Hey Wolf and Bananas I think you know this guy... oh wait - WE ALL DO!!!!!!!

[high tide]

I refuse to undercut, sell my self short, not make the money I deserve to barely make a profit. When I guide I bust my self trying to do the best for my guests. I try to provide a safe, fun, fulfilling experience on the water doing what I have done my entire life and to share the thrill of perhaps fighting one of the fruits of our labour, or some days several. The Pacific Salmon. A site seeing day for Orca's, bottom fishing, crabbing, prawning, an overall West Coast experience in this great landscape we live in. I am not out to undermine, nor am I out to hurt one's earning capability by offering rock bottom prices, I flatly refuse too. My time guiding is expensive, labour intensive, demanding, yet a rewarding experience to see some one land their first fish, the high fives and big smiles that follow, that same feeling you get in your knees when coaching some one to land that big Spring. The day my excitement is gone and I want to fish no more is the day I likely sink to the bottom. I love my fishing, and like sharing it with others, and at this time see no end in sight.

HT

For those guiding with non-compliant boats, no Med A2 or 3, no F/A, no ROC, no SVOP, etc, etc, your day will come. Rules are Rules and I take pride in following them.

 

[profisher]

HT, my rant wasn't a personal one against you. I'm talking about the guys who run cheap then run to mom and dad when the power blows up. The guys who come over to my boat to borrow tools and everything else that they don't have. I even have to chain up my personal wheel barrow so it stays beside my boat when I need it. Sooke seems to have a few of these guys. They mistake being busy for being successful. Anyone can have the lowest prices and be on the water every day for that reason. I have more respect for the newer guys who may not catch the most fish from the guide pool, but who charge a rate which tells me they are serious about being around awhile. I'll help these guys out if asked over the others.
The guys running at rock bottom prices should also realize that they are going to have a tough time ever getting away from the basement. Their customers go home and tell their friends about the cheap trip they had and the fish they caught...their friends will call and expect the same deal.

 

[Charlie]

Hey Rollie, you guys are famous! Make sure you check out the pictures, it might put "you get what you pay for" in prospective!

http://www.tripadvisor.com/Attracti...-Sooke_Vancouver_Island_British_Columbia.html

 

[profisher]

Charlie LOL...checked out the pics and it looks like after that glorious endorsement about big fish that there are a bunch of "Pink" tails up on the cleaning table. I hope the "bigger" ones were still being passed around off the table for photo ops.

 

[profisher]

BTW its very gratifying to me to be acknowledged for keeping an organized operation. Not sure who posted the review but I appreciate it. I pride myself on being the first one on the dock each morning...usually a bit more than an hour ahead of my guests. Boat fueled, coffee and tea ready to go, bait thawed and pre-loaded into the teasers, motors warmed up, check the weather channel, chat with a couple of charter buds to see where we are all going first, last minute check to ensure everything is going to work properly....I'm untying lines and casting off as the guests are still stowing their gear up in the bow. When we get to the fishing my goal is to have something in the water and fishing properly in under a minute. If the tangle demons stay away I usually succeed. Nice to have someone praise the effort. TY who ever you are.

 

[Charlie]

Rollie - you did note, There are "two" posts (with pictures) made by the same individual on two different trips, right.

This NOT a slam on any PT guides! I happen to know quite a few that are VERY GOOD!

A picture which appears the amount of fish caught on one trip, which I assume to be the first:
'boy and fish'




Then a picture of the fish caught on the second trip actually titled:
'salmon caught and kept'




An individual fishing with two different guides, from the same area, same year, and appears to be one day after they other? What do they say, "Picture's worth a thousand words" and "proof is in the pudd'n"? Yep, I guess I have to agree - that's fishing!

 

[The Fixer]

WOW thems some big pinks there.LOL

 

[Fish Assassin]

What wrong in that first picture? The Ling is only 2 times bigger then the childs foot. It the size limit not 65cm every where in BC?

