False sion. The guide proceeded to explain that he and his mate would bait the hooks, set the lures to the correct depths, set the rods in down riggers, and would set the hook for the clients when a striper hit. The clients would then take turns reeling in the fish. Also, as far as pic-tures, they would be taken at the dock. Clearly there was a gap in goals and expectations here! I had the opportunity to go fishing salt water fishing off the coast of Florida ( on the Gulf side of the state). My brother- in- law, along with his sons, was going on the trip as well. They are new to fishing yet wanted to join me on a guided fishing trip. I had hoped to fish the flats for Redfish, so I started talking to guides in the Cedar Key area. After several calls it was apparent that the expertise required to fish the flats was more than my brother- in- law and family could handle, so I opted for an offshore fishing trip for grouper. The guide I found did a great job, and we caught a bunch of fish and had a great time! A day on the flats that re-quired precise casts with shrimp to mangrove trees would have frustrated the new fisher-men in my party. Straight down fishing in open water was the right kind of fishing for our trip. Asking good questions allowed me to pick the right guide, and to set- up the right kind of trip for me and my family. These stories are true, and highlight the need to do a better job of interviewing a potential fish-ing guide. Looking back, the bad guide trips are funny now, but were hard learned lessons that I hope you as a reader can avoid. As a guide I discuss each of these questions with my clients, whether they ask or not. In some cases it becomes obvious that I’m not the right guide, so I tell them up front and thank them for their interest. And why not? Guides need to have fun on fishing trips too! Continued from page 44

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