Hire a Professional Guide!

[Leejahd]

Sorry leejahd hes not a paid sponser on this site ,if you leave his address on here the webmaster will delete it and maybe you,,,,,smokehound now youre being absurd,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Thanks for the heads up trout only!

[DEVOREFLYER]

With regard to tipping I generally tip between 10 & 30% depending on how hard the guide has worked for me, his personality, what he has taught me and how well his boat and equipment is maintained. How many fish or quality of fish I caught have nothing to do with my tip amount. The guide can only take me to the fish and instruct me, it's my job to catch them, not his.

[fishinone]

A day on the water with Trout Only will put you over the hump. He put on the fish at Castaic with a conversation then when he guided me for a day, I caught even more fish, that day and later.

[muskyman]

I have done exactly the opposite, I have never hired a guide, ever. What I found is that growing up in So Calif really puts your average fishing techniques a little above the rest of the nation. I am not being big headed or anything, just plain reality. I just got back from a two week trip to florida, fished from shore in the keys, boca, charlotte ect. Used the same saltwater techniques employed fishing newport bay - one difference, tarpon pull alot harder than bay bass !
Same goes for lake michigan where I live, never hired a guide, first time out, put bigger spoons on, heavier leaders, and whattya know, 10lb browns, a few coho and some nice kings.
If you can catch fish in So Calif on your own, you can do well anywhere in the nation, hands down, no problem

[TroutOnly]

Some people need help and thats what guides are for its teaching and catching,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[P.A.W.]

If I might add.... I went out with TO and it is true he taught me the basics of trolling for stripers, but he also gave me a more valuable thing. Confidence. Going out with confidence can make a big difference.

[sandtrout]

I went out with TO to DVL and to Piru. I've mostly rented a boat and "fly lined" spinners, spoons, and plugs. I learned the "basics" of downriggers. I also learned you can use heavier line than I thought you could and troll A LOT FASTER than I thought you could. I steered the boat and he watched the rods but I took with me a typed sheet of paper with a ton of questions and got them all answered. If we hadn't caught a single trout, the money I paid + tip was WELL SPENT.