Fishing Guide Attitude

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anzuelo
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Joined: Fri Jun 13, 2003 9:45 pm
Location: Rockport

Fishing Guide Attitude

Post by anzuelo »

Have all the fishing guides in the Aransas Pass area got a problem with kayakers.

As a relative newcomer to kayak fishing in the Coastal Bend, I have been quite surprised and dismayed by the attitude of some of the local fishing guides. During the past two weekends I have been "reprimanded for drifting or paddling within sixty yards of their anchored boats. Both times I was either going thru a cut which they had essentially blocked off or was threading my way thru a number of anchored boats.

I know guides are out there to make a living but I think they should realize that we disturb fish much less than the many power boaters zooming over the flats. One guide who became rather sarcastic with me later spotted me in South Bay near Crab Man Marina and blew by no more than twenty five yards away on his way in and out of the bay. I guess since we are small and less mobile that the guides feel that we can be intimdated more easily.

Of course they could always take their clients a little further away from the Aransas Channel where most of the kayakers are fishing. This might entail another ten minutes of running but at least they wouldn't be bothered with all of us noisy kayakers.

The feeling that I sense from their attitude is that since they are earning a living by fishing, that guides have certain rights that kayakers or even weekend power boaters do not have.

Just my observation and beef.

Anybody else out there have any similar thoughts/experiences.

p.s. I have met some wonderful guides who both run power boats and kayaks so I am not guide bashing in general.
DJ
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Joined: Thu Jun 12, 2003 2:29 pm
Location: San Antonio

Guides

Post by DJ »

Didn't you know! Most guides own the water rights and bait rights down there. That's why I fish more fresh than salt these days.
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Barry
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Post by Barry »

If you feel like you're being threatened, endangered or harassed by someone (guide or not), take their numbers down and call TPW and/or the CG and report them. Sometimes you get lucky and someone from one of the above agencies will get in touch with them. If the Wardens keep getting complaints about the same d*&&head, they'll put an end to it. If for no other reason to than to stop being bothered.
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Flavio
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Post by Flavio »

Last summer I wrote a letter to Texas Fish and Game magazine on the same issue, but never received a reply or was it posted in the magazine. I've ran into boaters (not sure if guides or not) that seem annoyed at the fact that kayakers are out on the water and run their boats close enough to seem threatening. Some actually yell comments. I would understand if I was anchored on the intercoastal blocking traffic or paddling over their fishing zone, but I always try to stay in wading water and always take the long way around an anchored boat. Most boaters are pretty cool and give kayakers their place, but there's always a jerk in the bunch that feels he is more important because he has a boat. May be it won't take a kayaker being run over by one of these jerks for someone to take notice that we have as much right to the water as the next guy.
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popasan
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Location: South Texas/Redfish Bay

Post by popasan »

welcome to the wonderful world of fishing guides......i have too many negative stories about guides, so i won't go into all of that now....but.....lets just say i have had a number of bad experiences.....i would agree that if one of them causes a safety issue with you, or creates a problem, turn them in to TPW or the CG.....just get their registeration number.....but mostly its just them being a smart a$! thinking that not only do THEY own the water but they are superior in their fishing skills......i got news for them, they are not....period.......i could count the number of decent guides on one hand, that i know, but one that comes to mind is Dean (slowride).....he is on of the very few that i would recommend............but the other 99% i would feed to the fishes...... :twisted:
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