performance anxiety when fishing with guides.

[Darth-Baiter]

so interesting.  I once fished with a pro-guide.   he was super sarcastic and was a total S-talker.  you blow a cast, and he would reward you with, "well, you just S'd the bed".  hahah..maybe I have anxiety from that.  haha.

 

anyways, every time I am out with a guide, I tend to backlash his gear.  or any casting accuracy I built up over the year, just vanishes.  "I swear, I typically cast way better than this!"

 

I am going out on a big trip in Oct.  I am bringing my own reels and will use guide rods.  I'll bring several, just in case I "s the bed".  my friend joked at me.  he KNOWS I backlash guide gear.  he has seen it 3x.  

 

one time fishing for Walleye in Oregon, the guide yelled at me.  tried to tell me how to fight a fish into his net.  dude!!  I gave him a look that indicated his gratuity was in peril.   My last Clearlake guide was a 17 year old kid.  super cool, super hardworking.  my first cast..yes.  you know it.  total bird nest.  he quickly handed me a new combo, and picked out my disaster.  no lip.  I did bring a few of my own setups, tho.  but first cast!!  gah.  it was a lefty reel and felt really odd.  I seriously have performance issues with guides.  great. 

[TnRiver46]

The place I guide for (fly fishing ) does not allow any Tom foolery, if someone casts a big tangle I need to tell them it was actually a great cast and the winds fault and untangle it as fast as humanly possible 

[Susky River Rat]

I will joke around with people in my boat like rookies fish from the bank this or that. I do not guide though. If it’s someone who isn’t really a fisherman I take the lead for them. Tie stuff on so it’s done right etc. I want them to enjoy it not worry about it.
 

I would try to take my own gear on a guided trip if possible.. also, if a guide was treating me like that there would be some issues. It’s their job. If I made smart comments and belittled everyone repeatedly at my job I doubt I would be able to keep it.

[king fisher]

A guides number one job is to make sure you have a good time.  If you do not have a good time, than they did not do their job.  Does not matter how many fish you did or didn't catch, if you did not enjoy your day, the guide has failed.

 

[roadwarrior]

15 minutes ago, king fisher said:

A guides number one job is to make sure you have a good time.  If you do not have a good time, than they did not do their job.  Does not matter how many fish you did or didn't catch, if you did not enjoy your day, the guide has failed.

 

 

 

 

                                                           

[12poundbass]

1 hour ago, TnRiver46 said:

Tom foolery

Were you born in 1930? ?

[dave]

I was a guide for ten years.   I let my USCG license expire in July.  We can't control the fish.  What we can do it work our butts off.  We can teach you, we can help make you a better caster and angler.  A fishing guide is professional angler, a teacher, a story teller, an entertainer, a comedian.  Condescension is NEVER an option.  And we try to put you on a few fish...

[papajoe222]

My come back would have been: Dude, I don't cast perfectly. I occasionally backlash and I don't know the water we're on.  If I did, I wouldn't need you......would I?

Many 'guides' are just good anglers looking to make a buck on their off days. Your best bet is to go with one that's been recommended, or will give you the contacts, or reviews of prior clients.

[Darth-Baiter]

I’m gonna remember that one !!!  Thanks. 

[Bigassbass]

Not all guides are good some are just sorry out to get your money.  I've had some bad experiences with guides and just a few good ones.  References is what you need and from men and women.  You should have asked to be taken back to the boat ramp and for a REFUND!

[GreenPig]

Remember that he is working for you. I'd be quick to tell him I ain't paying for a smart a$# mouth. 

I tell everybody I've fished with when they blow up a reel " If you wanted to take a break from casting you could've just laid it down and took a break ".

[WRB]

19 hours ago, king fisher said:

A guides number one job is to make sure you have a good time.  If you do not have a good time, than they did not do their job.  Does not matter how many fish you did or didn't catch, if you did not enjoy your day, the guide has failed.

 

^^^^this^^^^

You are not competing with your guide he is being paid to put you on fish and help you. 

