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My funds were limited. However, splitting a boat three ways with buddies was a bargain in my eyes and a small price to pay for recapturing my sanity and getting out of the library.
The young Calcasieu Lake guide was enthusiastic and told us everything we needed to hear to feel comfortable in booking the trip. Nevertheless, two hours into our morning session, my buddies and I looked at each other and just shook our heads.
He was loud, vulgar and obnoxious – in his mind he was the authority on Big Lake, not to mention fishing in general. We were a reserved group of guys looking to catch a few fish, but more importantly, catch our breath from laborious lives.
To the guide, we were a bunch of “no- fishing” boys from East Texas who would not go home with fillets unless he put them in the boat for us. Little did he know we had all cut our teeth on plugs and spoons in the marsh and estuaries of Trinity Bay, less than 10 minutes from our childhood homes.
He always made the first cast and stood on the bow for the entire eight hours while we fought to find casting room near the console and stern; and, he caught fish – lots of them. We could have accomplished the same from a public pier and left with a couple hundred dollars still in hand.
Most guides I know, including myself, do not fish when space is limited on the boat. The most opportune spot on the boat should go to the client – it just makes sense to give the person paying for the trip the best chance of catching the most fish.
In defense of captains, most are responsible, law-abiding, fish-locating instructors and entertainers. Their aim is to provide a safe and enjoyable day on the water; and, most do, regardless of how many fillets are taken home in plastic bags.
No guarantees
Experienced captains do not guarantee fish. They can’t. Tides, wind, water clarity and appetite of fish are uncontrollable variables.
What captains can control is safety, a seaworthy vessel and a upbeat, serving attitude.
Guides should be able to show you how to tie knots and rig baits, explain to you why you are fishing a particular locale, and answer most boat-related, tide-related, bait-related, tackle-related questions. A charter should closely resemble an on-the-water classroom. It is up to the student (client) to listen, ask questions and learn as the teacher (captain) instructs.
When you book your trip with a captain, explain and be truthful about your expectations and abilities. Give the pro a chance to tailor the trip to match the experience of the fisher – it makes for a smoother day on the water. You are asking for disaster if you tell a captain you wade and throw plugs when, in reality, you have never gotten wet or thrown anything but live shrimp under a popping cork.
If you prefer to remain in the boat and anchor or drift throwing natural baits, tell the captain. You will be doing yourself and the guide a favor.
Try to use your own tackle. I have found people catch more fish when they are comfortable with their tackle. If you have never tossed a bait-casting reel, be honest, and save yourself a day of backlashes and bird-nests.
For those anglers who own boats and only average a few fishing trips a year, hiring a guide is a money-saving investment.
Factor in the monthly payment on a five-year, $40,000 boat loan, and you and two to three other buddies could fish with a guide four times a month.
Think about it: when the day is over, you step out of the boat, have your fish cleaned and drive home. There is no cleanup or scrubbing of the boat and no worrying about trailer problems while pulling the boat home. You eliminate $3.50 a gallon fuel costs. You do not have to worry about your trailer lights working or your license plate and boat registration being current. The only maintenance is on your tackle.
It is simple: step on the boat to fish, step off to leave.
Bink Grimes is a freelance writer, photographer, author and captain. Contact him at binkgrimes@sbcglobal.net or www.binkgrimesoutdoors.com.