How much to tip guides?

[Tofinofish]

-Was thinking about this more last night after 2 days of individual staff meetings with out fishing guides and front service staff.

Something to keep in mind when assessing/considering tip for fishing guides when obviously getting fish to bite is not something they can actually control.

A guide should be totally prepared to do his job to the best of his ability, not getting 4 miles offshore and having to admit they are out of Anchovies, leader material etc, or not enough fuel to travel to a reasonable distance to provide opportunity.
Vessel needs to be spotless and organized in my opinion, as no paying guest deserves to board a vessel that is not spotless and smelling clean.
Personality is huge, with personal hygene very slightly less important.
Effort throughout the day is noticeable, with ability to act quick and multitask is paramount. For those that have witnessed a guide that is "asleep at the wheel" compared to a guide that is alert and ready, can be a factor for recognition for sure.
I have definitley witnessed guides that have expected to be tipped, while not being all or any of the above. I wouldn't have tipped them well at all even if they got lucky to find you a big one...
We have experienced gear loss of all degrees, and is nice when guests offer but we accept it as part of the cost. (I did have a lady virtually toss a Sage/Islander combo into a remote mountain lake. No offer of regret, compensation or tip for biting my lip real hard. This is a rare circumstance, but is a situation that a guide or company owner would expect something in return. At least apology.)
Fortunately my guide team are like minded employees and deserving of their tips. (They also know that I am Type A about my vessels etc.) I don't often have to dig into the resume' pile that is always there.

J.

[BowhuntAB]

It all depends on the guide. You shouldnt go out and spend the day wondering how much to tip. The service, help, lessons, gear, lunch, attitude, comfort, booking ease, professionalism.....should dictate what you should tip.
I guided locally for 10+ years up until 2005 and the tip amounts always changed. I would guess an average was around $70.00 on a $400.00 float trip. There where days when you could do everything bang on and give your clients the trip of a lifetime and only get $20.00 for it and to be honest i wouldnt really care as long as they clients had fun! Most good guides understand that not everyone can afford to tip the way some clients do. At the end of the day the treatment of clients should not be any different or be geared around getting tipped. I have had some great tips in the past everything from rods, reels, trips, hockey tickets or my pesonal best $1000.00 US for 4 hours of fishing. However, the best tip at days end is happy, possible return client that was showed a great time on there trip.

Go have fun and tip what feels right!

[adventures]

Tips for guides/staff varies a lot as many have said. I’ve seen guides paid from 5-20% of the per person daily rate. I've also had guides tell me they've been paid very large tips, and some very low/no tips. It's all over the place. In some cases clients are not even aware that tipping is standard practice. Sometimes more than one guide is part of your experience, and then there’s the cook and other camp staff to consider. It can really add up. It’s also good to talk to other clients who are at the lodge. With any gratuity it should be based on your experience and how hard the staff worked for you. Have a great trip!

On a sidenote… Crazyfish, you mentioned that a shop that books a guide takes more than half. Maybe I've misread something here, but wanted to point out that it’s rare for a booking agent’s commission to be above 20%, and most guides pay an average of 10-15% for a prepaid client. Lots of factors in that rate too that the agent absorbs (marketing, overhead, credit card fees, etc). If you know of any guides that offer this kind of commission (>50%), please PM me. Something else that should be clarified is that a client who books directly should pay the same price as one who has come through a booking agent. I don’t mean to hijack the thread, but wanted to make that point too.

[Okotokian]

Two key factors:
1) Do I ever expect to see them again.
2) Do I need their assistance to get back home?


Seriously, tip on the effort and customer service, not whether a prime animal shows up (though NO animals might indicate poor scouting). And personally, for me anyway, it would make a difference if the person was the owner or an employee. I would expect an owner to have their profit margin already built in. A Tip isn't their main source of income. I'm open to being corrected however.

[crazyfish]

Thats what i was told by our guide on the day we went, that the shop " nameless" took 1/2 what we paid, and he got the other 1/2. He also said he would charge us a bit less the next time if we just booked directly with him.

