Going on a bay fishing trip this weekend with another couple and curious what folks do for tips here. Its $650 for 4 adults, half day trip. The owner and operator will be our guide. I know my take, but another part of the group has a difference in opinion on this and curious what everyone else does. If this were an employee or something booked through a company it'd be a lot easier to convince everyone tips are appropriate since the guy doing the work is just an hourly worker - but when the guy running the show is getting the entire payment/rate, it seems a bit murkier. What do you guys think?

I'd think $100 would be fair.

I tip 10% if it's just an ok trip and guide. I tip 20% if the guide works his butt off, is friendly and does his best to get me on fish. Owner/operator or regular old guide makes no difference to me.

Customers have paid me extra before, even though I didn't expect it, or ask for it. Usually about 15%.

What fouzman said

this ...

Sounds like everyones on the same page here on the forum.

Depends on trip and how hard he works on getting you on fish. A guide that stays in one spot most of your outing without fish in the boat would not be rewarded like a guide that ran his boat up and down the bay to put fish in the boat. I've been on both trips with different guides.

What I tip depends on how hard the guide work like posted above per person on the trip. If he just went thru the motions then 10% tops. If he did everything in his power to make the day as successful as he could then it will be more. He can't make the fish bite or the game move but he can put in the effort.

$100

And ditto. Makes no difference whether it's an owner/operator or just hired help. Tell your friend he's a tightwad. Unless these guy's wives have a very good job, there ain't no benefits.

Life's too short to worry about an extra $40 bux. How old are these folks??

Tip what you think its worth. Do not tip poor service it encourages more of it.

Pretty much my thoughts spot on. On the flip side I never expect a tip when I'm outfitting and am grateful when I get them. The one time I felt "dissed" was when a PITA hunter that I busted my hump for 4 days with handed me the remnants of his handle of Evan Willams before he headed to the airport, and said he hoped I enjoyed my tip. (and he shot the biggest buck of his life on that trip).

$20 per person is the norm

But some people are different. I have guys that go with me all the time and they dont tip a dime and then I have a single that goes with me once a month and he tips me $200 each time. Everybody is different. Dont stress over it just give him $20 from yourself and what he gets from others is what he gets. Thats it. No big deal either way.

A guide that sits in one spot and doesnt catch fish all day should get NO TIP. And I would ask for a discount or money off until he learns how to catch fish.

Just to circle up on this one, the guide did a fantastic job and worked his butt off to get us our limit on trout. We ended up tipping 15% and walked out with 20 trout, 4 reds and a great time.

I like fouzman's method.
Only once did I not tip, and it was explained in detail as to why, and then I left the field before someone got hurt. Yes there are guides that are that bad and can treat people that rudely.

20 percent.

Man so many variables here, but as a general rule 10-20%. Sometimes way more, rarely way less to zero.

20 odd years ago, I went bird hunting in Argentina (awesome trip!), I tipped the guide 20% of total bill (150$), the house keepers I left 50$, and the poor little kid that was my retriever 30$ a day (and an led flashlight he really liked!). No basis for figuring just what I did!
ETA total trip means guide fees, not housing meals and airfare