[meandtheboyz]

There is a good thread in the General fishing forum about Party Boats.

What do you consider a good tip wih a regardless of whether you are catching or not. Lets say the service is good, the mate is there when you need them and they are friendly?

1)Regular tip
2)Cleaning fish(Say 5 or 6 fluke or 2 bass)If you catch them
3)Pool $100 bucks

 

[sam843]

If I get good service
$20.00 and I usally give them the fish I caught
If I win the pool they get half.

 

[Captneilf]

Hi,

Start with 15% as you would a waitress and go to the nearest high dollar. ex, $45 fare, 15%=$6.75, give $7.00 tip. If a good catch of fluke and you feel the deck crew did a good job give them a full $10.00 if you can. You know someone will stiff them or leave $3.00.

Now 25 sea bass and/or 50 porgys is a different story. Some boats charge $25.00 to clean/fillet a 5 gal. pail of these. I think that is appropiate. I have heard of mates still filleting 4 hours after the trip was over. Fortunately there is a 10 fish limit on blues. 2 bass should be covered by the $10.00 tip unless the mate was netting bass and releasing them the whole trip. Then go higher.

POOLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ugh!!!!!!! I think they were invented by a boat owner/capt so as not to have the responsibility of paying his crew properly. I wonder who who did invent the pool?

I like a $2 or $3 pool because it is still for fun. I feel when you go over $5 and more funny things might happen.

A tip is kinda set by jobs like waitressing. A pool winner puts $$$ into the pool and should get it all if he/she wins. How much he gives the mate is up to him. 20 or 25% would be very nice but not mandatory.



Some mates expect 50% or whatever. Do you think if the mate goes to Atlantic City and wins does he give 50% to the dealer???? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm????

 

[Toutog]

Sam843 got it !!

Me&theboys....
Yep, 50% of the pool, you wouldn't have got the Pool fish in the boat without the mate, guess that makes him your "Partner".....
Tip like this, give the mate collecting the fares 10 bucks up front,
if the service is good and you get fish cleaned, another $5 to $10 is not unreasonable for a full day boat at about a $50 fare. Mates are like waitresses, they work for tips and most of them work hard at it.
Then there are those boats that the mates fish all day and gaff/net fish themselves and their pals, then got the gall to pass a can on the ride home....
They get to clean my fish for free,if ya know what I mean...

 

[Billy40]

Normal Tip -$5.
Cleaning fish - I usually do myself so I don't have to tip.
Pool $100 - depends on the boat. If I'm a "regular" - the whole tip goes to the mates. If not, depends on service. Good service, I won't heitate to give 75%, but again, if I get treated like sh!t I won't give any.

My dilemma is I take teh wife and my son with me, so a day's Fluke trip can cost anywere from $140-$200 - Not much left over for a tip after that - but I also don't want the mates touching anything for me or doing anything for anyone in my family.

I usually go on the same boats where the mates know the deal with me, so I get treated well. They know if I win the pool, the entire pool is there's, and they also know if fishing is slow, and they want a few fish to sell, they got it.

 

[611811]

FAIR TIPPING

What's up with tipping the mates before the trip? I can't see the logic in that. Plus it seems arrogant to assume that if you give the mates money up front then your entitled to better service. Say I'm a new on the boat but always tip fairly and youra regular on the boat and always pre-tip the mates. We both have big fluke at the surface. Is it fair that the mate feels obligated to make sure the pre-tipper's fish makes it into the boat before the new customer's? What if the service still is bad? Then you've aggravated yourself even more. I say tip fairly for fair service and if you fish with the same crew enough times the service will be there.

For me a full day trip gets $10 minimum and at least $15 if I catch a decent amount of fish.

For the pool if it is a small pool say under $40 dollars I give it to the mates. Between $40 and $70 I will usually split it with them. Over that I will give them at least a third. My wife doesn't eat fish but she likes it when I win the pool!!!

HAPPY FISHING
Ralph

 

[gottog]

Regular tip is usually $10.00, sometimes a lil more or less depending on the quality of service provided by the mates.

If the mates have to clean a mess of fish for me, then they get paid accordingly...a couple of fluke they get a couple of dollars more...a bucket of porgies, they get more.

As to the pool, well I don't consider them a "partner" as quite a few times I'll just swing the fish over the rail Generally, if the service was good, the mates get half. With a small pool they'll usually get most if not all, with a bigger pool they'll get 1/2 or more at times.

Generally, I tip fairly well and I'm remembered for it. If I experience bad service, well there's quite a few other boats that would appreciate my business.

 

[Billy40]

If the mates have to clean a mess of fish for me, then they get paid accordingly...a couple of fluke they get a couple of dollars more...a bucket of porgies, they get more

Is this Goat-Speak for - I give them a $10 tip cause I don't catch fish?