When using other folks tackle check the reel setting by releasing the spool with the lure and let it free fall. Falls too fast adjust the tension knob until it falls with a little resistance. Make a few short practice cast to get the line wet before fishing.

Tom

 

[thediscochef]

19 hours ago, 12poundbass said:

Were you born in 1930? ?

Meet Tom's friend, Bob Clownaround. Old friends from Lollygag Senior High ?

 

21 hours ago, Darth-Baiter said:

so interesting.  I once fished with a pro-guide.   he was super sarcastic and was a total S-talker.  you blow a cast, and he would reward you with, "well, you just S'd the bed".  hahah..maybe I have anxiety from that.  haha.

 

anyways, every time I am out with a guide, I tend to backlash his gear.  or any casting accuracy I built up over the year, just vanishes.  "I swear, I typically cast way better than this!"

 

I am going out on a big trip in Oct.  I am bringing my own reels and will use guide rods.  I'll bring several, just in case I "s the bed".  my friend joked at me.  he KNOWS I backlash guide gear.  he has seen it 3x.  

 

one time fishing for Walleye in Oregon, the guide yelled at me.  tried to tell me how to fight a fish into his net.  dude!!  I gave him a look that indicated his gratuity was in peril.   My last Clearlake guide was a 17 year old kid.  super cool, super hardworking.  my first cast..yes.  you know it.  total bird nest.  he quickly handed me a new combo, and picked out my disaster.  no lip.  I did bring a few of my own setups, tho.  but first cast!!  gah.  it was a lefty reel and felt really odd.  I seriously have performance issues with guides.  great. 

That would be a big turn off for me. Maybe this makes me a wimp, I don't know. I'm there to fish. I'm not really much for s-talk to begin with, I get on a boat maybe four times per year in a good year and I don't really want to deal with that in the time that I am paying for.
I get that being on the water 30+ days in a row during season can be exhausting and dealing with people's mistakes is frustrating. I get it. Pulling 12 hour days on a movie set for 20 straight days isn't nearly as fun, I would trade my job for guiding any time. But kindness and the experience can make or break a job or a trip - I fished like crap at Toledo Bend but the guide I was with made me want to go back out with him as soon as I can. The difference was the guide. I have some performance anxiety on boats in general since I rarely get on them, but I still outfish my bank self

[Bankc]

The worlds full of jerks.  A lot of these jerks think they're being funny and believe you'll find them funny too when they pick on you like the two of you are best friends.  They don't understand that you have to earn that type of relationship.  When I run into someone like this, the best thing I've figured is to correct them the first time they say something like that with something like "well, that unnecessarily rude, wasn't it?".  Don't get defensive and don't try to hurt their feelings back.  Just let them know that they crossed a line and then move on like nothing happened.  Let them know the boundaries, but let them make mistakes.  Most people learn pretty quick what not to do.  And if you forgive and forget immediately, they usually don't take it too hard.

 

As for performance anxiety, well I have been the lead singer/guitarist in several bands, so I know a bit about that.  I can say to just relax, but truth be told, that's easier said than done.  Still, it's the best advice.  Not relaxing is what causes those mistakes. 

 

What I always did is anticipate that first big mistake.  Know it'll happen in advance, because it always does, and it's never as big of a deal as it seems at the time it happens.  Look forward to it.  Know that it won't ruin the day.  And when it happens, just say to yourself something like "well, I figure this would happen.  Now that I've gotten that out of the way, it's time to catch some fish".  Acknowledge the mistake, find relief in it, and quickly move on.  Usually, after my first big mistake, I could relax and play out the rest of the show without too much trouble.  It's before that first big mistake is when I'm most nervous, because I know it's still out there, waiting.  

