Is Hiring a Crappie Fishing Guide a Good Investment?

Many fishermen have thought about hiring a fishing guide from one time or the other.  The question most of them have is “Is hiring a fishing guide a good investment?”.  Let me start by saying that I am not a fishing guide nor do I know any personally at the time of this writing.

Traditional Cost of Hiring a Fishing Guide

But to answer to the question at hand depends greatly on what you hope to accomplish with your time with the guide.  Most guide services start at around $150 and up per half day and $250 for the whole day.  But usually you are able to add on a buddy or two for a little more and be able to split the cost, making the trip much more affordable.  However there is a maximum amount of people that the guide will allow due to the weight limits of his boat, and the ability of your party to be able to comfortably catch fish given the boat’s size.

Many fishermen get sticker shock when they first call to get a price from a fishing guide.  But break it down in practical terms.  This professional angler is going to spend 4-5 hours with you, using his boat, his gear, his bait, his gas (which is becoming increasingly more expensive), and he is even going to pay the boat launch fee.  On top of that he brings his professionalism, and knowledge of the lake.

In addition you need to factor in that the guide has to clean and put his boat up upon return.  So, on a 4 hour fishing trip, a guide has a minimum or 5 1/2 – 6 hours invested in it.  Do the math and you are essentially getting professional “tutoring” for around $30/hour, which is a bargain.

Will You Benefit from Hiring a Guide?

If you are a seasoned old veteran fisherman, you may not learn much from a fishing guide.  Although even old dogs can learn new tricks.

If you have been fishing for many years and are trying to learn a technique, then it could speed your learning curve.  Be sure to ask the guide you are looking at hiring if they know the technique you are trying to learn.  And once on the water, focus on learning that technique…not bragging about how you usually catch ‘em.

But if you are new to the sport of Crappie fishing, then probably the best thing to enhance your learning curve is to take a trip out with a guide.

Tell him your experience level and ask him what he would recommend as the best way for you to catch fish in the future.  Ask him to show you particular techniques.

If you are a newbie, this would be a good chance to ask an expert what fishing tackle he would recommend for you as well.

Hiring a Fishing Guide Doesn’t Guarantee Results

Fishing guides cannot control Mother Nature, so there is no guarantee that you will catch fish just because you hired a guide for that particular day.  You just have to approach it with the right attitude.

Unless you are on vacation down in the Caribbean on a once in a lifetime Marlin fishing expedition, a fishing guide trip is more about learning how to catch fish, rather than actually catching those fish in a particular 4 or 5 hour period.  No one can guarantee that you are going to catch Crappie, but if I had to put money on boats leaving the dock, mine would be on the fishing guide’s.

Hiring a Crappie fishing guide can be a good investment as long as you go into it with the right attitude.  Remember, it is more about learning, than necessarily catching fish.  A good trip out with a Crappie fishing guide will even put your knowledge level ahead of people who have been fishing for years.