Selecting A Fishing Guide

After the whine of the drag and wild thrashing by the boat, a trophy smallmouth bass is lifted from the river. I sit back to admire the bass while our guide unhooks it, snaps a few shots, and carefully releases the fish. He reties my hook, baits it with a fresh hellgrammite, and suggests where to direct my next cast. It can definitely pay to contract a guide, but it’s also important to hire the right one.

Hiring a fishing guide gives you the opportunity to catch a lot of fish on unfamiliar water, and a good guide can help you learn how to fish that location. In some cases, you’ll gain more knowledge in one day with the right guide than in months of fishing on your own. Even professional guides hire guides when they venture to new waters. And since you’re using the guide’s boat, bait, and lures, you can relax and concentrate on having a good time catching fish.

Gene Neiderlander, a Delaware River guide (FishAssured.com) says: “Most guides use fine fishing gear, which gives their clients the opportunity to try these out. And the guide is on the water almost every day—he knows where the fish are and what they’re feeding on.”

Eddie Eolwell, a Montana fishing guide (fishseddyo.com), feels that you should hire a guide to “learn unfamiliar waters, new fishing techniques, and to improve casting techniques. A guide shortens the learning curve and gets you more fish more quickly than you could, yourself.”

But not every guide is a good match for every fisherman—it’s important to find one that suits your own style and needs.

Clarify Your Preferences

Defining your needs and preferences is the first step to finding the right guide. You might want to catch as many fish as possible regardless of size or species—or learn how to fish a particular body of water for future trips or a tournament. You may be looking to catch a personal-best largemouth bass to mount for display, to learn new techniques, or for the chance to catch your first muskie. Want to take fish home, or do you prefer to take photos and release your catch? Is your goal learning how to use particular lures or techniques—drop-shotting, leadline-trolling, or flipping? Or are you a livebait-only angler? Your plan could involve a rugged fly-in adventure or a peaceful float-trip. Consider your goals, because what you want determines whom you should hire and where you should fish.

Finding a Guide

Word-of-mouth usually works well, but that information isn’t always available. Here are some other resources:

• The Internet. Entering “Delaware River guides” into google.com, for instance, links you to a relevant website, delawareriver.net. Or, targeting a specific species—“river smallmouth bass”—gives you riversmallies.com, with a listing of guides that specialize in river smallmouth trips. Enter “Fishing Booking Agency” and peruse results for your target locale, or try online bulletin boards for fishing guides, where you can post questions. And, of course, many guides have websites. When you’ve collected some names, try an online search to see which ones have websites. Otherwise, check out these sources for information on fishing guides:

• Fishing lodges, local marinas, tackle stores, chambers of commerce, and local fishing clubs.

• State fish and wildlife departments, departments of tourism, outfitter and guide associations, and local B.A.S.S. or Trout Unlimited chapters.

• Editorials and ads in magazines.

• Television and radio fishing shows.

• Staff at a lodge may recommend a guide, or one may be on site.