[Captain Phil]

The life of a fishing guide is not easy.  Dealing with fish is not the biggest challenge, it's dealing with people. Other than the poor financial reward, that is the main reason I gave it up.  I had some great clients.  I also had some that I wished I never had.  I have had customers throw my rods overboard.  I have had customers who were never satisfied.  I had two guys that I guided to Toho for three days in a row.  We caught hundreds of keeper bass on that trip up to five pounds. At the end of the trip, one told me he was disappointed because he didn't catch a ten pounder.   At the end of the trip was not the time to tell me that tidbit of information.  If I had known, we could have sat around for three days waiting for a trophy.  Communication is the key.  Before you hire a fishing guide, tell him or her what you expect.  If you don't, the guide will make that decision for you and it may not be what you want.

 

One of my most pleasant memories was fishing with a man who was dying of cancer.  He hired me on a cold winter day in February.  His wife told me he didn't have long to live and that fishing was his lifelong passion.  When I took him out he could hardly cast.  A nasty cold front had shut down the bass and I tried everything I could.  In desperation, I took him to the Gator Hole so we could get out of the wind.  He wanted me to fish, so I cast out a deep running crankbait.  As it bumped along the bottom a big fish grabbed it.  I asked him if he wanted to crank it in and he told me to.  We got the fish to the boat and put it in the livewell.  When we got back to the ramp, we didn't tell his wife I had caught the fish.  She took a photo of us with the fish and he was beaming from ear to ear.  You never know what to expect.

[Woody B]

I used a guide once and it was a great experience.  I was racing in Florida.  I hired a guide for a trip to Okeechobee.  He told me straight up we'd probably catch some big bass.  I wasn't allowed to keep any under 10 pounds, and there was only a slim chance at a 10 pounder.  I didn't want to keep any, regardless of size.  I fished with live shiners.  I caught 2 over 8 that day and several over 5.   I don't remember what it cost.  It was back in the 80's.   I gave him a $50 bill for a tip.  I don't know if I was supposed to, or even if that was a good tip.   

 

Florida is magical, at least for me.....or at least it used to be.  A friend from Orlando (Bo Laws(RIP) for any drag racing fans) took me fishing in his boat on the Saint John river a few times.  6 pounders were common.  (that was over 30 years ago too)   I also caught an 8 pounder from the canal that ran around Moroso Motorsports Park in West Palm.   

[Captain Phil]

10 hours ago, Woody B said:

I used a guide once and it was a great experience.  I was racing in Florida.  I hired a guide for a trip to Okeechobee.  He told me straight up we'd probably catch some big bass.  I wasn't allowed to keep any under 10 pounds, and there was only a slim chance at a 10 pounder.  I didn't want to keep any, regardless of size.  I fished with live shiners.  I caught 2 over 8 that day and several over 5.   I don't remember what it cost.  It was back in the 80's.   I gave him a $50 bill for a tip.  I don't know if I was supposed to, or even if that was a good tip.   

 

Florida is magical, at least for me.....or at least it used to be.  A friend from Orlando (Bo Laws(RIP) for any drag racing fans) took me fishing in his boat on the Saint John river a few times.  6 pounders were common.  (that was over 30 years ago too)   I also caught an 8 pounder from the canal that ran around Moroso Motorsports Park in West Palm.   

 

Great hearing your story.  Florida bass fishing is still good, but it's getting harder to fish away from the crowds.  I am an old drag racer and a fishermen.  I remember Bo Laws very well. I also remember street racing in Miami, Master's Field, Miami Dragway and Moroso.   Sadly, they're all gone now.  Things are so different now.  At least the bass are the same.

[Swamp Girl]

After reading about how guides can ruin one's casting abilities, I removed all the guides from one of my rods and now I can't cast at all. I guess one can't cast with 'em and can't cast without 'em. 

 

Goofing aside, I was fishing stripers with a guide for a fishing article and I lost one that would have made a nice photo. The guide was working for free to get the publicity, but when he yelled at me, I decided there was no way I'd mention him in the article. I wouldn't want the readership to book a grouch. 

