I’ve noticed an increasing number of post asking to recommend fishing guides at various bodies of water.
I’ve never been on a guided trip. I learn places even if I’m only there for a day or two. There are times that I bring nothing home, other times I have more than I realistically want to clean!
Has the art of finding fish gotten lost, or are there just to many lazy people with money?
One exception, offshore saltwater fishing as many cannot afford the boat to do so or justify the price for a here and there trip. I would fall into this category, only times I’ve been was when invited.

Bay fishing can be a very very rough day if you aret use to navigational equipment or a shallow water boat. I’ve seen some pretty funny stuff with guys setting certain boats down into to shallow of water with out a jack plate.

I can.

Bay fishing can be tricky. I’ve been stuck in shallow water WITH A JACK PLATE.

Did you learn that your boat doesn’t belong there?
Lots of people that have boats push the limit. Just because you can run an area on plane, likely tearing up vegetation, doesn’t mean you can slow down. Just like deep fluffy sand. Had many a times when I was younger that I found a 2 wheel drive can’t make it through the San Luis pass trails or initial run to get to the beach!

Bay fishing is my favorite. Specks , flounder and reds. I don’t get to go often (enough) so I always use a guide to make the most of my time

Stay off the spoils

Usually with a jack you can drift it off depending on tide

I would think most people looking for a fish guide don't live in the area they are wanting to fish.

I've been on 2 guided fishing trips. One was bay fishing on vacation in Pensecola and the other was on Texoma for stripers.

I'll be going on my 3rd in Alaska for salmon.

I bet a large majority of guide's clients are not local.

To me... I love to fill the cooler with crappie....(only fish, I keep anymore)..
But anymore, it ain't about the catch, necessarily...
It's about the going....
But, that's just me...

The issue is I left a deep hole in a different direction than I entered it. Forgot to raise the jackplate, got hung on a sandbar, was a boat length from clearing it. And it was an outgoing tide. No vegetation was harmed, I had every right to be there Ricky.
Back to the OP. If you don’t have a shallow boat to fish there, or aren’t familiar with the area a guide is a good way to go. And if you dont fish a couple times a month, a guide is more economical.
Sounds like you wade fish mostly, nothing wrong with that. I enjoy a nice boat ride myself. And the area I used to frequent, you could drift fish for miles, and no need to get out of the boat.

When I go to the coast, or a lake I've never fished before, I'll hire a guide. My time's too valuable to waste thrashing empty water.

It is very true that 10% of the fishermen catch 90% of the fish. I have been stuck fishing near home due to keeping my dog with me because he has cancer, so just fish the creek at a park near my house. I catch a 5 fish limit of big catfish within two hours every time I go and half that time is spent catching live sunfish for bait. Everyone I see fishing there I explain how I catch them and where the hole is below the dam. Even offer free live bait to anyone that will use it. No one ever takes the advice and they tell me the bait is too big. I have not seen another person catch a fish there this year.

I’m far from someone who is gonna get on to you about ripping vegetation. Just making a comment as I assumed that would’ve happened.
Always leave a shallow spot the way you entered. There may not be another way out!
I know it was just human error forgetting to raise before you were leaving, happens all the time. But why lower it when you know your in a shallow flat? Deep hole or not.

If it's a new lake to me I'll hire a guide and pay for the lesson. If you want to learn listening to someone for 6+ hours in a boat is priceless.

Half the fun for me is finding the fish and figuring out how to catch them. Its much more rewarding than paying someone to do that for me.

I went on a guide trip to Lake Fork on the day of my high school graduation. I aint joking when I tell you that we did not catch a flipping thing on any of his spots. To salvage the day I talked him into going to the other arm of the lake to fish one of my spots and we caught 4 pretty good ones the last hour of our trip. He felt so bad he gave us a free trip in the summer time.

For someone that does not go but a handful of times a year then it makes sense to just hire a guide. Some people will hire guides just so they can GPS their spots though. LOL

I like to be lazy and feel rich

It sure sounds like you’re looking down on people that hire guides. I don’t understand that.

Wife and I took a half-day crappie trip a few years ago with BigCrappie on Cedar Creek. Had a great time and brought back a lot of filets. She loved it. We'll do it again soon. My wife doesn't have the patience to sit at the slip all day fishing!

Finding fish these days is much different than 10-15 yrs ago. Anyone with a live scope can “find” fish (not knocking them). I think there’s many reasons why people choose to go on guided trips. Maybe they don’t have the knowledge, maybe they don’t have the equipment, maybe their equipment isn’t ideal for the type of trip they want to go on, maybe they’re not local to where they want to fish and so on and so forth. I go on guided off shore trips every year because I don’t have the equipment. I’m looking at taking my son and friends on a guided striper trip because my 18’ gtr isn’t the best for hauling 4 people and a few dozen live shad in a big tank. Have I done it successfully with a 5 gal bucket and a buddy? Yeah. Do I need a guide for his spots or to find fish? Not at all. Topo maps are readily available online and general knowledge of fish usually will get you a couple, even if you don’t know the lake.

I suppose the same discussion could be had about hunting. Does going on a guided hunt make someone lazy or mean they’re not successful otherwise? Not at all.

Those that can do. Those that can’t, hire a guide.

did ya go with chuck? he is a good dude. hiring a guide is a nice way to learn and enjoy the trip on unfamiliar water. btw, thought this was the thf?

I can go on a lot of guided trips for the cost of a boat, maintenance, storage, etc.

Most the newer tunnel holes/cats and low water pick up lower units are pretty grass friendly. Those scars take a long time to heal though. Biggest issue I see are guys spinning up in really shallow instead of just taking time to idle out to deeper water to spin up. While running the newer boat designs are pulling water into the tunnel so even running In true 8” the scag might be two inch below the hull. Now guys spinning up in shallow on sand, it’s their props but they ain’t hurting much

I couldn’t care less, support those guys as they have to feed their families. I feel like the art of finding your own, similar to hunting, has gone out the wayside!

I will read your post, but I only had to read a few words!
Livescope is ruining fishing as we know it! I absolutely despise it!

Are the hunting guides flying drones to find animals, and pick them off?