False S o you’ve been thinking about hiring a guide to take you fishing. Maybe you and a buddy have been talking about a guided trip, have decided to split the cost, and have received fiscal approval from the “ real boss” to lay down the money. But now what? How do you find the right guide? Where do you look, and how do you know this is the right trip for you? I have been guiding since May of 2007, and have developed a set of ques-tions that I use to better understand what my potential clients are looking for. Pose these questions to the guide that you might hire and see how they answer. I believe this will help you to make an informed decision, and will allow you to maximize your guided fishing trip experi-ence. Goals for the Guide Trip Before you call a guide, sit down and determine your goals for the trip. Write them down, and explain these goals to the guide up front. If the guide balks, or disagrees, then you are likely talking to the wrong person. The best guided fishing trips occur when there are no surprises! Beginning with your desired outcome in mind will help you get the trip that you’re looking for. When I first talk to my clients, I always ask them about their goals for the trip. Typical answers are “ to learn new techniques”, “ to learn new water or lakes”, or “ just to catch some fish and have a fish fry”. Each of these are reason- View From the Front Maximize Your Guided Fishing Trip by Larry Murphy

False able goals, but will cause your guide to fish in different ways depending on your desired outcome. Also, based on your goals, discuss with your guide what THEY would consider a successful day of fishing. Make sure that your goals, and expectations, are in line with the guide’s. If the guide thinks that five nice keeper- sized bass is a good day, but you want to take home a cooler full of filets, then you have some gaps to dis-cuss. Where to Look for a Guide Fishing guides aren’t hard to find, if you know where to look. First, try using an Internet search engine like Google or Ya-hoo! to locate a guide. For example, to find a guide on Lake Murphy, do a search on “ Lake+ Murphy+ fishing+ guide”. If you want to target a specific species, add that to your search. The first few hits returned from the search engine are usually the best options to consider. If that doesn’t work, call a local ma-rina or tackle shop close to the lake you want to fish and ask for names and numbers. Also, ask why the marina or tackle shop is recommending them as a guide. Hopefully the answer is “ they are really on the fish” versus “ well, they pay me to recommend them”. Nearly every marina or tackle shop will have the name of a handful of guides, so be sure to talk to each of them. You can also check out local newspapers or fliers for guides. Many guides place ads in local papers to help promote their business. Finally, you might talk to local fishing clubs to see if they have members that guide, or to see if they have recommendations. I belong to a musky fishing club and they hold “ Guide for a Day” events to promote the club and to help get new members. Questions for Your Potential Guide Now remember, you’re the client! You are inter-viewing the guide, and are considering “ hiring” them. It’s your hard earned money, and invest-ment in time, so don’t hesitate to ask these questions and more. ? How many days a month/ year do you spend fishing? Guiding? ? When was the last time that you guided? How did it go? ? Are you local ( live on or near the lake you’ll be fishing)? ? Describe the type of fishing we’ll be do ing based on the goals we discussed. Will we be casting? Flipping or pitching? Trolling? Etc. ? Describe your gear and what you pro vide. What fishing gear do I need to bring, if any? ? Are there additional costs if equipment is lost or broken during the trip? ? Do you have any sponsors? Will I be able to demo any of your sponsor pro gear? ? How many people do you guide per trip? ? What is your inclement or adverse weather policy? ? What is your cancellation policy? ? Do you require a deposit? If yes, is the deposit refundable? ? What hours do you fish ( what is consid ered a full day)? ? Do you stop for lunch? ? Is food, drink, or ice provided? ? Do you allow clients to keep fish? If yes, will you clean the fish? Is there a fish cleaning fee? ? Do you have any sort of a guarantee? ? Do you have a website? ? Can I talk to previous clients to get a recommendation? ? Can I bring a hand- held GPS during our trip to mark and remember spots? ? Do you carry professional guide/ fisher men liability insurance? ? How much does the trip cost? ? Does the guide fish in front of you? With these questions you are trying to get comfortable with your guide, get to know them a little better, and determine if they can meet your goals and expectations. Often times the answer to the question isn’t as important as the way a question is answered, so pay close attention. If possible, try to meet the guide to ask these questions in person. This isn’t always feasible, but face- to- face discussions are always better than discussions over the phone. “ Being guided is not about catching big fish or lots of them. It is your opportunity to learn. There are a lot of unanswered questions in fishing and a “ QUALITY” guide can shed some light on them. Learning why, when and how should be your primary objective, never WHERE. The where in fishing is dependent on far to many factors that will change many times during a season or a day, for that mat-ter. Your guide should teach and you should learn” Pro Fisherman Bob Mehsikomer