. First is to ensure that we are in fact on biting fish. If we are and the client is being very successful I then put my rod down. Second, I fish at times because I am teaching a particular way of fishing and I know that showing is much better than telling. I also will fish at times to keep the client fishing. You are on my boat and are paying for my expertise. To come on my boat and expect to outline how I should do my job, to me is absurd. As I have said previously, you paid for my services, not my boat nor me. You ask my permission to come aboard, you sit where I tell you, you fish where I say, and you use the baits that I recommend. The last one, (recommended baits), is not mandatory, but then if you have a bad day then don't look at me. I have only had a few people over the years that come on board thinking that they know more than me, but then I ask them why they bothered hiring me. Most often we come to a meeting of the minds and go on to have some pretty super days on the water. If we don't then we simply head to the ramp and part company. If you are just looking to get on the water then hire a boat. If you looking for a better than average day on the water, hire a guide and realize that it's a pretty good bet that he/she knows a heck of a lot more than you do, and that whatever methods the guide uses are probably much better than ones you might use. If you wish to charter the boat than during your inquiry be sure to say so up front. The guy that owns the boat than will have an opportunity to say, yea what the heck, or to simply say he doesn't charter his boat. As I said, I don't just give boat rides. There are good guides and bad guides. There are good clients and bad clients. Just let me say: fishing and hunting are not comparable when it comes to guides.

"Basically trying to find a way to jumpstart my fishing." There are two ways to learn: 1) Trial and error which works for most but takes time. 2) Get instruction, which will speed up the process but is costly. http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/bass_fishing_jigs.html This ones free and the writer is one of the best with a jig.

The "spook" has been around since "39". To read the instructions and to then understand and walk the bait can take an awful long time. Most will not understand what slack line jerking means. To have it demonstrated and explained on a one-to-one basis will have you walking the bait in minutes.

1. " I would gladly pay $200 or so for a day of teaching." 2. "And all my trips are , No fish No pay." 3. "My first and main goal is to fish with someone of "above normal fishing ability" 1. The cost of fuel, insurance, licenses, maintenance, equipment, boat, and tow vehicle preclude all but scabs from guiding for $200. 2. "no fish no pay" Bass fishing is bass fishing, whether it be in Penn., Texas, Florida, or Maine. There is the possibility that you can fish all day and not catch a bass during that period. Do you feel that it is the guides fault if this occurs? If you work all day and your goals aren't met, do you expect to not get paid for that day? My guarantee: There are times that no matter how hard we work, and how much we know, the fish just won't cooperate. We make no promises that we can't keep, so we do not offer you any phony guarantee of numbers of fish that you will catch, or size of fish. We do guarantee our best effort on your behalf. Our previous customers will verify that and we can supply a vast list of references. 3. By all means fishing with a "guide" will be beneficial regardless of where you fish. Assuming a qualified "guide" you will be able to pick of a lot in both mechanical and theory skills during the course of the day.

All good suggestions, but an important consideration if any of the suggestions are to have value is the location that you will be fishing. Location and type of fishing can change almost everything suggested. In every case, get references: any guide that is a "guide" will have references aplenty. As to your particular situation: The first criteria to being a good guide is have above normal fishing ability. The second criteria is to know the area you are fishing intimately. I fill criteria one no matter where I fish. I could not fill criteria two for your area. That makes me a poor choice for what you are seeking, and I think that would make the individual you mentioned a poor choice also. I think you are "jumping the gun" on this one, unless you are looking for basic mechanical instruction. On the water instruction in mechanical skills will apply to both boat or shore fishing. However, as you have already indicated, it's not going to do much for location instruction. Just an afterthought since we hit enter together: Keeping of fish in the manner you described is more a saltwater thing than a freshwater.

Compliments of Florida Game and Fish: Age and Growth - Growth rates are highly variable with differences attributed mainly to their food supply and length of growing season. Female bass live longer than males and are much more likely to reach trophy size. By age two or three, females grow much faster than male bass. Males seldom exceed 16 inches, while females frequently surpass 22 inches. At five years of age females may be twice the weight of males. One-year old bass average about seven inches in length and grow to an adult size of 10 inches in about 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 years. The oldest bass from Florida whose age has been determined by fisheries biologists was 16 year of age. Generally, trophy bass (10 pounds and larger) are about 10 years old.

Aha! the catfish share the same space as the bass, and your cat claw found the catfish, which in turn gave up the bass locations.

The GPS Coords. marked the N and S ends, and intersections with the E/W submerged irrigation ditches. The X's you put on, (and I will never figure out how you did it, marked guaranteed locations for bass over 14 pounds. You gave away my secrets.

If you caught a certifiable state record, it is not very likely that the bass will make it back to the water. Unless you beat the record by a large margin it is very likely that your state Fish and Game will want to autopsy the bass prior to certifying its weight.

Does not exist.

