Fish insurance

[fishchallenger]

Hi folks!

I wonder if you guys are offering an "insurance" to your consummers regarding the catches...

I know some will give a half-price charter if no fish are taken. Or a free charter, in some cases.

On my side I don't, since fishing is just that, work but also a lot of chance.

What about you?

J-F

[HitMan]

Hello there,

Our policy is if no fish are caught, your next charter trip is FREE. The free trip can be for anytime later in the year. For example, this still applies if we have 10 fish on and zero fish are caught. Some guys count a fish on as their "guarantee" for the charter. We count a caught fish as our "guarantee." Luckily, the last time we had to implement the guarantee program was 8 years ago.

[CaptLevi]

I was up in the air about this subject for a long time. Then I took the advice of a few very good businessmen and fisherman. This is what they said:

A guarantee is only as good as the product. You may get a five year guarantee on a car, but if it's a piece of you know what to begin with, who cares. it's more hassle with the break downs, repairs, and time to collect on the guarantee than what it's worth. So do your best, try to give your customers a fun day on the water regardless of the fishing, and be flexible when nessasary.

I've only had to worry about no fish one time. A free trip was offered, but as a return customer with great previous trips, they declined and rebooked anyway. So I bought a few rounds. Most the charters in port were coming in with similar results. Next day found Sportboat in 325' of water of St. Joe and very much alone. Can you say middle of the lake? We went 14 for 18 that morning with an actual fishing time of 2 hours. The rest was running time. Next day we had a floatilla of vessels hot on our heels.

So I guess I really don't see the need for a guarantee. After all we all expect to get paid if we do our best at work don't we? My advertising company gets paid whether I get trips or not. (although they seem to be getting good results). And if you show up on an assembly line or machine shop but for some reason no production is realized do you expect to get paid? Of course. Just my $.02

[Walleye Express]

Back in the early 1980's when I started guiding on the Rivers out of my Drift Boat, I had a "Fish-On" guarantee or the trip was free. I'm talking on, not landed. Of course I was pretty confident and cocky back then, having only the third Drift boat sold in Michigan at the time, being virtually alone on the river systems I fished, and successfully using a technique that was proving deadly on both the Steelhead's and Salmon running the rivers I guided on. I had that same kind of fish in the box confidence you open water guys on the West Coast have been enjoying for 3 years in a row now, because of good fish planing and the sustaining Baitfish and Salmon population survival numbers being at their peak. You older charter guys who went through the rough times during the late 80's early 90's know how much easier and nice the fishing is now. Anyway, when these tougher times hit me on the rivers too, I started to re-think my guarantee. What cinched the deal was actually a charter client who changed my mind and policy. I worked my butt off one day trying too get him a hook-up, but we skunked out anyway. As we were parting company, he shoved the full amount of the charter in my pocket and told me something I'll always remember. "Only Jesus guaranteed fish before the trip out" I have not guaranteed fish since that trip. What I do guarantee now is the only thing mortal man can guarantee. That I'll do my best.

[Yankee Troller]

Im new to the business, but beem in the game for 20yrs. I will offer a free trip if my clients dont catch anything. But your right, why would they want to come out again when they didnt catch anything the first time? Clients are just like women.....you got to wine and dine them or they aint coming back! <--Then again what do I know.....Im only 28!