The guide was nice, very well prepared, taught my wife very well, lunch was great, everything i would have expected . I think he "judged" me before we got started and had me pegged for a rookie because of how i was dressed. Didn't bring any gear because we were told we didn't need any. He stuck me in the back ( which i expected) , but wouldn't listen to anything i had to say! The fish cops blew by twice , once down, once back, and they blew all the weeds and stuff off the rocks and bottom. I asked twice if i could change from a green marabou steamer, it was lost with all the other green stuff floating around. He didn't want to, said that was what worked and i should keep trying ! 2hrs of no bites he finally said maybe nymphs might be better! We did catch a few fish, the wife had some bites but didn't land any. She was still happy. I cast with my right arm, but switch to retrieve using my right again and real in with my right,...not sure if i'm the only one , but thats me ! He wouldn't even consider changing a setup for me, even when i volunteered to do it myself, said that i should learn the proper way anyways !
What i did learn is the following : make sure that he is aware of what you are expecting from your day ! Make sure he understands everyones ability level . Make sure he's aware that you have a certain style/preference that is different ! Don't be afraid to speak your mind if you know the guide is wrong ! Next time i'm just bringing my own rod/reel combo ! I now realize most of this would have been solved by more communication, but if you've never been outfitted before, you don't know how it all should work ! We did leave a decent tip, but i don't recall where i put his card !

[BowhuntAB]

Originally Posted by crazyfish

Thats what i was told by our guide on the day we went, that the shop " nameless" took 1/2 what we paid, and he got the other 1/2. He also said he would charge us a bit less the next time if we just booked directly with him.

The guide was nice, very well prepared, taught my wife very well, lunch was great, everything i would have expected . I think he "judged" me before we got started and had me pegged for a rookie because of how i was dressed. Didn't bring any gear because we were told we didn't need any. He stuck me in the back ( which i expected) , but wouldn't listen to anything i had to say! The fish cops blew by twice , once down, once back, and they blew all the weeds and stuff off the rocks and bottom. I asked twice if i could change from a green marabou steamer, it was lost with all the other green stuff floating around. He didn't want to, said that was what worked and i should keep trying ! 2hrs of no bites he finally said maybe nymphs might be better! We did catch a few fish, the wife had some bites but didn't land any. She was still happy. I cast with my right arm, but switch to retrieve using my right again and real in with my right,...not sure if i'm the only one , but thats me ! He wouldn't even consider changing a setup for me, even when i volunteered to do it myself, said that i should learn the proper way anyways !
What i did learn is the following : make sure that he is aware of what you are expecting from your day ! Make sure he understands everyones ability level . Make sure he's aware that you have a certain style/preference that is different ! Don't be afraid to speak your mind if you know the guide is wrong ! Next time i'm just bringing my own rod/reel combo ! I now realize most of this would have been solved by more communication, but if you've never been outfitted before, you don't know how it all should work ! We did leave a decent tip, but i don't recall where i put his card !

Hmmm....some interesting stuff in your post.

First off the guide should NEVER steal the outfitters clients! EVER! This is the fast way to get black listed by Outfitters. Then again, things have changed a lot in the last few years. Everyone is a guide now and there is very little respect. To be honest, in our area there are not very many "quality" guides left. The talent is saturated and it seems all you need these days to guide is a dang boat! I quit guideing and sold my client list because half the guys out there are giving everyone and our rivers a bad name!
Ethics are gone! It was either quit or get in fights all day long.

My advise is to contact the shop or Outfitter and tell him what what you thought of your day. Be sure to mention that he gave you his card as well! It would help everyone to get these guys out of the buisness.
In a guides defence, i do hate when a client wants to change flies all the time but after hours you would think he would change up!

Why would you have tipped him at the end of the day?
What time of year did you go out? A few fish is a pretty bad day in most months.

[Jamie]

I use the $50/day tactic. And I use it in all situations.


The tip can go up or it can go down.

Things to think about
-Was the boat clean?
-Was the equipment in good repair
-Was there any thought put into the "Extras" (Pop, C-Bars, Snacks, Lunch)
-Did he cost me any fish due to STUPID mistakes? (Yes it happens!)
-Did he make a slow day fishing more enjoyable?

Someone mentioned above that guides are not "Gods". This is so true. They can not control the weather, they can not control if the fish are there in abundance or if the fish are no where to be found.

But they can control the mood on the boat.
I have had some guides that made me laugh all day long and even now I chuckle at the thought of fishing with them.
I have had other guides who I would rather of thrown over board. Even to the point where I refused to Tip them and told them exactly why.

A guide deserves no more of a Tip if he puts me on a large amount or a "XXXL" sized bad boy. It's all about how much fun we have. Make my day enjoyable and you will receive a tip. If it sucks, I will make your Boss miserable.

I have been on enough guided hunting and fishing trips to almost immediately tell if this is going to work for the both of us. So I am up front when we meet about what I expect out of each trip.

Jamie

[BowhuntAB]

Originally Posted by Jamie

I use the $50/day tactic. And I use it in all situations.


The tip can go up or it can go down.

