Tip for flounder guide?

[CJ776]

I'm not arguing but the waitress makes $2/hr and this guide will have a fresh $600 in his pocket so that's a pretty apples to oranges comparison.

Also in no way will the tip be tied to fish in my mind, we can get 1 fish or 15. I'm pretty sure tip based on effort and experience is where it's at. I just needed to know what's the customary range as I don't want to offend the guide out of my ignorance and walk away thinking I gave him a great tip. Lol

I tip 10% and sometimes go up to 15%. I used to tip 20%+ but after speaking to multiple guides, 10% seems to be the norm of what they receive. I reduced it back to get back to "market". I have some guides (more like buddies) that I am personal friends with that I tip 20% on still.

These are duck/thermal hog/geese guides. It may be species/hunt type based, as i don't think a flounder guide is out every night like a duck guide is every morning. Could be wrong, flounder guide may get after it nightly.

[joey1656]

I do 10-20% based on service.

[Farmdog]

High rollers!! 100 agreed

[Jason Slocum]

I tip 10% and sometimes go up to 15%. I used to tip 20%+ but after speaking to multiple guides, 10% seems to be the norm of what they receive. I reduced it back to get back to "market". I have some guides (more like buddies) that I am personal friends with that I tip 20% on still.

These are duck/thermal hog/geese guides. It may be species/hunt type based, as i don't think a flounder guide is out every night like a duck guide is every morning. Could be wrong, flounder guide may get after it nightly.

They are out 7 days a week if they can, and sometimes running two trips a night. When there’s fish to be stabbed they get to stabbing. Just like normal fishing guides they need to stay on the fish.

I know a couple of guides that are on the water at night 200+ trips a year.

Jason Slocum

[ctom87]

What do you tip your waitress? Most people tip 15-20%... you see her 3-4 times during your meal.... this guide is going to spend all of his time with your group for 4+ straight hours. You are paying for the experience. Fishing is fishing, just like hunting is hunting. Some days ya get them some days ya don’t.

Something tells me the guide isn't making $2.14 an hour though.

[Jason Slocum]

Something tells me the guide isn't making $2.14 an hour though.

Depends. In December when the wind is blowing 35+ knots the boat, truck insurance, fishing gear, boat maintenance and a hundred other bills are still due. I’m sure there are times when they are losing money (like now with all this covid mess) when they should have 2-5 trips a week and might just have one.

The waitress that’s making 2.14 doesn’t have an 80k boat payment, and all the other expenses that a guide does.

Jason Slocum

[ctom87]

Depends. In December when the wind is blowing 35+ knots the boat, truck insurance, fishing gear, boat maintenance and a hundred other bills are still due. I’m sure there are times when they are losing money (like now with all this covid mess) when they should have 2-5 trips a week and might just have one.

The waitress that’s making 2.14 doesn’t have an 80k boat payment, and all the other expenses that a guide does.

Jason Slocum

Good points. I have been on 4 guided trips my life and they were all guides for a charter company. Didn't own the boats, just captained the owners boat, so no overhead. I don't know the % of what they made off the trip.

My tip % is 20% when I go on a trip.

[CJ776]

They are out 7 days a week if they can, and sometimes running two trips a night. When there’s fish to be stabbed they get to stabbing. Just like normal fishing guides they need to stay on the fish.

I know a couple of guides that are on the water at night 200+ trips a year.

Jason Slocum

good info thanks for educating me.

everyone wants to be a guide and think it's the best job ever. turns into just work when you're on 3-4 hours of sleep a week for weeks on end haha.


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[CaptainDave]

I'm with the 10-20% crowd, but it really depends as there are a lot of variables involved.

- Gig any fish? I agree, this should not be tied directly to the tip as sometimes, it's just not happening. However, did the guide grind it out a little harder, maybe lengthen the trip or take you to that one extra spot to get one more on a tough night?

- How was the guide's attitude? Friendly to you and family and pleasant to be around? Sounds kind of dumb, but I've fished with a couple guides that were absolute pricks and it really put a damper on the trip.

