You might be a novice fisherman or you might have a boat, enough gear to tackle anything, and some mad fishing skills….So why hire a guide? Many people do not understand exactly what a guide can do for their fishing game and find the idea of hiring a guide just plain unnecessary. In truth, there may be many reasons you could benefit from booking a guided fishing trip.
If you are passionate about the sport and ready to dive in head first, a guide will give you a quick leg up. Think of your trip as a lesson more than a vacation! You can learn a lot and go out confident that you have the best possible chance to catch fish while absorbing as much knowledge as you can. After your trip, head out to the water on your own to test what you’ve learned.
Someone who plans to only occasionally dabble in fishing can save themselves money by utilizing a fishing guide. A few guided trips per year can be cheaper than being a boat owner and splurging on a mountain of fishing gear. As an added bonus, it leaves you free to book trips anywhere without the hassle of dragging along a boat or getting everything rigged up for your destination. Just show up and enjoy!
Many people are surprised that fishing guides aren’t just beneficial to new fisherman. If you possess the skills, time, and equipment to go it alone there are still plenty of reasons to book a guide. A good fishing guide is going to take you to the hot spots on his lake. This saves time which arguably is not so important on a smaller body of water, but with larger lakes and rivers, if you are only up for the weekend or maybe just an occasional weekend, finding the right spots the right lure/bait can consume time you could have spent reeling em in.
Guides that are worth your money put in some serious hours on the water. They also tend to have access to a network of fisherman, and with big lakes that is the most effective way to cover ground…er water quickly. Fish move around and they can do so quickly it’s just easier to stay on top of them when you are fishing regularly and are in touch with other guys (or gals) that are doing the same.
When you are interested in a quick taste of fishing some distant premier fishery, why drag your boat and equipment all that way? You and some buddies can make the drive and hop into a guide’s boat, that should already be equipped and ready to hit it hard. The guide will know what works in their area, where they are biting that day, and what time of day is going to be most productive. They also know local policy, courtesies, and limits. Plus, they are going to be able to point you toward the best lodging and restaurants!
Fishing is fun and competitive. A guide’s role is to give you the best chance to have a productive day on the water while providing you with good conversation and a day full of learning opportunities. Whatever your skill set may be, it is important to continuously strive for more knowledge. Different perspectives breed new ideas which can inspire learning!
