I've been reading the guide tipping thread and now the good guide bad guide thread, how about hearing from some of you past/present guides on clients and what seperates a good 1 from a bad 1, or maybe a few does and don'ts.

Keep in mind, my guiding has all been from large resorts and ocean fishing.
Here is a list of a few bad clients i've run into
1) The guy that gets on the boat, packing a piece of crap rod and reel in 1 hand and a tackle box full of crappy lures/jigs in the other, tells you he doesn't need your G Loomis rods and Penn reels and his tackle has caught these fish before. After watching the other guys on the boat catch fish for an hour they always switch over.
2) How about the guy that fished in the area before, and tells you where he wants to fish.
3) The guys that insist on cutting and baiting there own hooks (herring) I am a perfectionists when it comes to baiting my hooks, if it doesn't roll "perfectly" I won't fish it.
4) I have fished with guys from all over the world and (I know no one hear falls into this category) but I have to say some of my most difficult clients are from the NW, the guys that fish 5-6 times a year and know everything there is to know about salmon fishing, I always laughed when I would try to instruct a guy and he would say "I don't need your help, I've been doing this for 20 years before you were born. He obviously did need my help thats why he hired me.

Good clients are the people who don't base a good trip on the amount of fish they catch, they are appreciative of my hard work, have a pleasant demeanor and are easy to spend 10 hours a day on a boat with, and tell good jokes/stories.
I know I will think of more to add to the list, lets hear a few from some of you other guides/capt.

I've only been a client, but I've seen plenty of bad ones.

Tips for clients:

Leave the attitude at home, you're out there to relax. Nothing can spoil the mood on a boat faster than a abrasive, overly confident person. Confidence and assertiveness are good, but there is a point of diminishing returns.

Be on time, even better, be early. It shows consideration for others.

Ask the guide if there is anything you can do to help out. Yeah, you hired him, but he isn't your lackey. Always work together with other people on your boat. It will always lead to a more enjoyable time.

Bring your sense of humor.

Talk with the guide BEFORE your trip about what type of fishing he will get you into, methods, etc. Let them know your preferrences, and be flexible. They fish the water all the time.

Bring an open mind and be ready to learn something. The day you stop learning is the day you die.

If you drink, do so in moderation. Boating is serious business, and you don't want to be a burden on others in a life threatening situation.

Be a good human. Would your kids be proud of the way you acted?

Andy

It is always favorable to be a little selective of clients. When you are running a charter out on the ocean it is almost impossible to screen clients. Most set guidelines and for one to be a client you must fit and comply with the request of the skipper. If you don't fit within this range get your own boat and see how long you last.
On the rivers however the same applies but more on a one on one environment. You should have a better understanding of who your client is and what there values are before they get in your boat. Maybe things are changing in that area with the pressures of everyday ecomomic survival but it never was before when I was involved. Basicly if you were not happy with who you fished with you wouldn't. Peole need to understand that it dosen't matter how much you read or hear, the knowledge of a good guide is worth 10 times more.

AKKING, Don't be to sure of yourself on this one. You are not alone..

I have fished with guys from all over the world and (I know no one hear falls into this category)

fp

The best clients are the ones on a Corporate sponsered trip, it is free to them and most of them arn't fishermen in the first place. They start off drinking before they get on the boat and by noon are puking over the side. All good guides love this type.

The VERY BEST CLIENT, is the one who shows up with his own, Loomis rods, Curado reels, his own eggs, sand shrimp or squid. Has his rain gear, waders and all his leaders are tied up in his Pips dispensers, doesn't want to stop for lunch or beer , and says, "show me where the fish are in this river I've never fished this one before!" When I go with a guide this is what they get. Sometimes I just don't want to run my sled or DB. It's nice to have someone else do the work. So it's worth the price.

Fp, don't get your dander up! Go back and read AK's thread starting post again. Think you will see he was prefacing his remark that none of his most difficult clients were from this board ( the N.W. ) Ak thanks for the tips on Alaska, I'll fish with you anytime......c/22

The best clients are the ones that may or may not know anything about fishing at the start of the day but come to understand during the trip that there is a whole new world out there they didn't even know existed. Not just about catching fish, or new techniques, but heritage, history, tradition, and sportsmanship. When clients leave with a new appreciation of fish, nature, and the "Big Picture" then I feel guiding is more than numbers or trophies.

Clients that are the most fun are the ones who know what they are doing to a large degree but want to learn more. They already know how to cast and have an idea about why fish bite but are open to new ideas as well. When you get people like this, and the boat is spanking fish, everybody has a great time.

I make a point of not remembering the bad clients. They seem to be pretty rare any way.

The only guided trip I went on was a company paid for trip. It was on a river that I fish a lot and was ready for a learning experience. What I got was a cheap rod and reel, old bait, rusty hooks and no fish. What I learned was dont leave your Gloomis rod and tackle box full of crappy lures in the truck. The next day I floated the same stretch in my boat with my gear and we boated four fish. If this makes me a bad client so be it.

arroem

I go out with guides about twice a year, usually Charlie Cooper on the Yakima. With Charlie, I bring my own flies (I tie my own and prefer to use them) my own rod, leader, floatant, etc. I also bring my dog.

Does this make me a bad client? I don't think Charlie thinks so. He charges me a more than fair price, and is always willing to move his schedule around for me. Why? Because we get along really well, and I can fish. And because I tie a mean fly, and can in fact fish, we usually do pretty well. And my dog has excellent boat manners.

But would I be a crummy client if all I had was the positive attitude? I don't think so. I don't think Charlie would either.

AK, I can understand your frustration with folks bringing their own gear, and wanting to have input into how things are done. I think you could preempt this pretty easily, however. Seems to me that you could try to find a diplomatic way of saying, "Look, I'm happy to either put you in the place you want to fish to the best of my ability, or to help you catch fish with what's been working for me lately. Which would you like to do today?" You could also ask a client before they come if they want to use their own gear, and if they do, let them know what's appropriate for line, rigs, etc. Then, if they insist on goobering it, well, that's why the guide fishes a rod, too.

I AM sympathetic. I take a lot of guys out over the course of a year, and know how frustrating it is when someone insists on being a gomer and misses out on great fishing, because they won't listen. Oh, well...

Siver Hilton, I guess I should have stared this by saying in 11 years I have fished with over 1300 clients, all but maybe 10 were great people and we had a great time, but like in any job where you come in contact with alot of people there are bound to be a few personality conflicts, and some people that are just not overly pleasant to be around.
As for guys bringing there own gear, I have know problem with it, if it is appropriate. I have had guys bring gear that would be outmatched for 10 lbs. steelhead and they want to fish kings with it, I've seen guys bring tuna rods with 2 speed Penn Internationals to fish kings, you ever try to mooch something like that, how about mooching with spinning rods and reels, I don't tell them they can't use it I just explain that when they want to get serious and catch some fish let me know and I'll set up an appropriate rod.
As for clients telling a guide where they are going to fish, which has happened to me a couple times, I am on the water everyday and I work with 24 other guides, we know what is happening and where, twice guys have got on the boat and said we caught fish at point X last year thats where we want to fish today, in the mean time, the rest of the boats are headed 20 miles in the other direction and I'm off to last years hotspot, end of the day these guys are looking at little or no fish while everyone that went to the hotspot is in early with limits and I become the bad guy for not performing a miracle. Like I said, this happened twice.
Hope this clears things up a little, didn't mean to ruffle so many feathers, just wanted to give guides a chance to vent a few frustrations they have had to deal with during their guiding careers.

Siiver Hilton, forgot to mention, guides can't fish until the king limit is reached in Alaska.