Tipping a Guide

[SWVABass]

Not a fishing guide, but spent time guiding hunters. Not only do good guides put in all the effort during the trip there are countless days of staying on top of the quarry which results in wear and tear on gear, fuel and such. I never expected a client to tip, never discussed it with a client as well. If they tipped great and If not I didn’t hold it against them. Some folks save up for a trip of a lifetime for years and the last thing I expected was for them to feel obligated to tip me.

 

I say do what you feel is right and the 10-20% is spot on.

[TOXIC]

I will say this...I never expect a tip but if you call me for another trip and I'm booked, or you call me last minute, or you call me for a fishing report because you have a tournament coming up or are just hitting the lake for fun, there are a few things I remember when considering how much I give back.  

[Hog Basser]

I always tip a guide.  I sometimes guide for duck hunting myself and I take clients bass fishing in the afternoon after a hunt if it is warm enough, but those are corporate customers, so there is no tip expected since they are a guest.  If I'm hiring out a guide for hunting or fishing, they will get tipped and usually very well.  It doesn't matter if it's the owner of the guide service or whoever, it is a service that requires a lot of attention before, during and after your trip to be successful.  I cannot comprehend how anyone would justify not tipping a guide for their service.  

 

An example is our annual pheasant hunt in SD, there are usually about seven of us and we each pitch in $100 at the end of the trip to tip the guides.  One of the guides is the owner's son and others are sons-in-law, etc., but that doesn't make them any less deserving of a tip, they work hard preparing for you and they work hard in the field with you, period.  They also take time out of their day to socialize and entertain you when you stay at a lodge like that.  

 

Always tip your guide!

[roadwarrior]

1 hour ago, Hog Basser said:

Always tip your guide!

[Smalls]

Tips are earned, and these guys aren’t making the $2.65/hr a waitress is. But in my experience, they work a hell of a lot harder. 

 

Don’t tip on whether or not you caught fish. It’s just like any other service. Did they do the best they could to provide you their service? Was their equipment up to par? Or did they fish for themselves half the time and give you a busted up rod. 

 

I went on a shark charter once and we only caught 3. There were 4 of us.  It we got hooked into a 10 footer 15 minutes before we were supposed to head in, and they stayed an extra 2 hours til we landed that sucker. We eached tipped them $100, and it was worth every dime. 

[TOXIC]

If the Guide is fishing and you are not catching any fish then you need to rethink why.  That's exactly why I fish.  I can guarantee you, I am not catching every fish and it's not the reason you aren't.  Now if the Guide is flaunting it in front of you, that's bad form but everyone who gets miffed because the Guide fishes will be the first ones to say that the Guide didn't do his job and put you on fish.  It's pretty amazing how some people will find a way to criticize.  Case in point, I was hired by 2 tournament anglers to pre fish for an upcoming tournament.  I asked them what they wanted to do and they said to pattern the fish but wanted to learn some offshore structure.  I said fine and told them that right now the fish are up shallow but I'd be more than happy to show them how and where to fish deep structure.  That's exactly what I did.  We caught a lot of fish up shallow and these 2 yahoos got on social media a ripped me a new one because they didn't catch anything off shore.  One of the few times I did get on-line and call them out.  

[Sam]

GReb, I have never tipped a bass fishing guide.

 

I have tipped the first mate on saltwater charters and redfish fishing in south Louisiana after he helped with baiting the hook; landing the fish; and cleaning rthe fish so I could take the meat home.

 

Tipping is up to you and the amount should reflect your opinion of how the first mate performed.

[rob0225]

On 2/24/2019 at 2:28 PM, Scott F said:

It's a lot more complicated than that. Most guides will say tipping isn't necessary. So you can stiff them if that's what you want to do. But, If I was a guide, I'd go the extra mile, stay out a little later, go above and beyond for the customer who I know is generous and appreciates my service by leaving me a tip.  I'm sure guides won't come out and say it, but guides I know they feel the same way.

 

first, it's not about stiffing anyone.  There was an agreed upon price for a service before hand.  You should "go the extra mile" for all your customers, you should treat all customers the same not based upon whether or not you think they may be generous.

[NHBull]

I always tip. Sometime more than normal for exceptionable service, or if I get the feeling he really needs it.  I fully understand it is not required, but it makes ME feel better.  It drives my wife and kids crazy, but for me it is paying it forward.

[Jigfishn10]

I tip like @roadwarrior mentions in his post, like I would at a restaurant. I just came back from FLA and tipped my guide about 20%. He was a lot of fun to fish with and gave my son and I a lasting memory.

[Ratherbfishing]

Tipping, to me, should be commensurate with what you receive as a client.  If your guide spends more time fishing and drinking beer than putting YOU on fish, than I don't think a tip is merited at all.  Would you really ever want to utilize their services again, anyway?   On the other hand, if the boat is clean and serviceable AND they work very hard to find fish for you, than a decent tip is warranted.  I've never partaken of the services of a guide BUT I imagine you can usually tell which ones are skillful and prepared and which ones probably need to go out of business.

