How much to tip a fishing guide?

Hello everyone,
I'll be traveling to Tampa Bay at the end of August for a family reunion and while I'm there I've booked a half day trip with this guy: http://www.bradentoninshorefishing.com/

I've never hired a guide before and was wondering what a normal tip would be. The total cost for me and my brother is $350. I was guessing a $50 tip would be reasonable. What do you think?

depends on the service

but I'd say $50 is good.
when i would do charter trips (with like 20ppl) cost was about $120/person and the deckhands worked their butts off for us, and the galley cook was excellent. I would usually tip them $40 (10 per hand, 10 for the cook) except when I won the jackpot, then it was double that.

depends on the service

Good to Great service ..nice tip
Poor service...step one foot off the boat when you get to the dock and push the boat back away from the dock with the other foot and keep on trucking..

Well I think it all depends on how well he works for you. Does he get you on the fish? I know pushing a boat with a push pole all day is a work out. How good was the experience. Are you looking to get a 6 ft tarpon and he gets you hooked up then the tip should be good. And landing it is up to you, its a hard fish to land. I do know for a fact fishing in florida is f%$#ing awesome I been on half a dozen guided trips 4 to florida your going to love it. To the original question of how much if the guide makes it work for you, and you had an amazing time I go with 25% of the trip max. If he does not work well for you well not so much and don't use him again. Florida has a huge network of fishing guides. But keep in mind sometimes they haul the boat to where ever you launch put gas in the truck and boat maybe provide lunch fish all day then haul the boat back and clean it up. Being a boat owner myself its a lot of work. Well just go and have a great time and nail some fish.

Good luck
Reelfish 

I tip $50/day on long range trips, also tempered by personal finances.

Thanks guys! For a half day I'll start off assuming he'll be a good guide and plan on $50 for the both of us.

Damn with those prices I would assume the tip is already included.. $350 for just a half day!..that's a 2day + charter in socal targeting delicious pelagics...but Florida is nice, so I heard. Looking forward to your report Jay. Will be doing a family vacation down there next June. Goodluck.

You didn't book the kayak guide down there Jay?  For Shame!

Jay, sure do miss you and the wifey.. Hope you have a wonderfull trip bro! I only tip if there is beer involved.

hope you end up giving up the $50!.....that means it was good for ya!
Slay'Em!!

I tip $50/day on long range trips, also tempered by personal finances.

Two week trip...that's pricey!

I tip $50/day on long range trips, also tempered by personal finances.

Two week trip...that's pricey!

You missed the portion of my reply after the comma. Don't think I will ever take a two week trip but next year is 8 days.

as a former guide, the price for a full day was $350, 8+hrs, OTW flyfishing in colorado, lunch and drinks included,and this price was set by the outfitter, and we got a small portion of that, but everything else came out of our pockets, including gas and mileage on our trucks, the  flies came out of my boxes, which i spent every night tying after a long day on the water, when they lost the ones they bought, or the ones in theirs weren't right, or were tied, well lets say not well, and we relied on the tip to make our real money, to reimburse us for our flies, leader material, and the wind knots that burned through them, hiking or rowing hours, humping gear and just the patience to deal with someone who over states their abilities of casting, which really makes you work a lot harder to make sure that your client had the best experience possible, and did everything possible to make sure they got on fish. oh and none of this covered basic needs,like rent, utilities etc, unless you were single and wanted to live in the boat house,  , so we all had night jobs, mine in kitchens, so 17+hr days were normal, but, i was young and able. so just take that in when it comes to the end of the day. we didn't guide to get rich, we guided because we loved it, but, we still need to eat and cover basic necessities, unlike people who want 15hr to microwave burgers.  so remember, if you can, and the guide deserved it, tip what you can, but 20%, like you do with eating out, and even more if you got that fish of a lifetime, or they left their all on the water for you, when conditions sucked, which isn't their fault, because this is the only time you can hit the water, so they can eat that night, have a few beers, go back to the shop, clean and reorganize gear and tie more flies, leaders etc for tomorrow, and keep doing what they love to do, and only what you wish you could, if you could live being that poor  , and yes i miss guiding, some of the best years of my life, cameron

....if you could live being that poor, and yes i miss guiding, some of the best years of my life, cameron

Ahh, the passion of it!

Great illustration of the life, Cameron, thanks for giving us a glimpse and a clue to what it's like.

Cameron, can you help me get Moby Dick off my bucket list?