To all,

I have heard so much about guides while being on this forum, some good and bad. Let me keep this short but, hopefully informative. I was a guide ( weekends ) for 17 years for river smallies. I gave it up last year. Yes, 275.00 a day for two people is good money but, here goes. I love to fish for smallies and love to see other people enjoy themselves catching them.

Pros:

Lets face it, you don't have to be that good to catch fish on the Susquehanna in PA. The river is a awesome fishery. I left in the morning for my 2 hour drive and met my clients at the ramp, ready and able. I knew for them it was a big thing. Some of the guys knew what they were doing and I da** sure knew where to go in every season. Spring and my favorite time, winter( temps in the 38-45 degree mark) were big fish and numbers times---somewhere between 30 apiece to 100 or so---you never know, as every day is different, the higher and muddier the better. Its easy to find them in these conditions. You all know how much it is to fill the boat and vehicle up, $$$, and after working all week I was usually beat to the max. It was a pleasure to get guys I already knew and knew what was up. We usually had good days and a 50.00 tip was what I recieved most days plus a lot of pleasue to boot.

Cons:

Guys reading about the Susky numbers and size of the fish and not hitting either and calling you a no good MF. Oh yes, I have had that. They have been fishing a couple of years and go out and buy all this cheap line, cheap reels and refuse to use my good stuff or tactics. Why are we here? I read where...... Hey man, throw a jig right in front of that rock in the slow water...but no, they want to throw a spinnerbait in a flooded river moving about 30 mph and bit** because they are not gettin a fish every cast or take the guy whom throws a tube on #20 test and reels it back as fast as possible and complains he will never come here again and threaten not to pay, oh yes, I had them all. I would show them what to do and catch 1 or 2 and they would prounonce, thats not how I read how its done. I will say these types are rare and most people were great. I have only had a couple where I had enough and took them back to the ramp and would not take their money. Its not easy to control the boat in fast water with a trolling motor on high all day and keeping your clients on fish, It will flat wear your a** out, especially on those cold, 30 something degree days when the snow is coming down sideways.

Not all guides are bad, its a tough job, especially being a river guide. I think most of them I know do their best, so put yourself in their shoes...and thats all I have to say about that.

P.S.- If this is any help at all, the best river smallie lures in my 35 years are the ones I have below. Some are better than others on certain days. IMO

1. Tubes are my first choice for river smallies, throw up river. Mostly dark colors. My best and all I use are, Green Pumpkin/Red Flake, Dark Melon/ Purple Flake and Smoke/Purple. White can be good as well but, day in and day out the first two are by far the best.

2. Grubs in 4" or 5". My favorite is Bluegill colored, also, Green Pumpkin and always have a Pearl ready.

3. Super Flukes in Pearl or Smoky Joe.

4. Senkos in Green Pumpkin, Watermelon/Red Flake, Smoke, Cinnamon/Purple Flake.

5. 1/8 or 1/4 hair jigs in black or green.

6. Jerkbaits, as in, Rapala Husky Jerks in Tenn Shad or Bone. Usually no. 10 but, in low clear water, no. 8. Both in deep diving and shallow.

7. Spinnerbaits, one of my favorite ways to catch big river smallies, usually in 1/2 white with Indiana gold blades.

8. Crankbaits, although I rarely throw them, I have seen guys eat them up using them. When I do throw them its usually a Norman. I always felt cranks were a small fish bait, not always, because there is always an exception to the rules but, mostly in my years it is a numbers bait and for smaller smallmouth.

9. Buzzbaits in white 1/4 to 1/2. Cavitrons over the low water grass beds can be awesome.

10. Topwaters, my favorite way to catch them. Zara Spooks and Puppies, Spittin Image, Torpedoes, and Sammy 100's.

11. Zoom Centipedes in Green Pumpkin or Watermelon rigged wacky, t rigged, or with a ball head jig head.

12. Zoom 4" Ringworm in Green Pumpkin, Watermelon, or Smoke/ Black Flake.

There are plenty of baits for smallies, as well as colors, so use your own judgement and experiance for your area. I depends on the food in your region. Our smallies are by far, crayfish oriented but, do feed on shad and shiners, as well. Your river might be different and colors can be different. Don't go crazy on color though, as its a waste of money and space. Darker and lighter hues are the answer. IMO. I hope this helps some of you starting out.---Jim

I'll bet you are one heck of a guide. I'm sure most of your clients will miss fishing with you.

Thanks for the inside story.

Thanks RW. There are a few clients I had that fished with me the length of my tender that I will still fish with. A lot of them purchased their own boats and are every bit as good, as if not better, at catching those smallies. I made some good friends over the years and some of them taught me things as well. I won't name drop, but, was was fortunate to have some pretty famous guys in the fishing world hire me, as well. I hope I helped some people over the years, and sure learned from some of them. I always kept myself open to suggestions, you would be foolish not too. It sure is nice to stand in the back and just fish for a change, and I always have my three beers at the end of the day,lol, its a tradition, ya know.

Part of the guide experience for me is just being out on the water with somebody that knows their sh**, pardon the expression.  I have gone on a few of guided trips on the Potomac where I was paired with another fisherman.  Usually this went off without a hitch, but a couple of times I got stuck with some rich a-hole lawyer or something that moaned about everything from the size of the boat to the smell of the guides sunblock.  The guide usually handled this well, but you could see his stress, and it made me and the guide uncomfortable.  The jerk would see our discomfort and think he was 'in charge' and then be more of a jerk... The first time I ignored it, I know I should have said something to the other dude, but didn't, and we all had a crappy day fishing.  The second time I got stuck with ea complete jerk, I was quiet for about an hour.  After hearing him threaten to not pay, I opened my mouth and told him if he didn't start enjoying himself, then he would be swimming home.  The guy shut up and the guide drove him back to the ramp where he let him off the boat.  Just like justfishin, the guide refused to take the guy's money.  The jerk was pretty embarassed, but I had th guide to myself for the rest of the day...

Well I guess you could say I am lucky (although I don't think it has been luck)  - with anywhere from 300 - 450 trips a year my Son and I have never had these bad luck tales. So far this year I have done 157 trips all of which were very pleasant. I have never, in all the years I have been doing this had to return anyone to the ramp.

Doctors, lawyers, major entertainers, major sports figures, and just plain Joe fisherman - all have provided great companionship.

Con to this endeavor as an occupation. Money - it costs far more than most realize to run a successful guide service. If you are in it for the money forget it.

showing by the type of baits you used, i know you where a good guide, 35 years of experience. 8-)