Things to ask a Salmon Fishing Guide
before booking
This is not to sound that I am trying to undermine any
guide, and most of the time we have had some very good experiences.
However there have been times when I wish that I had known more before I had
gotten into the mess. After one such trip off the west coast of
Vancouver Island, where the outfitter went bankrupt, & 2 of his skippers who
had not gotten paid split the bookings of 2 different areas & tried to
cover the bookings. I came home &
made up this list before I cooled off & my memory mellowed some.
(1) How
long have you been in business continuously as a guide?
(2) What
size is your boat/boats?
(3) What
is the age of your boat/boats?
(4) What
is the size of engine/engines on your boat & how old are they, & do you
maintain them?
(5) Is
your trolling motor a 2 or a 4 stroke?
(6) Do
you brief the clients as to life jacket/fire extinguisher locations before
departure?
(7) Do
you brief the clients as to your fishing procedure & what to expect before
departure?
(8) Do
you ask input from the clients as to their fishing preferences prior to the
booking, or each day of the trip?
(9) What species of fish do you target?
(10) How
many clients do you take out at a time?
(11) Does everyone have a rod, or do we share rods &
rotate?
How many rods do you run at a time?
(12) Do you normally troll, mooch, jig, backbounce,
backtroll, or use bobbers?
(13) Do you supply the rods & reels?
(14) Do you use the long "noodle rods" &
single action reels, common in Canada?
(15) Do you offer star drag & or Left Hand reels & downrigger rods as an option if the
answer is yes to any of #14 above?
(16) Can I supply my own rod & reel if I am left handed
& or bring gear that matches your requirements?
(17) What angle are your rod holders mounted for
downriggers, & are
they out to the side or basically straight up & facing rearward?
(18) What brand of downrigger do you use, & is it
electric?
(19) How far back from the release clip, do you normally
run the flasher for salmon?
(20) Do you run bait, or lures?
(21) Do you use scent on the bait/lures?
(22) Do you clean & provide for packaging &
freezing of the clients catch?
(23) Do you supply the clients with a map of how to
initially find your location?
(24) Do you make provisions for client’s motel/cabin
stays if applicable?
(25) Where do we meet you for a day of fishing, at our
cabin or the dock?
(26) When is the departure time, & how long are we on
the water?
(27) Do you offer some sort of a "Rain Check" provision for
unfishable weather?
(28) Do you have a maximum fuel allocation per trip?
(29) What is your guiding fee?
(30) Is your fee is based on how many clients per trip?
(31) Is this fee all inclusive or are there any extra hidden charges?
(32) What type of funds do you require?
(33) How much of a deposit do you require?
(34) When is the balance due?
(35) Can I bring my wife along as a non-fishing guest that
stays ashore? At what additional
fee?
(36) If we have a cancellation of one of our clients, can a new
client be substituted, even at the last minute?
(37) Do you have a “Standby List” of names to fill
in for a cancellation, who can come
on a short notice at a reduced rate?
(38) Do you have a back-up guide in case YOUR boat/motor
is disabled, or YOU have health problems?
(39) If fishing salt water do you have any crab pots that you offer your clients
the use of?
(40) Do you stay abreast of any new fishing
regulation changes?
(41) Do you have a e-mail & a web-page?
(42) Do you have a cell phone that we can contact you if
need be?
Last updated 05-02-05
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