 

[624965]

Re:Tips for mates

As a ex party boat skipper,and someone who has worked deck for 12+years I can speak from vast past experiance on this matter, Tips in general are always good but the thing that burns the deckhand is as follows. Hot august sat afternoon trip, wind against tide,75 people(35 kids}=tangles galore(throw in a few thousand sea robbins and skates and **** boys, you have the makings of a new olympic event)and some hack moron spew idiot who brought little johnny's 11 birthday party(8-10 ankle biters) and this @#$%& fool gives me $3.00. Thanks but no thanks pal you need the money more than I do so you can pay for your vasectomy so you don't tarnish the world with more of your spawn. I guess the point I'm trying to make is ,understand the mates split the kitty so 3.00 for 3 mates =1.00 each. Tips are how these guys make a livin a little help wouldn't hurt...

 

[gottog]

Listen Mr. "If-they-want-the-fish-I-give-them-to-the-mates", if they had to count on your contributions they'd all be out of business and starving.

Your wife has to hook the fish for you and you still let em come unbuttoned.

And how can you comment on winning the pool since you've only done it once and that was when the mate pretty much hooked it for you???!!!

BTW, when we going fishing?

 

[617905]

Well that 'splains a whole lot Lucy!

quote:
Tip like this, give the mate collecting the fares 10 bucks up front,
Now I know why that on 2 seperate occasions, on 2 different boats, after the final "lines up" and being told that I had the pool winner, a phanthom fish turned up halfway back to the dock that was ironicaly 1 or 2 ounces heaver than mine. And what do you know? It happened to belong to one of "the regulars" that always seem to be fishing at the stern where the mates always could be found. Ya know what? Being the guy that I am, even though it was the only fluke that I caught, I still tipped $10.00. It sure is funny how the mate with his hand out at the bow as I was disembarking, couldn't look me in the eye as I was handing him his expected tip.

I always take the high road.

 

[Captneilf]

Hi all,

I hope this thread educates some folks.

I have the feeling that most of the folks that post here are the very ones that make a mates day worth while.

I thank you all!

 

[jtzannes]

Question for the mates on this board...

who gets the money for the sinkers/rigs/hooks etc. ?[b/]

Some boats I fish just give me extra tackle/whatever I need and never or rarely ask for any money. Other boats charge for evey little thing, sometimes with an obvious markup.

If I spend too much on gear on the boat(I try to bring my own but it doesn't always happen) then a couple dollars I had intended for tip usually go to gear instead.

For those wondering about tipping, remember that good service doesn't mean just towards you-a mate that shows the first timer down the rail what to do so he doesn't tangle everyone else up is giving you good service without dealing with you directly at all.

 

[Miss Beryl Charters]

Tippin the mates

I agree with sam 843.
I will usually tip $20. regardless
if i catch or not. I will usually
split the pool. Sometimes give the
mates the whole pool if holiday time,
or a light crowd.
Rick S.

 

[Captneilf]

jtzanes

Hi,

Who gets the money from sinkers etc.????

Usually the boat owner purchases sinkers etc. It is a considerable expense over the length of a season. The rig $$$ goes to the wheel house after the trip.

Yes, some boats charge and some boats don't. Many times the first rig is on the house. Many times it depends upon the type of fishing. Drifting a sandy botton for fluke looses much less than anchored over a wreck blackfishing.

I have watched blackfishermen loose rig after rig, even after being told how to prevent some of it. They didn't care because the boat would supply another FREE. If they had to pay for them they would be more careful. You can't believe how fast bags of sinkers can be used up in one trip. Bags of sinkers are very expensive.

Diamond jigs while bluefishing fits into this catagory. Some loses are unpreventable. BUT when you explain to people to check their line for nicks and call the mate to cut off the bad line and retie the jig AND they don't listen, well, I think they should pay for them.

What is an owner to do? Raise his price to include lost tackle? Lower his price and charge for tackle? Should the mate own the tackle consession on a boat?

The last thing a mate wants to do is charge you for anything after the fare!!!! It causes grief on the deck and probably does affect the tip.

 

[624477]

jtzannes

I'm not a mate,but will try to answer your question. It all depends on what you fish for. In Sheepshead Bay,most Fluke boats will give you at least the first rig on the boat(Cost of doing business).If using your own rod,they might charge after that.If using a boat rod,it's usually re-rigged at no charge.
It's not likely you'll lose anything while Fluking,and that's why they do it.Now,with Bottom-Fishing,it's a whole new set of rules.Whether you bring your own rod or not,if you need tackle,you will be charged for it,right from the start.Why..because depending on the species you're after,and the level of experience you have,it is NOT un-reasonable to lose 10 to 15 rigs in one day!!! The boat will not eat that as the cost of doing business!! That is one reason why people out for a day of fun on the water should go Fluking. Only those who take their fishing seriously,should get on a bottom fishing boat.Bottom fishing WILL cost you!! To answer your other question,I believe the boat,not the mates,supplies the tackle,and makes the money,so..please don't take it out on the mates if you lose alot of rigs,and it starts to get expensive. Accept it,as we all have,as a learning experience. You will discover,as you become a better bottom-fisherman,that you don't have to lose all that tackle. there are tricks to freeing yourself,and saving a ton of money!!(As well as a ton of frustration)!!!

P.S. Just saw your response Capt. Neil.
You took the words right out of my mouth!!!

(This post edited by PIER4 on 02/12/2003)