Things to think about
-Was the boat clean?
-Was the equipment in good repair
-Was there any thought put into the "Extras" (Pop, C-Bars, Snacks, Lunch)
-Did he cost me any fish due to STUPID mistakes? (Yes it happens!)
-Did he make a slow day fishing more enjoyable?

Someone mentioned above that guides are not "Gods". This is so true. They can not control the weather, they can not control if the fish are there in abundance or if the fish are no where to be found.

But they can control the mood on the boat.
I have had some guides that made me laugh all day long and even now I chuckle at the thought of fishing with them.
I have had other guides who I would rather of thrown over board. Even to the point where I refused to Tip them and told them exactly why.

A guide deserves no more of a Tip if he puts me on a large amount or a "XXXL" sized bad boy. It's all about how much fun we have. Make my day enjoyable and you will receive a tip. If it sucks, I will make your Boss miserable.

I have been on enough guided hunting and fishing trips to almost immediately tell if this is going to work for the both of us. So I am up front when we meet about what I expect out of each trip.

Jamie

Well said Jamie!

[thumper]

Thanks Jamie!
Sounds pretty good to me - I'll follow your lead on this.

[dss44]

Originally Posted by Tofinofish

-Was thinking about this more last night after 2 days of individual staff meetings with out fishing guides and front service staff.

Something to keep in mind when assessing/considering tip for fishing guides when obviously getting fish to bite is not something they can actually control.

A guide should be totally prepared to do his job to the best of his ability, not getting 4 miles offshore and having to admit they are out of Anchovies, leader material etc, or not enough fuel to travel to a reasonable distance to provide opportunity.
Vessel needs to be spotless and organized in my opinion, as no paying guest deserves to board a vessel that is not spotless and smelling clean.
Personality is huge, with personal hygene very slightly less important.
Effort throughout the day is noticeable, with ability to act quick and multitask is paramount. For those that have witnessed a guide that is "asleep at the wheel" compared to a guide that is alert and ready, can be a factor for recognition for sure.
I have definitley witnessed guides that have expected to be tipped, while not being all or any of the above. I wouldn't have tipped them well at all even if they got lucky to find you a big one...
We have experienced gear loss of all degrees, and is nice when guests offer but we accept it as part of the cost. (I did have a lady virtually toss a Sage/Islander combo into a remote mountain lake. No offer of regret, compensation or tip for biting my lip real hard. This is a rare circumstance, but is a situation that a guide or company owner would expect something in return. At least apology.)
Fortunately my guide team are like minded employees and deserving of their tips. (They also know that I am Type A about my vessels etc.) I don't often have to dig into the resume' pile that is always there.

J.

I am too Jay...making sure my boat is clean is one ofmy first priorities, they are expensive and never will anyone see my boat not taken care of...if the bite is on hot, I'll get two rods in the water then next up is cleaning the blood and deck...if the fishing was like it was last year for us and I know it will be non stop action all day, I usually will mop up that deck as I get one of the guests to take the boat back into the tach...

A clean, comfortable boat goes a heck of a long way and I think a lot of guides underestimate what it can do for an experience...

[Jamie]

Thanks guys, it's worked for me in the past.

One more thing I should add as well.

Did I learn anything today? Did the guide take the time to teach me how to be more effective at what I am doing? Did he teach me how to tie a line or how to better rig up a herring. These are all things I also like to see.

Jamie

[dss44]

As for actual tipping, I realize not everyone one who comes is capable of tipping, some it may be their trip of a lifetime they saved up for ages for. So what it's all about the gauging the group as well. I like to think I'm a pretty funny guy and I'm very sarcastic and joke around a lot, some groups misinterpret that and don't get my sense of humour....for example, after maybe the first day of getting to know one another I'll usually start to jokingly rag on guys if they lose a fish etc...I could care less if they lose it (unless its like >50lbs ) ... but do it in jest...the odd person here and there will take me seriously...and possibly my tip would suffer but that's fine because most rag right back at me if it's one of the groups that want me to hook and I miss one etc...that to me is a lot of fun! Just to have a light atmosphere where you can joke around and rag on one another...good times! This past season tips varied from none (group limited out on salmon, halibut, yelloweye, and got a few lings) to $1200 for 3 days...the first group I completely understood as it was a once in a lifetime trip...i had a BLAST with them and enjoyed every second...the latter obviously was a wealthier group and could afford it...so I don't think from a guides perspective that there is always expected to be a tip...sure it's nice as its my spending money for school, but like the once in a lifetime group, I honestly had so much fun seeing them catch fish and see how excited they were, it was absolutely a-ok I didn't get a tip....if the 2nd group didn't tip, maybe it'd be a bit more of a shocker I guess...