[the reel ess]

A good guide will make you feel at ease. I fished with a really good one in So. Florida. I told him he could fish with me if he wanted because it was just us two. But instead he spent two days running the remote control trolling motor and rigging up the next thing he wanted me to try. He did fuss at me for boat flipping a peacock that I caught on a 3 treble hook jerkbait. I told him sorry, but I was not grabbing that fish even if it got off. He needs a net. He wanted to take a pic of every for his social media. That slowed my catching a bit. He did compliment me on not getting a backlash either day and for fishing really hard. He said I was pretty trouble free. I told him I was trying to get every fish I could for the money. And got a 7 lb. largemouth on a live shiner.

[txchaser]

I guess we all want different stuff. I like the unrelenting coach style, where I'm going to be better informed or better skilled by the end of the day. It's fun, but I'm buying a skill-up. Thanks to BR I knew to be crystal clear with a guide about what I wanted.

 

My last guided trip was flyfishing on a float boat. We told the guide "we are here to get better and to learn, and if you aren't cussing us you probably aren't pushing hard enough" - seems like especially with fly fishing they get a lot of customers that are just there to mess around and only fish a few times a year. He didn't really need to cuss us but I think he got the point. By the end of the day he was starting to show me how to throw a mend during the cast, which I had never even seen before (not much of a fly fisherman). A+ day.

 

I'd like to think if you told your next guide "Look man I get really flustered or nervous when I fish with guides, and I don't know why. I need you to help me stay chilled out." a good guide would know just how to help. 

[flyfisher]

[MontclairDave]

On 8/12/2023 at 8:04 PM, king fisher said:

A guides number one job is to make sure you have a good time.  If you do not have a good time, than they did not do their job.  Does not matter how many fish you did or didn't catch, if you did not enjoy your day, the guide has failed.

 

x2. I went on a walleye guide trip on the Delaware a few years back. Never fished for walleye and that day it was a really subtle bite on jigs. I got maybe 2 fish and the guide spent the whole day fishing—not guiding!—and caught 15. Towards the end of the trip I called him on his *** and he basically said it’s not my fault if you suck. What an arsehole.  On the flip side, every time I’ve been guided on smallie trips on Lake Champlain it’s been a blast because the guide service I use is amazing. Gotta find the good ones then stick with em. 

[Swamp Girl]

On 8/17/2023 at 6:57 PM, MontclairDave said:

I got maybe 2 fish and the guide spent the whole day fishing—not guiding!—and caught 15.

 

You paid for a guide, but he gave you a boat ride. A boat ride is worth about 20 bucks. 

[N Florida Mike]

Ive never booked a guide in my life. My dad was my guide. I don’t remember him ever slightly losing his temper or patience with me.

The two friends that I learned the most from were that way too. Cannot remember one bad experience with either one.

I have essentially guided many people in different types of fishing  , especially for bass . None of it was for money. Most of the trips were fun for them and me, even on the days when the fish didn’t bite well.

I did show my aggravation once when a young man outfished me in my home lake, to the point that he mentioned it. I told him I was glad he caught his fish , but irritated with myself for missing so many of mine that day. I don’t think he believed me , but it was true.

The maddest I ever got was with an acquaintance I was teaching to bass fish. He grabbed my favorite rod ( that I had caught my pb on), bent it tip to butt, while saying “ Is this an ugly stik ?” It wasn’t . The rod snapped. He took one look at me, then jumped overboard and swam to shore . Probably a good choice for him at that moment!?

[santafish]

Happens to everyone. Get some Daiwa SV spooled reels just in case.. have to try pretty hard to backlash those. But some guides are just total tools. I was out on a guide in Michigan once (visiting family) and thought it would nice to take my sister and her husband out with us as they've never fished before. Long story short this a-hole of a guide proceeds to yell at them and tell them that they screwed up whenever a fish would spit the hook. We were trolling for salmon so not sure how common it is to lose fish but the landing ratio was pretty bad. Guess who hates fishing now because of this experience? Don't let guides stress you out man - just enjoy your time out!