MyFishFinder.com Just like iceshanty but warmer
As said earlier in this post ice fishing lake erie is different than fishing smaller lakes. The fish on erie typically come through in pods and when they mark you need to make it count. The guide should of helped a little more and checked on his clients but you can't fault the guy if he caught fish. He moved and put you guys on fish that he caught.With that being said if it was a slow day which it sounds like your learning curve goes way down. I bring guys with me all the time on erie ice fishing and those who dont have the proper rod set up for feel dont catch as many fish and get frustrated.I know double J personally and he will go out of his way to help his clients, but I will tell you some guys are way better than others at fishing. .. just because you are not marking fish doesn't mean they are not there. Never stop jigging guys rely way too much on electronics and dont fish. FISH COME IN BECAUSE YOUR JIGGING LOTS OF GUYS STOP JIGGING AND DONT CATCH... AND GUYS WATCH TOO MUCH ON THIER FLASHERS FOR FISH... KEEP DOING WHAT YOUR DOING WHEN YOU MARKED THE FISH THATS WHY THE FISH CAME IN. Im sorry you guys had a bad trip but it does happen on erie. The guide should of helped you more.
That's why it's called fishing not catching. The airboat captain was on time, got you out and back safe and moved you not once but twice which says alot actually most airboat captain don't move around that much. . It sounds like Tony is an experience ice fisherman and you are not. You have to know how to draw fish in, then draw them up off the bottom, catching Erie eyes is not something that comes natural, they are tricky and it's not a given you will catch them, you have to figure them out. You weren't fishing in a barrel Erie walleye roam if they were near him they were by you, assuming you were all close to each other which I'm sure you were. Since he was kind enough to let you in his shanty you should have paid keen attention to what he was doing to get fish to come in and bite. Surely you didn't only have one bait to use did you? I often change 30 times per day. To put it into perspective, one day last year my buddy caught 10 fish with no fishfinder and my shanty only caught one with a fishfinder, I was only20 ft away. Do you believe that it was HIS holes or the action and jigging style that attributed to his success and my lack of success? Well I will tell you, it wasn't the holes he figured them out and I didn't. A captain can only do so much, YOU have to catch the fish, it sounds like some fish were around and he put in the effort to get on a good school of fish and it didn't work out. I've been jiggin in the spring and I'll catch 20 fish and the guy right next to me not catch any and we are in the same boat. When you have it figured out they go for you if you don't they don't, period you hardly catch walleye by accident. Maybe next time, invest that 750 in a quad or sled and go out and do it yourself and when you don't catch fish blame yourself. Its real easy to blame someone else when things don't go as planned, maybe take some ownership in this and turn it into a learning experience. They say 10% of the fisherman catch 90% of the fish, I believe it holds true in this cse.
It's an Ice Fishing Guide's JOB to see to it that his CUSTOMERS catch fish and enjoy themselves doing it..... PERIOD !!They should:1. Prepare their customer before leaving the dock with information about how the day will be going.2. Provide adequate transportation for all.3. Be prepared with SEVERAL LOCATIONS for their customer to fish.4. Cut all the customers holes.5. Make sure everyone has the CORRECT LURES AND SIZES/COLORS that have been working well.6. Keep checking with his clients to be sure they are doing things correctly...... demonstrate proper technique on this lake.7. Clean/Process clients fish.8. It is NOT the guide's job to be out there fishing....he is supposed to be WORKING !!! If you want to fish.... then DON'T CHARGE PEOPLE TO KEEP YOU COMPANY WHILE YOU DO!!i've had both good & bad experiences with guide services. The good ones get my recommendation to fellow anglers.... the bad ones get bad-mouthed!!