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John's Journal...
Entry 199,
Day 5
HOW TO GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR BASS-FISHING GUIDE
My Bass-Fishing Guide Produces
EDITOR'S
NOTE: In my opinion, the best way to find and catch
the most bass any day you fish is to hire a guide who’s on the water
everyday and should know where the bass are holding.
To get the most from your bass-fishing guide, follow
these do’s and don’ts to help you and your guide.
1) Don’t hire a guide and tell him where to fish, which baits to
use and what strategies to employ. “When an angler tells me where
to fish, I’ll take him where he wants to go on the lake,”
Charlie Ingram, a guide with the Lake Eufaula Guide Service in Eufaula,
Alabama, said. “After an hour or two of not catching fish, the angler
usually will ask, ‘Have you got some places where we can catch fish’?
I’ll say that I do have some spots where we can catch a lot of fish
but that I want him to feel satisfied that he’s tried all his places
first. Then once the client agrees to let me take him fishing, we’ll
fish on the water I choose and take bass. When you hire a guide, you’ve
employed a man whose job requires him to take you where you’ll find
fish and show you how to catch them. To obtain the most for your fishing
dollar, don’t guide your bass-fishing guide.
2)
Do tell the guide you want to experience a good day of fishing. Make sure
the guide has fun also. If the guide doesn’t, you won’t have
fun either.
3) Don’t bet on the bass. Regardless of your guide’s credentials,
bass won’t bite on some days. If you pick one of those days to fish
and can’t catch any fish, ask the guide if he knows where you can
take some catfish, crappie or bluegills. I hire a guide to catch fish,
not to work miracles. Even God may have a difficult time unlocking the
jaws of lockjawed bass. When bass won’t bite, don’t blame
the guide. Change species and tactics, and catch another type of fish.
You and the guide both will enjoy the day more.
4)
Do treat your guide as you want him to treat you if you changed roles.
If you know you’ll fish all day, bring some cold drinks and a lunch
for your guide. If you entertain the guide as much as he does you, you
both will have a fun-filled trip and make a new friend, regardless of
whether the fish bite.
5) Don’t try to teach your guide a new tactic you’ve learned
in Alabama last summer if you plan on fishing in New York during the fall.
The guide already will know the most successful strategies for his area
and for the fish you want to catch.
6) Do play the part of a student. Learn all you can from the guide. Each
of these men will add another chapter in your book of bass fishing, giving
you information that will enable you to catch more bass every time you
fish on any lake. Each of us must learn and study to become a successful
angler.
To learn more about Lake Eufaula Guide Service, contact
Jackie Thompson 334-687-9595
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