[crazyfish]

this was a few years ago, early august, fairly warm, nice day ! Tip i believe was 20 $, lost his card, and did talk with the shop after.

I was there more to learn the river, (1st time on a new river), my wife had not fly fished before but did enjoy the day, so i let it stay that way !

I only wanted to change the fly when i saw that it was probably invisible with the rest of the floatsam on /in the river ! I was very patient, polite,and kept trying ! It was a good learning experience, now i would have no issues being up front with my goals for the day and expectations.

I also now realize that all guides aren't gods is true, if you know something isn't gonna work , speak up !

[BowhuntAB]

Originally Posted by crazyfish

this was a few years ago, early august, fairly warm, nice day ! Tip i believe was 20 $, lost his card, and did talk with the shop after.

I was there more to learn the river, (1st time on a new river), my wife had not fly fished before but did enjoy the day, so i let it stay that way !

I only wanted to change the fly when i saw that it was probably invisible with the rest of the floatsam on /in the river ! I was very patient, polite,and kept trying ! It was a good learning experience, now i would have no issues being up front with my goals for the day and expectations.

I also now realize that all guides aren't gods is true, if you know something isn't gonna work , speak up !

I'd love to know who it was!
Anyways, August should have been good fishing depending on the flows and clairity. August is full of options as well. Streamers, nymphing, Hoppers, Caddis...as a guide he may have made some bad choices that day. The most important thing should have been if you had fun or not and it sounds like you didnt really enjoy your day.
Nice of you to still tip $20.00.

[berteotti]

Hey my name is ryan and i am a guide been for 3 years now it all depends on what,they guideing u to if its just fishing i would ssay 50 to 100 bucks more is pushing it i guided a big bull elk mulie and whitey for my client and i got 500 bucks plus binocs and range finder but i think 50 to 100 is fair i usually give the cook some of my tips but ya that is my thought

[Mike_W]

I think one thing everyone has to remember is these guides do have to work hard. Most angler and hunters sit back and say that fishing or hunting for a living is a dream job and don't get me wrong I am sure for alot of guides it is but we don't understand the amount of work that goes into a fishing or a hunting trip.
Fishing the west coast for example guides are usually up and on the docks by 5:30 at the latest with bait food and beverage for there clients they do a wipedown and usually have the boat running with all the downriggers and lines ready to go as soon as they are at the fishing grounds, then there clients arrive they get them in the boat and comfortable and take off ASAP, the ammount of work to get lines down and control the boat while checking on your clients is a lot of work. Teaching a rookie how to reel in a fish while controling the boat and getting the net is quite the task, getting your line back down and cleaning the boat again while controling the boat again is quite the task. Then when the days fishing is done they get your catch out of the boat for photos them proceed to clean and package the catch. then remember when this is all done they have to go back to there boat and clean it and prep it with new leaders and rigs and have everything organized for tomorrows trip.
While it may be a dream job it aint luxury its hard tiring work an average day is probably 12 hours.
I am not a guide nor do I use the services of a guide, I just run my own boat and do week long trips with rookie salmon anglers and basically guide them (friends and family) and can really appreciate the hard work required an I wouldn't be to satisfied only making $100 bucks a day.

[LongDraw]

Question;

Do you approach it differently when tipping if the owner/operator is guiding you compared to a hired guide?

[BowhuntAB]

Originally Posted by LongDraw

Question;

Do you approach it differently when tipping if the owner/operator is guiding you compared to a hired guide?

I don't think so Longdraw. Its still a service and contrary to what most people think the money you pay for a guide/outfitter is not as much as you would think. Around here we would make around 400.00 per day before tip. I would start my day at around 5:00-5:30 and be at home parking the boat usually around 11:00 to Midnight. It only works out to around $20.00-$30.00 per hour. The outfitter also has the extra work of booking the trip, discussing rates, open days, hotel rooms, pick up times...
Its a lot of work for both guide and Outfitter. In the 90's as a guide we would show up at the shop be given our lunch/drinks, booked a shuttle and sent on our way. Now the common way to go is the outfitters pay extra for the guide to do all the work and they only keep an admin fee. I think it was easier and a lot less stressful to be a guide then it was an outfitter.

As i mentioned above. All you need to do is tip on the service you are provided. If the service was crap then don't tip, plain and simple. I think its crazy for guys to expect tips when they don't work hard or provide the fun service clients expect. Besides, if it was a dud of a day your not going to see the guide again, right? If the guide works his tail off for you and you tip him well, he's going to remember you and you may get even better service next time!