 

[Cuba Libre]

The minimum size limit for a lingcod with the head removed is 53 cm,
measured along the shortest length of the body to the tip of the tail. The
head-on size limit is 65 cm. The length of a lingcod is measured along the
body from the tip of the nose to the tip of the tail.

 

[-steelhead-]

minimum length of lings doesn't apply in all areas of the bc coast.

 

[profisher]

I went back into my fishing log and the date (July 24/09) doesn't jive with anything as I was in Nootka at that time. Charlie, I missed that it was the same person reviewing two of us.

 

[Last Chance]

I recently recieved a call from a certain guide very upset at me for pointing out what I saw on a website and local advertisement....

 

[Fish Assassin]

Really......What is this world comming to ?????? IF it was me.., which it was not..I would have hung up laughing...Good thing you are in charge. But on the other hand why should you have to feild phone calls like that?

Some guides eh??? LOL

 

[wolf]

WOW he never called me???? but im sure you all know what id say!!!! LOL

 

[Highliner]

BTW its very gratifying to me to be acknowledged for keeping an organized operation. Not sure who posted the review but I appreciate it. I pride myself on being the first one on the dock each morning...usually a bit more than an hour ahead of my guests. Boat fueled, coffee and tea ready to go, bait thawed and pre-loaded into the teasers, motors warmed up, check the weather channel, chat with a couple of charter buds to see where we are all going first, last minute check to ensure everything is going to work properly....I'm untying lines and casting off as the guests are still stowing their gear up in the bow. When we get to the fishing my goal is to have something in the water and fishing properly in under a minute. If the tangle demons stay away I usually succeed. Nice to have someone praise the effort. TY who ever you are.

If this is the type of operation you are running, then why are you so worried or upset. There's no way that some guy who's charging $300 is providing the same level of service and experience as you are. As every person with common-sense knows, you get what you pay for and customers (the ones you want on your boat) will realize this and will do repeat business with you if they feel the same way.

My suggestion is to focus on what you do. Make sure it is the best possible service and value you can provide for the price you are charging, and the let pretenders come and go. I face many of the same challenges in my profession also. However, it's easy to recognize the true professionals.

I think the real issue at hand is the lack of enforcement of safety requirements for all guides. Stricter enforcement would weed out the rift raft and showcase the true professionals.

Just my two cents.

 

[Last Chance]

Man, fishing is getting slow eh? Ah well. I remember getting into the business, cutting rates, taking less then desirable trips (Most seasoned guys know what I mean).

Now, the business is a pleasure to operate!

 

[Last Chance]

Really......What is this world comming to ?????? IF it was me.., which it was not..I would have hung up laughing...Good thing you are in charge. But on the other hand why should you have to feild phone calls like that?

Some guides eh??? LOL

Yep, it was a doosie...

 

[ferret]

wow quote ."I'm untying lines and casting off as the guests are still stowing their gear up in the bow. When we get to the fishing my goal is to have something in the water and fishing properly in under a minute"
jeez, i really don't know where to begin here. i've guided in the charlottes and run my own charter boat for a number of years and my number one priority is always safety. i have never left the dock without going over the boat, how to run it, and where all the saftey gear is stowed with my guests before leaving the dock. also some guests are there to learn how to fish and not just catch em, so i always ask before dropping the gear and show them how to set up etc. if they are interested (some are some aren't). the whole charter is an experience for the guest , not just the catching, which i see far too often as the no.1 and only priority of many guides, both full and part time. one thing i can say from experience, the firemen i know from vancouver that guide up north, their guests will be safe and well entertained, and will also catch their fair share of fish. and no, i am not or was never was a fireman,lol.

 

[profisher]

I do that to but it is done before I go up on step inside the harbour. I don't get up at 4am, nor do my customers to be sitting at the dock. I keep moving...I even have them fill out their licenses (if they need them))once we get to the spot I'm going to fish. They fill them out as I get the gear in the water...keeps them off the deck while I get set up. The timing is good, licenses finished as the last line is in and then out they come on deck for the lesson.