How to Pick a Fishing Guide (in general and specifically) on Lake George
Guides love to see smiles!
I am a full time fishing guide. And every year I hire a guide while on vacation so that I can think through how I feel when a guide does or says what they do. So I decided it could be helpful for you to think through what to look for in a fishing guide when you go to book:
Top 5 Things to Consider in hiring a Fishing Guide (on Lake George):
Do you want to troll? Look at how the charter captain fishes. I personally strongly dislike trolling. We don’t troll at all. I teach people techniques that you can use wherever you fish to catch fish. If you want to learn how to troll, hire someone who trolls. If you want to learn to fish, hire someone who teaches you how to fish.
Look at reviews. What do other people say about the person’s character? Character is a big deal when it comes to something like a fishing charter because you’re stuck on a boat with this person for “x” amount of time. I really appreciate that I have over 250 five star reviews from all the places that I guide.
Communicate clearly what your goals are. It’s a great practice to, when setting the trip up, tell the guide your goals and see if that is something they want to pursue. Sometimes people will say we want our 5 year old to catch a lake trout. And while that is possible, there is a bit more that goes into catching a lake trout than most five year olds have the skill set to pursue (even motor skill wise).
Up Front Pricing. Costs should be clearly spelled out on their website.
Gear. I personally want to fish on a boat with high end rods and reels. I also want to learn more about technology. Sometimes guides have their “guide rods” and then they have their nice stuff. On my boat, you get the best. You get the best rods and reels. You also fish with the best technology out there. I have two Garmin Livescopes on my boat.
No guide is perfect. Fish are fish. They can be fussy for even the best fisherman. So as much as you can know what you’re getting into with your guide, the better. I’m setting up trips right now for the summer on Lake George. Let me know if I can serve you in any way!