- Was the guide on-time and did the logistics work out? Again, sounds like a no-brainer, but you would be surprised.

- Other services, like fileting fish at the dock, etc. Sure, not required, but I'd be inclined to tip more with such added services.

Fishing at night is a blast and no sunscreen is required. However, be sure to bring the mosquito spray!

[Graysonhogs]

15 to 20 percent is what I usually pay

This

[Graysonhogs]

Depends on whether or not he puts you on fish or not.

This to an extent, but I also consider how hard he works to find fish.

[hunt247]

10% if its was a good trip.

[Capt Glenn]

Just do what feels right to you. Honestly. There isn't a set amount or an acceptable amount. It's different for everyone. I have some folks who never tip because they honestly don't even know that is a thing. I have others who will tip $200. And a few here and there will tip $100 per person. The average is somewhere in the $20-40 per person range and most days ends up being $80-120 for the group. Don't sweat it at all. Tip what feels right, or don't at all, whatever. Just go have fun and do what you think is right.

I don't ever count on a tip. It's not part of my budgeting. It's not something I worry about at all. I try to run the best trip I can period. Every single day. Every single customer.

That said tips are very appreciated and they do show that my effort was appreciated. I may do things differently than others but that money is money I use to do fun stuff with my family. Take my wife and kids to dinner, go do stuff on my days off with my kids, stuff like that. It is greatly appreciated and enjoyed by my whole family which is a little bit of thanks to them for putting up with me being gone and worn out much of the time. But tip or don't tip you are still going to get my best effort every time.

Couple of other thoughts, some of my best tips are not money. I have a really good customer who gave me a really nice knife once and I have had it for about 5 years now. It goes on every hunt and I still think what a wonderful gesture it was. I love that knife and it means more because the guy who gave it to me is one of my favorites to take fishing. I have received a number of tips that were not money like good bottles of bourbon, really good cigars, home canned vegetables and salsa, a super good bbq'd brisket, a high end ice chest, stuff like that. A customer last weekend had shirts made up with my logo on them and gave me a couple Columbia shirts with my logo. Stuff like that is way cool and very thoughtful.

I'll also say that I absolutely work the hardest on the worst fishing days. We ALL have slow days. Every single guide does. And on slow days I hit more spots, fish longer, cover more miles, burn more gas and work harder just trying to make something happen. Some days it makes a difference. Some days no amount of effort will make much difference in what we catch. The really good days of fishing my effort is actually way less, fuel consumed is way less, etc. So keep that in mind too. The bite is up to the fish, the effort is up to the guide.

[RiverRat1]

Depends if he’s the business owner or a guide that works for a business along with work ethic and how hard he works even if the fishing sucks

Why does it matter if it's the owner or a guide?

Tips should be based IMO on how much extra effort the guide puts in.

If you stick your flounder limit quick (which is what you paid for) and he moves you on to gigging or catching something else that's extra. You just need to know what you're paying the $600 for to begin with.

People tip because they want the guide to remember them/ take them to the best spot...or because the guide went above and beyond.

I hate feeling the need to tip based on everyone else tipping even when service is so-so.

[RiverRat1]

I'm with the 10-20% crowd, but it really depends as there are a lot of variables involved.

- Gig any fish? I agree, this should not be tied directly to the tip as sometimes, it's just not happening. However, did the guide grind it out a little harder, maybe lengthen the trip or take you to that one extra spot to get one more on a tough night?

- How was the guide's attitude? Friendly to you and family and pleasant to be around? Sounds kind of dumb, but I've fished with a couple guides that were absolute pricks and it really put a damper on the trip.

- Was the guide on-time and did the logistics work out? Again, sounds like a no-brainer, but you would be surprised.

- Other services, like fileting fish at the dock, etc. Sure, not required, but I'd be inclined to tip more with such added services.

Fishing at night is a blast and no sunscreen is required. However, be sure to bring the mosquito spray!

Did he call you to show up an hour early because that's when the pattern showed better fishing.

Good points you make.