Charter tipping

Trophy21

Trophy21

Crew Member
I've booked some vacation fishing charters and want some input. What is the tip percentage for a good or decent trip? Now I've been out on a couple tropical boats rides as I'm sure many of you have, and maybe I'm a cheap butt but I'm thinking no fish no tip. What do you guides say? I gave a low tip to a tropical charter guy last year and he called me on it and I said no fish bud! Really you give me a boat ride and I'm obligated to tip you? Am I out to lunch? Dude was texting most of the trip. I should have gave him zero in hindsight.
 
10% is standard.

No Fish = No Tip is Bee Ess and Yes you are a cheap bassturd-unless the guy wasn't working just goofing off.

In that case you should explain to him exactly why he's being stiffed and stick to your guns if he starts whining.
 
In most cases I would say a tip is customary (fish, or not) . The guide can't control whether the fish are around or biting.

However, I do think that the guide should be working hard to put you into fish. Simply tossing some gear in the water and dragging it for a entire trip would certainly seem like the guide isn't too concerned about if he puts you into fish. As long as the guide is working hard to get you fish, then I'd say he deserves a tip. Lazy butt gear effort, rudeness, or a few other things might not get a tip from me, but most days catching is not what determines a tip in my book.

If your guide spent more time texting or chatting on his phone rather than working to put you into fish, then he might not deserve to be tipped. I think you should have told him that type of behavior is why you didn't think he deserved his tip though. Not producing fish isn't a good enough reason on its own in my book. Just my opinion.
 
No fish no tip? Wow. Like a guide can control it when the whales come through, you book the wrong tide, don't purchase a long enough trip conducive to going where the fish are, the lunar influences are all wrong, you book the wrong time of year etc.

Also, if the guide is using all his knowledge and skills and for whatever reason a fish doesn't bite or the fish have moved on, then that's his fault?

Let's just say that if you're a repeat guest at certain lodges on this coast and word gets that you're a tightwad when your guide worked his butt off, word will get out, and the guide will make sure he doesn't take you to those places where a 30, 40 or 50 swims past every second or third tide change....and he likely won't take you to Hali heaven either.

Some people have some different ideas about certain things. Don't try to "guide the guide". Just because they are not running all over the place burning all the trips margin on fuel, changing depths every 10 minutes or changing lures every half hour because that's your opinion...doesn't mean that they aren't trying. Experienced guides don't have to fish every lure on board or change everything up every 10 minutes....or do too much. Experience and knowledge and all the other things guides do make things happen if it's going to happen.

By the way, guides sometimes have a sixth sense when ungrateful or undeserving guests are on board...so pulling out all the stops isn't going to happen when that happens...

Guides are not compensated especially well relatively speaking...so basing your tip on fish in the box is kinda like tipping the waitress based on how much cleavage or skin she shows. Ridiculous!

How about if guides are compensated for how many fish they catch? If that's the case a lot of guides would be a lot better off...your wallet will be much thinner....
 
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I tip what I can afford and that's a brown bill. Never seen a long face after I tipped.
 
My experience is that most people will tip if they see you are friendly, share some local knowledge of the area and are working to produce some action. I still get tips on dry days mainly because the guests can see I'm usually not the only one not producing. There are always going to be some bad days. I would bet there were more bad days on the entire coast in 2016 then is normal. All I can do is try to keep those days to a minimum. I also understand that charter fees for some are barely affordable and not everyone is in a position to be able to give a tip. I've had tips from $20 to $500 and from a beer at the end of the day, a lunch at a local restaurant and up to a Nikon D200 camera given to me worth $1800.00 at the time. On some days the beer was the best tip I could have received.
 
I've guided and been guided. I've been on trips and the guy worked his butt off and we still didn't catch fish. That guide got a great tip because he was fun to be with and worked his butt off. I've also been on a guided trip where we caught fish and the guide got no tip because he was a butt and asked if we had any beer for him to drink, which we didn't because it was my buddy and his teenage son and I and we don't drink on the boat. He then asked if it was ok to smoke weed. That guy got no tip. In my books a tip is earned and shouldn't be a given. Tip what you can and if it's deserved.
 
Any guide who drinks or smokes weed while working is just bad news to you the customer and to the industry. He is completely responsible for your safety and well being...no different then a commercial pilot, train engineer or ferry captain. Very foolish as any serious accident would result in testing for this as a cause and his or her guiding career is done, not to mention the legal issues and lawsuits.
 
Take it easy commercial pilot, ferry captain? Not even close. A couple of courses at your local marine school doesn't even come close to that my friend. Anyone can buy a boat and be a "guide". You don't tip your pilot.
 
KV1 said:
Take it easy commercial pilot, ferry captain? Not even close. A couple of courses at your local marine school doesn't even come close to that my friend. Anyone can buy a boat and be a "guide". You don't tip your pilot.
Click to expand...

A charter captain may not be responsible for as many lives as a commercial operator
but, he/she is certainly responsible for the lives of those on board.
Drinking/smoking dope is not a good idea.
 
KV1, what I'm talking about has nothing to do with the qualifications to become a guide or a commercial pilot. What I'm saying is that in the eyes of Transport Canada each holds the same responsibility to their passengers. In the eyes of the law a drunk or stoned guide or pilot in charge of passengers and who becomes involved in a serious incident, is going to be end up in the same pile of ****. Anyway a bit of topic so ending it here.
 
If a guide has a DUI can he still operate and guide a boat?
If the guide is working hard for you regardless of the outcome of the catch, he gets a big tip. If the guide ain't putting an effort into his clients, then the tip will reflect that.
 
As most have stated. I tip based on how the guide, or as in Africa the professional hunter (PH) worked. My tip is not based on fish, or fish size or length of horn. Did the guide do his best to put fish in boat, change baits, gear, keep us entertained with conversation, explain the local area, fish, people. Insight of where you are in the world, a little history maybe? Overall did I have a good day a great day or a fantastic time? Drunk/ganga guides/PH have caused me to immediately end the experience, not pay a tip or the complete final bill. Biggest tip=$5000us, least=nothing.

If someone worked his but of and provided an excellent time, even with no fish/game does he not deserve a tip? I say YES.

HM
 
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