Drift Sock: the efficiency of a drift sock is controlled by the length of the rode. The longer the rode, the slower the boat. On the Marsh due to stump areas we have to use a short rode, and even then we snag a stump or two. Snagging is the the socks worst enemy as the weight of the boat can rip the sock if the wind is strong. Keith: we don't fish the edges of the Marsh/Farm (hint). I use the socks in other lakes to keep parallel to the shore, however you need a to fish the shoreline with a fair wind. An off or quartering wind putting you to the windward shore would not work.

Of course they can see it: how do you think they catch you?

Darn: I forgot to remove the GPS markers

Secret holes - roflmao

Who cares where you fish, be it Texas, California, or Shweeputnik, Montoming. What matters is that you fish, and that you realize that fish do not live by rules. They eat when they want, sleep when they want, and play when they want. When they want can take place in any part of a 24 hour day, and even when they don't want, they can still be caught. There are areas in this huge country where they will play best in early AM and early PM, but if that is the only time you fish then you won't know if the time in between is when they decided to change up the rules for that area and be in a slam dunk mood in the early afternoon.

If it is 6 pounds or less it could be either or: over 6 pounds it's a female. During the spawn the presense of eggs indicates a female: the present of milt - the male. Other than that it is extremely difficult since they look alike. There is much more in a scientific way to relate this, but it's better to just go catch them and forget it.

"Maybe we are the ones who the bait companies are targeting." I took the small furry animal to be a reference to the "bait monkey", which means the gentleman thought they make baits all dressed in multi hues for the fisherman, more than the fish. Bass specifically, have the aparatus to see color. We do not know however that the aparatus functions. Mutiple studies indicate that Bass more than likely see contrast more than color. This is probably true as bass eat more by reaction than they do by selection. If they took the time to sort colors the food would be gone before it could be eaten. We will know for sure the day one of them critters come up talking.

http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/product.do?cat=Automotive+Accessories&pid=02871222000&vertical=AUTO&subcat=Power+Accessories&BV_UseBVCookie=Yes

Obviously you can put a hook through most anything if you try hard enough: however, any good inflatable isn't going to get punctured with a fishing hook. I have fish out of an Achilles 10'2 inflatable with a wood floor, pushed by a 55lb trolling motor for a lot of years. Never had even one hook problem. A couple of must items. Anchor, and drift sock. It's a great boat for areas out away from the beaten path. It's a lot easier to move and haul around with two, but is possible with one. They are not that heavy, but blown up they are awkward. The wind will have its way with you, however a drift sock works extremely well, and an anchor will keep you on location when needed. 10'2 is good for two people, and a good trolling motor and battery will last all day. With 55lbs of thrust it moves a good clip. Standing is no problem.

Something Glenn put up that I wrote 8 or 9 years ago - good read for you night fishermen. http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/night_fishing_preparation.html

K-Mac, Offer to drop that person off over there so they can do their thing, and of course also offer to come back to get him/her later. Fortunately, I never have that problem. If something is suggested I simply remind them that I am the guide.

A jouney of fear: A couple of years ago I was fishing in the spillway area of the Stick Marsh/Farm 13: A wicked looking storm was moving its way northward about 12 miles east of our location. Two young fellows fishing from a Gheenoe yelled over. "George, let us know when we should get out of here". My response was, "you should have been gone a half hour ago". The distance from the spillway to the ramp is approximately 8 miles. Upon answering them I fired up and left as quick as 200 horse would push us. My son also left with his party at the same time. We made it 3/4 of the way back when all hell broke loose. The storm had u-turned and headed straight for the Marsh. We were quickly greeted with winds in excess of 60 MPH and rain so hard that the bow of the boat was barely visible. As the storm passed over the NE corner of the Marsh the tornado that was attempting to touch hit the water and took off across the water as a gigantic water spout. The only two boats that made it back to the ramp area was my Son and myself. We sat out the worst of it under a gazebo. As the boats started coming in, not one didn't have water filling the entire cockpit areas. One boat had flipped, and two had swamped. Several boats ran into the divider levee, fortunately with no damage. Luckily no one was hit by the lightening that was hitting the water on a pretty regular basis. Thunderstorms are nothing to play with. The kids in the Gheenoe weathered it out laying on the ground in the spillway area. Talk about lucky!

An age old non-solvable issue. I don't, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't.

"I know it has some effect but would say a 5in senko still catch bass around 12in or would a smaller bait not catch, lets say a 24in bass? " That was the original question. The answer to that question is that a 5" Senko will catch a small bass: The answer is that a 5" Senko will also catch large bass: You can argue that or recommend what you think is a better way. Here's a match the hatch: caught on a live wild shiner - You can't leave your head home when you go fishing, but you can also out think yourself out there by worrying about too many things. As for loading the boat: the rules of this game are quite simple - find the fish and most baits, regardless of the "hatch" will do the trick for you.

I could have bet on this one too. Yes Jim, we have all heard the term "match the hatch". It is a term dragged into bass fishing by trout fishermen.