WHAT TO EXPECT
I thought it might be appropriate to tell you what to expect on a typical BarHopp'R trip. Those of you that have been on many guide trips, have probably experienced everything from the good to the bad, and know pretty much what to expect on a good guide trip. Those of you who have never been on a guide trip, or haven't been on a guided trip doing our light tackle, shallow water, big fish kind of fishing for snook and redfish, may be in for a big surprise!
My experience has been that many of you have never caught fish that can rip line from your reel, or had to cast any further than across a small stream or pond, or short flip to the bank. Most folks who come here to fish the flats, unless they're experienced flats anglers, are in for a real surprise. This is not easy fishing, but once you get the hang of it, sure is fun!
And that's where I come in! Typically, I have only one 6 hour trip to put you on the fish, then teach you, if needed, how to get them into the boat. Unfortunately, many folks incorrectly measure the success of a trip by how many fish are put into the boat, instead of by the quality of the total experience. Consequently, most of my BarHopp'R trips are seminars on the water. So, think of me not only as your guide, but as your teacher and coach.
Most come here to our style of fishing with many bad habits. I don't mean that in a negative way. In your fishing environment what may be normal for you to do is an absolute disaster to do here. Classic examples of this are reeling against the drag and letting your live bait hang out of the water while you're thinking about where to cast it. I have four boat rules, that I strictly enforce, and will nag you about until you do it my way.
First, keep your live shiner IN the water at all times. Shiners are magic bait, but only if they're fresh and frisky. They are extremely fragile, and will quickly die if held out of the water for more than a few seconds. Think of it this way.... You can't breath if I hold your head under the water, and the shiners can't breath up here. It's a simple concept. But, it is so critical to your success that I will nag you worse than your wife if you don't keep those baits in the water until everything is ready to cast.
Second, you only strike a tight line. I mean tight, tight, tight! This is the land of light lines and long casts. You must feel the fish pulling through the rod pointed at him before you strike. Believe it or not, this is really difficult for most people to do. Adrenaline and the excitement of the moment is a terrible thing! You must be patient, and wait on a tight line.
Third, you must never reel against a running fish and a screaming drag with a spinning reel. You have to get a handle on your excitement, think about what you're doing, and pump and reel the fish to the boat, never reeling when the fish is pulling line from the reel, or if the handle is hard to turn. Reeling against the drag will quickly render the line on the reel useless for the rest of the day because it will become so twisted and kinked, you can't even cast it! Worse, if I allow you to continue to winch a fish in with the reel instead of the rod, you will destroy the gears in my very expensive reels. They're not made for that. You beat the fish with the rod, not the reel!
Fourth, NEVER lay one of my rods and reels in the floor or on the deck. I buy only top quality equipment from Shimano (Stellas) and St. Croix (Legend Series). Fishing gear rarely gets damaged, scratched, bent, or broken anywhere other than the trunk of your car, or on the deck of the boat. My typical light tackle rig costs over $800, and I have rigs that cost over $900! I try to give you the best stuff to fish with, so that if you loose a fish, it's because of something you did, or failed to do, instead of faulty or cheap equipment. The only way I can keep that equipment working and looking good, is for you to keep it off the decks and floors. If you need to put it down, gently put it in a rod holder, or better yet, put the rod under your armpit, so that it's off the floor, and you have both hands to handle your fish, bait, or whatever. This is one thing I will get in your face about. You must show the proper respect for my equipment.
Now, that's not so bad, is it?
Finally, I don't expect anyone to come here an expert to our kind of fishing. What I do expect is for you to have an open mind, set aside your ego for a day, and be willing to learn. I have learned in my years of guiding that old habits die hard. The only way that I can break your old bad habits is to nag you until you get the idea that this really is important. Bare with me. I will teach you MORE about fishing in a day, if you'll only let me, than you'd learn in ten years on your own. Yes, I am a tough taskmaster! Yes, I expect you to follow my coaching instructions. They are proven to work, and are the key to your success! But, at the end of your trip, you will realize that not only have you had a great day of fishing, but that you have improved your angling skills many-fold. If you doubt this, please go to the testimonials section, and see what many of my customers have had to say. The proof is in the puddin', folks.
OTHER FUN STUFF TO DO!