Guided fishing tours: find & book online!

Content:
1. What are Guided Fishing Tours?
2. What Can I Gain from a Guided Fishing Tour?
3. What Types of Fishing Tours are Available?
4. Finding a Fishing Tour or Fishing Guide!
5. What Does a Guided Fishing Tour Cost?
6. Is a Guided Fishing Tour Right for Me? 

What are Guided Fishing Tours?

Guided fishing tours, also known as simply "guidings," are excursions to the water organized by an experienced angler or even a fishing professional, known as the fishing guide. As some of you might have guessed, these trips are focused solely on fishing in specific bodies of water, targeting specific fish species, or using particular fishing techniques. Interested anglers can book such fishing tours and, during the guidance, learn from a fishing guide how to catch a specific fish using a particular technique at certain locations. Guided fishing tours often last for six to eight hours and mostly include the necessary equipment that can be borrowed and used during the tour. Ally types of guided fishing tours available at Catch A Guide can be found here.

What Can I Gain from a Guided Fishing Tour?

So, is guided fishing just supervised angling, or what do I get out of a fishing tour? No, it's much more than just supervised fishing! During a guided tour, you typically learn about the waters where you'll be fishing first. Since the guide likely knows the fishing location very well, you can learn a lot about how to read a body of water correctly and identify the most significant hotspots and fishing locations for your target species. And now, onto the next topic: the target fish species. Most fishing tours are specifically tailored to target a particular fish species. Therefore, it's not uncommon to gain insights into the behavior of certain fish species during a fishing tour.

Different seasons, times of day, temperatures, and weather conditions all affect fish behavior, just as they likely do for you. Nobody goes swimming in an outdoor pool at -5 degrees Celsius and snow. What you should pay attention to when fishing for your target species can be explained to you by a fishing guide right by the water. Another valuable aspect you can learn and take away from a guided fishing tour is information about bait selection and fishing techniques. While there are countless YouTube videos showcasing various baits, and each claims to be better than the others, you only find out if the newest and most expensive bait actually works when you're on the water and have already spent your money. During a fishing tour, you can have someone explain to you why a specific color or shape of bait is effective based on the current conditions. And the best part: You get to witness it firsthand!

Technique and bait presentation are also crucial factors for success. During a fishing tour, you have the opportunity to be observed by a pro and receive some tips for improvement. As you can see, there are many different aspects you can take away from a guided fishing tour. In summary, a guided fishing tour offers you numerous opportunities for learning and also provides you with a typically successful day on the water with a true expert, whose experience you can benefit from and possibly even set a new personal best catch.

What Types of Fishing Tours are Available?

Just as there is a wide variety of fishing methods, techniques, and styles in the fishing market, there are also various forms of guided fishing tours. These tours cater to individual anglers as well as groups, typically consisting of 2-3 anglers. Fishing can either be half-day trips lasting 4-6 hours or full-day trips spanning 8-10 hours. For those interested, weekend fishing tours or trips abroad lasting 1-2 weeks are also options. Apart from the duration, fishing tours differ in terms of what you want to do and catch. On the Catch A Guide platform, we classify guided tours into two main categories: active and passive. In fishing terms, this means you can either actively fish, like the widely practiced spin fishing, or passively fish, such as during a sit-and-wait approach. Another fundamental distinction in fishing tours is the method used.

Do you fish from the shore or from a boat, or even from a belly boat or kayak? Although boat fishing is more common for active angling, such as targeting predatory fish, there are situations where passive fishing from a boat is also possible. Fishing tours are available for inland waters as well as open sea fishing. Deep-sea fishing is usually a highly specialized type of angling that not everyone can easily engage in, which is why you often find fishing tours in coastal areas, similar to what you might encounter in southern holiday destinations. The last, and probably most important, distinction in a fishing tour is the target fish species.

Popular fishing tours focus on predatory fish such as pike, perch, bass, and catfish. However, there are also guided tours for various trout species, carp, or saltwater fish like tuna, mahi-mahi, cod, etc. The challenge often lies in finding and booking the right fishing tour for your preferred date. Read on to discover how to locate your next guided fishing tour and book it directly.

Finding a Fishing Tour or Fishing Guide!

The easiest way to find a fishing guide or a guided fishing tour is to use the Google search engine. Google usually provides various guides in every possible region on the first few pages. Naturally, the larger and more renowned the guide, the more likely you are to find the corresponding guiding service. But what if you can't find a guide for a specific region, there are no available dates for the found fishing tours, or the well-known tours simply cost too much? In such cases, a good tip is to ask at your trusted fishing tackle shop. The staff there are seldom non-anglers and often have a vast network within the angling community, knowing one or more guides.

To simplify your search for the perfect fishing tour, we've launched the Catch A Guide platform. On Catch A Guide, you can use the filtering function and map to search for what suits you best. You can book directly through the platform, avoiding the hassle of writing emails or calling a guide who might have poor reception while on the water. Reviews and comments from previous guests provide insights into their experiences with a specific guide, and you'll find all the details and important information about each available guiding service.

• Guided fishing tours in Germany

What Does a Guided Fishing Tour Cost?

The cost of a fishing tour can vary significantly. Guided shore fishing tours are generally more affordable than guided boat fishing tours, as additional expenses like fuel come into play. Shore fishing tours usually range from €100 to €200 per day. On the other hand, guided boat fishing tours typically cost between €200 and €350 on average. Of course, there can be exceptions. Very small tours with a guide who may still be relatively new to the profession can sometimes cost less than €100, while a professional guide with a boat and state-of-the-art equipment might offer a guiding service for €500 or more. Other exceptions include weekend tours, international fishing trips, or deep-sea fishing, which can easily cost between €1,500 and €3,000 but also include additional services beyond just fishing.

Is a Guided Fishing Tour Right for Me?

Whether a guided fishing tour is right for you depends on your personal preferences. If you're content with targeting only one or two different fish species that you regularly catch on your own, a guiding service may not be your first thought. However, if you're interested in angling for new and unfamiliar fish species, you'll likely achieve early success with a fishing guide by your side, rather than trying to figure it out on your own over multiple outings. For instance, a predatory fish angler who wants to catch a carp for the first time may not be properly equipped and can save on material costs and time by going out with a guide. The same applies to learning new fishing techniques. If you want to try fly fishing for the

 first time, you'll likely pick up the specific casting technique more quickly with the guidance of a fishing guide and start catching fish right away. In addition to all the new techniques and methods you'll learn during a guiding service and the new or exceptionally large fish you aim to catch, don't forget the joy of fishing together. A guided fishing tour can also be enjoyable and helpful when the fish aren't biting immediately. And, of course, the most important aspect should never be forgotten: the fun of fishing, good company, and the satisfaction of having had a great day that you'll fondly remember in the future.