[TOXIC]

Well, to the OP, you've heard from Guides and clients (some who tip and some who don't).  Pretty universal from those who guide that they don't "expect" a tip.  Tipping is a personal thing.  There are no rules.  I'll end my involvement by saying to those who think that a guides costs are all built into their price....In order to cover a guides cost 100% you would have to have a sliding scale for every trip.  Guides don't like upping prices on a regular basis.  Some things to consider:

 

What does a guide do when gas jumps .20 a gallon mid season (both for the boat and truck)?

What does a guide do when insurance jumps (remember they usually have commercial policies)?

What does a guide do when they have unexpected maintenance on a truck or boat?

What does a guide do when they have a client(s) that breaks rods/reels or loses a lot of lures? 

What does a guide do about all of the extra hours and cost of staying on the lake even on days they are not guiding to make sure they are on fish for your trip?

What do the guides do when  they have to advertise or maintain a website?

What does a guide do when they may have license fees in multiple states (there are 3 states in my area and a few special permits) or jurisdictions along with business licenses?

 

Those are just off the top of my head........You try to average those costs and spread it out.   

 

What I am saying is that not all trips are the same, not all fishermen are the same and if a Guide tried to price his/her services to what it actually costs, you couldn't afford them or wouldn't be willing to pay the price.  Guides live in the "gray area" most of the time hoping they have a large number of trips and can balance out the good with the bad.  They try to get sponsors to help offset the costs of lures and tackle which are bottom line expenses.  Some fish tournaments to try and fill the gaps.  They do seminars and tackle shows in the off season to help with sponsors.  Most of all they try to stay in the black more than the red and with the way the tax laws are evolving there's less and less you can write off in those red times.  I know some very successful Guides and some that just get by and some that shouldn't be on the water.  I'll tell you that your tip may not be that much to you, but to me it was always a sign of a job well done, no matter the amount. 

 

Off my soapbox and slid back under the table. 

 

 

[Junger]

I started getting into serious fishing a couple years ago. Going on guided trips seemed like a logical way to start catching and learning from pros. I corresponded with one and he emailed me back details, and the pricing and put "$XXX.00 Total". The thing is, not every service industry is the same. I know how to tip at fullservice sit down restaurants, and even semi-fast casual places that aren't full service but clean up your plates. But fishing guides was unbeknownst to me so I figured that I was to show up and pay that amount. After a few trips, I've done some of his specialty guided trips where it's communicated that it is "$XXX.00 + tip" and I am more than happy to tip on those special guided trip occasions. 

[jeffo21]

I guess since I cannot afford both the guide and the hotel room and tip I shouldn't go

[TnRiver46]

It is “customary” to tip a guide. It’s just something that most people do, not expected but appreciated and more importantly remembered. Repeat customers make up a ton of a guide’s schedule. I’ve known more than a few outfitters who just say they are booked up if you didn’t tip last time they took you fishing. It’s not like a clerk at a store that sees hundreds of customers a day, a guide remembers their clients 

[Vilas15]

4 hours ago, TOXIC said:

Well, to the OP, you've heard from Guides and clients (some who tip and some who don't).  Pretty universal from those who guide that they don't "expect" a tip.  Tipping is a personal thing.  There are no rules.  I'll end my involvement by saying to those who think that a guides costs are all built into their price....In order to cover a guides cost 100% you would have to have a sliding scale for every trip.  Guides don't like upping prices on a regular basis.  Some things to consider:

 

What does a guide do when gas jumps .20 a gallon mid season (both for the boat and truck)?

What does a guide do when insurance jumps (remember they usually have commercial policies)?

What does a guide do when they have unexpected maintenance on a truck or boat?

What does a guide do when they have a client(s) that breaks rods/reels or loses a lot of lures? 

What does a guide do about all of the extra hours and cost of staying on the lake even on days they are not guiding to make sure they are on fish for your trip?

What do the guides do when  they have to advertise or maintain a website?

What does a guide do when they may have license fees in multiple states (there are 3 states in my area and a few special permits) or jurisdictions along with business licenses?

 

Those are just off the top of my head........You try to average those costs and spread it out.

 

 

I agree they should try to account for those things in their pricing. But what does that have to do with tipping? Tipping shouldn't be expected to make up the difference, unless you think that a tip should depend on the price of gas at the time, etc. "I wasn't going to tip but the guide said he had to fix his truck and get a license." Tipping should depend on the service provided, and maybe if you break something then it would be nice to offset the cost. If the guide doesn't price the service appropriately and needs tips to break even, then maybe include a mandatory 15% tip like when you've got a large party at a restaurant.

[newriverfisherman1953]

There is no “right answer” here. I’ve only had one guide who didn’t get a tip. He was late and unprepared. We spent over an hour catching bait. I go expecting good service and I’m willing to reward that. 

[zeth]

20 bucks each is fine. 

[CrankFate]

When I caught the biggest bass I ever caught on a guided fishing excursion in Disney world in the first week of September 2001, I did not tip the guide But I paid for 2 people with only one fishing. And I think at the time, it was gratuity included because it was when they first started these. This was, as far as I know, the biggest bass ever to come out of the water at Disney world. It was also the only fish I caught that day in the last 10 minutes before the trip was over.

