Salmo;

Since you have given your opinion on tipping, I'll jump in and tell our board my fillings concerning this issue, and few others. As you know Salmo, I too was a guide for about tens years. When I was guiding, I did not expect any other payment other then my original service fee. At that time, I charged $100 per person. If I took 3 people out, I made pretty good money that day.

My operating cost at that time for licenses and insurance ran about $1800 yearly. I spent about another twenty five to three thousand dollars on fishing tackle each year. The fuel for my truck and boat costs me about another $3000 each year (and I mainly fished the Cowlitz). So that's about $7,800 each year just for normal expenses right off the top. That also meant that I had to take at lease 78 people out fishing just to break even. Now that doesn't cover any motor, truck or other tackle repairs. Drift boat guides may get by a little bit cheaper because they don't have to feed the jet sled and its associated costs to keep it running, but if you have both, raise the costs even more (trailer and other license taxes, etc.).

So are most guides getting rich from fishing? No. A tip was always appreciated, but never expected. The only time that I felt that a tip was expected, was when I stayed out fishing for another 2 or 3 hours longer then the normal eight hour fishing trip (8 hours). I always told my clients that my $100 fee was for eight hours of fishing, or until they caught their legal limits of fish. Legally, they could not continue fishing after they had caught their limits.

As far as the egg thing goes, I always told my clients before fishing "the eggs were going to stay with the boat", before we went fishing". I explained to them that the bait that they are using today was the bait caught from the fish the day before. If I was not using "eggs" for that days fishing, I didn't mind giving them the eggs that were caught during that day fishing. Either way, if they really wanted the eggs I would let them have them. I just tried to let them know that their eggs would be used to help the next clients enjoy their tip, just as they have done. Almost never did my clients bark about the eggs after explaining why I needed their eggs.

Moral of this story; if you're not a full time guide willing to fight and put up with all the elements of nature, day in and day out, and you don't have the patience to deal with all types of personalities, seasons closers, and all the other "crap" that the average fishermen never sees or has to deal with, don't do it!

You will save yourself a lot of money, and enjoy your fishing much, much more. Just remember this, when fishing becomes work, fishing is no longer "the fun thing" that we all love to do. If you feel that your guide gave you more then what you had paid for, then by all means, tip him what ever you think it is worth. There is no set price for tipping a guide! There are lots of want-to-b's guides out there, but when you fish with a professional, you will know it.

Well, that's my 2 cents worth!

Cowlitzfisherman

Is the taste of the bait worth the sting of the hook????