Tipping fishing tour guides

[PattyD17]

Search engine is down so I was wondering if someone could give me an idea of what is a reasonable amount to tip for a 4 hour fishing excursion? Would it be the same if you caught fish or didn't? Thanks bunches!

[Yukon]

Search engine is down so I was wondering if someone could give me an idea of what is a reasonable amount to tip for a 4 hour fishing excursion? Would it be the same if you caught fish or didn't? Thanks bunches!

 

No fish = no tip, unless you were warned beforehand that being skunked might be the case and you chose to go anyway.

[mytime53]

I think tipping is for service above and beyond, and sometimes that has absolutely nothing to do with whether or not you actually catch a fish or two. In fact, in some types of fishing, the guide may be working far harder for you when you don't get fish.

Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after. — Henry David Thoreau

[Comingaboard]

Some of these guides don't own the boat and have to pay to use it, fishing tackle is out of their pocket, bait is out of their pocket, gas is out of their pocket, rigging lines and handling bait & fish is a service. A 10% tip is really appreciated by these guys and in my opinion well deserved.

[Yukon]

Some of these guides don't own the boat and have to pay to use it, fishing tackle is out of their pocket, bait is out of their pocket, gas is out of their pocket....

 

That's why they charge me. A tip is for helping me get what I really paid for, and that's fish. As I said, if it was an "off" period and I'm warned about that and choose to go anyway, that's different. If they take me out on an off period because they want my money, the direct charge is all they get. If you booked a shuttle to the airport and the driver got lost and you missed the flight, would you tip him?

[Comingaboard]

That's why they charge me. A tip is for helping me get what I really paid for, and that's fish. As I said, if it was an "off" period and I'm warned about that and choose to go anyway, that's different. If they take me out on an off period because they want my money, the direct charge is all they get. If you booked a shuttle to the airport and the driver got lost and you missed the flight, would you tip him?

 

If you don't want to tip then don't. I really doubt someone like you would ever pay anyone to go fishing anyway. You are hereby and forever exempt from tipping because you live in the Yukon. Your opinion in my opinion is of no value to any one that visits Alaska.

[Yukon]

If you don't want to tip then don't. I really doubt someone like you would ever pay anyone to go fishing anyway. You are hereby and forever exempt from tipping because you live in the Yukon. Your opinion in my opinion is of no value to any one that visits Alaska.

 

I spent many years guiding tours in Alaska. Now I not only visit Alaska often, I almost always tip for excursions - when given great service on top of what I paid for. You can throw your money away if you want. From what you've said here, though, I expect that you want other people to throw theirs away when you take them out and can't deliver the goods.