 

Also, we were experiencing technical difficulties, because as we were approaching the dock, it came to my attention, that the nonfishing passenger, who was responsible for putting film in the camera (and who insisted I was covered in the film department) forgot to put film in the camera. 

[TnRiver46]

6 hours ago, CrankFate said:

When I caught the biggest bass I ever caught on a guided fishing excursion in Disney world in the first week of September 2001, I did not tip the guide But I paid for 2 people with only one fishing. And I think at the time, it was gratuity included because it was when they first started these. This was, as far as I know, the biggest bass ever to come out of the water at Disney world. It was also the only fish I caught that day in the last 10 minutes before the trip was over.

 

Also, we were experiencing technical difficulties, because as we were approaching the dock, it came to my attention, that the nonfishing passenger, who was responsible for putting film in the camera (and who insisted I was covered in the film department) forgot to put film in the camera. 

Ouch!!!!

[TOXIC]

On 3/1/2019 at 8:09 PM, Vilas15 said:

I agree they should try to account for those things in their pricing. But what does that have to do with tipping? Tipping shouldn't be expected to make up the difference, unless you think that a tip should depend on the price of gas at the time, etc. "I wasn't going to tip but the guide said he had to fix his truck and get a license." Tipping should depend on the service provided, and maybe if you break something then it would be nice to offset the cost. If the guide doesn't price the service appropriately and needs tips to break even, then maybe include a mandatory 15% tip like when you've got a large party at a restaurant.

Don't miss my point.  Tipping is not ever going to make up the difference and like I said, tipping is never "expected".  I was just highlighting some off the top expenses that change regularly and cannot all be included in a guide's base pricing and if it was, it would be much more expensive.  The business model of a guide service is to offset all of those costs with number of trips, that's how you turn a profit.  Tipping is a sign you had a good time and to me validation that I did my job.  Some of my biggest tips came from fishermen who never boated a fish all day.   

[kenmitch]

Disclaimer: I have nothing against guides or using a guide service.

 

What's she look like? Only way I'd ever consider using a guide service is if the weather was warmer and she was a hot looking babe. Something about a hot babe fishing peaks my interest....Other than that fantasy I'm a lone wolf when it comes to fishing.

 

I'd agree with some of the other comments already posted. The guide needs to earn your tip as they're already getting paid to take you out. I'm sure they factor in variables when they set the price of their services.

 

My rules for fishing:

Pick the spots I like

Pick the baits I want to throw

Find my own fish

Do it my way

Deal with my own success or failure when doing all the above

 

The above doesn't really leave much room for a guide.

 

[fissure_man]

Tipping in almost any context is archaic and we’d be better off without it.  Why shouldn't businesses just pay fair wages, set appropriate prices, and tell customers the dang cost up front?  As for variable expenses – this is the reality many businesses, and most can’t change their prices day to day (nor can they expect tips). Revenue needs to cover overall costs and make a reasonable margin, or it’s not a viable business. Some guide trips will be more profitable than others, but this is part of the business and not generally the fault of the customer (think of it in reverse, if gas price goes down 20c, could the customer expect to pay less for their trip?).

 

The idea of tipping as compensation for going ‘above and beyond’ in a service is at least palatable, and arguably incentivizes good service. But for many services, tips are expected as an unwritten rule, almost regardless of the customer’s experience (heck, many servers make less than standard minimum wage in anticipation of tips… ludicrous!).

 

Tipping a percentage of total cost also makes no sense.  Is it twice the work for a server to carry out a $20 steak vs. a $10 hamburger?  $5 beer vs. $0 glass of water?  An expensive fishing guide might have the experience, demand, and expenses to justify their high price – but why should the dollar value of their tip be proportionally higher than you’d give to a lower-cost guide that worked just as hard?  When you hire an expensive guide you’re already paying them for the above perks in their high base price.

 

Could go on and on… why do some personal service providers get tips and not others?  Why enable tax evasion with cash tips that will frequently go unreported?  Why perpetuate traditions rooted in master/servant (slave) culture, which result in differing levels of service to customers pre-judged to be generous tippers, and which in restaurant settings are unfairly advantageous to conventionally attractive workers (and races) and contribute to a work environment with some of the highest rates of sexual harassment in any industry?

 

Putting all arguments against tipping culture aside, the fact is that it is a custom engrained in our society. Though tipping is rarely mandatory or explicitly expected, you will make an arse of yourself by failing to tip in many circumstances, and when workers are underpaid with the expectation of tips (such as in a restaurant), you really are ‘stiffing’ the worker if you choose not to tip (IMO). 

 

In my experience, tipping of fishing guides falls under the ‘unwritten but expected’ category: barring extreme circumstances a tip is socially appropriate, and the lack of a tip would imply that you were unhappy with the service. But opinions on this vary as seen in posts above. If I was shopping for a local guide, I would assume I’d be paying a tip around 15-20% and factor that into my purchase decision.

[TnRiver46]

@fissure_man, slave culture? Whoa whoa whoa back this train up a little . As a fishing guide I have never been whipped and always been compensated. My understanding of slavery was that there was no payment, not sure how gratuity is a slave tradition

[J Francho]

We're done here.