Choosing a fishing guide can sometimes be almost as fun as actually participating in the fishing itself. Scouring the web looking for the perfect person to take you, your buddies, kids or significant other out for a day or two on the water is an exciting pre-amble to the day's event. There are a few things anglers should consider when choosing a fishing guide. After all, a good guide can make the trip (even if the fishing isn’t up to par) and a bad guide can leave anglers with the terrible taste of wasting one’s money on a less-than-excellent experience. A good guide will ensure you have a fantastic time on the water whether the fish cooperate or not.
In all honesty, a guide’s reputation should speak for itself – positive or negative. Through social media avenues such as Facebook and Instagram, you will be able to get a “feel for the fit” of the guide based on anglers’ previous trips with them. Also, what that guide is doing on the water when they don’t have clients, are they continuing to understand the habits and movement of the fish in their waters? It doesn’t hurt to reach out to anglers who have fished that particular guide in the past to see what their experiences were with all aspects of their time on the water with that guide. Attitude will go a long way, and a guide worth their mettle will shine even on the cloudiest, nastiest, and most harsh days on the water.
This can be a tough one for many anglers looking to hire a guide. Booking in advance for the time of year you’re available or when the fishing for a specific species is best, can be likened to looking into a crystal ball. But as a client, you can mitigate some of the unknowns by simply making a phone call. Contact your would-be guide to ask the proper questions in securing your window is key. If you, as a client can only get away for 2 days in early spring, a reputable guide will educate you on what might be possible during that window to maximize your time and maybe even tell you not to waste your money and look to book something during a window in the future. Guides want you to have the best time possible on the water. They want you to return to their services and of course, tell all your friends. Though we can’t predict or control Mother Nature, communication with your guide will, more often than not give you the best chances of hitting a window where you’ll find success.
A guide’s website is literally a window into their world…a look into their business. Up-to-date photography, fishing reports, client testimonials, what to expect on a trip, rates and the like are all key indicators of the day you might have with them. Here is a tip. Go to the guide’s gallery and zoom in on the equipment clients are using. If it’s equipment provided by the guide, it should be in excellent working condition and not your grandfather’s setup. You can also get a sense of the guide's concern for safety in these photos or videos. What engine are they running, and what is the condition of their boat? Are kids in the photos wearing life jackets? Photos can really give you an indication of what you can expect during a day on the water.
Testimonials on a guide’s website are one thing. More often than not every testimonial posted will be of an extremely positive nature. Google Reviews don’t filter negative or positive feedback out from their platform. Read the Googler to see what other anglers have experienced in the past. It could save you a TON of time in research. That said, there are some internet trolls out there that look to do damage to businesses. So comments from the guide back to their client and how they conduct themselves in the face of negativity, warranted or not are a great indication of personality and care for the overall experience.
In communication with a would-be guide, it’s important to ask what they provide as a service. Are they simply a boat driver expecting their clients to bring everything from tackle to toilet paper or are they the “full meal deal” supplying everything but a great attitude from you? Consider hydration, food, equipment, safety gear, lures or flies, catch and release or catch and keep the length of the day, and flexibility in the daily schedule. These are some factors that should be outlined to you as a client as to what to expect on the water. Communication with your guide is key to having the best time you can on the water. It doesn’t hurt to ask any question you may have as it could make or break your trip.
Here, you can find a great outline on guides in Ontario – Happy Fishing both on the water and off!
