whats a fair tip on a charter boat? is it percentage like in a restaraunt?

If the mates are good and don't piss me off I'll give them between 5 and ten , I really only need them to gaff or net the fish. If they have to gaff alot I'll give them 10. Haven't hit the pool in a while but depending on the amount 20 percent on the low end - 50 percent if your a regular and really don't care about the money. Treat them good a few times and they'll remember you. It is also good to introduce yourself and give them something in advance. Good luck, Happy Easter and go catch some COD.

I usually tip around 10 % even if they piss me off or totally suck, it really depends on how they do. If they do a good job they might get 20%. Just depends. They still have to make a living.

We always give 20% unless they suck. Some of the offshore trips ask more of the mate than just netting fish. Big game trolling has a lot of rigging and outrigger work as well as wiring and/or gaffing fish. Chunking and chumming trips have the mate cutting bait and keeping the slick going. The might even clean the catch. They also have to clean the boat from top to bottom (on a successful tuna trip that can get messy). I've found a lot of them to be informative and entertaining. If they depend on tips to make a living it means more. Especially if they're up north with a short season. On a 1/2 flounder trip, the tip can be much smaller.

Scott Meier
White Oak Lodge

Jersey are you talking about head boats? Charter 15 % if they are good mates. Altough a father son operation and a $3000 charge for a few days to me is enough payment

Yes I am. My brain didn't decipher what it read meaning Charter instead of Head. I had just got off a fishing site and was looking up what The Boats out of Belmar and Bogan's were doing. Sorry for the mix-up.

Bogan's???? Now your're talking language I understand. We often fish out of Pt Pleasant or Brielle in the winter. Barnegeat Light for blues and Cape May for everything else. Of course, if I want to catch stripers, speckled trout, red drum or croaker to the point of boredom, I'd go to the mid/lower Chesapeake. We have been heading out of BreeZeeLeee in Cape May for the last two years.

Hoping to get out on the Jamaica II one of these days, Take a trip to the mud hole and catch some bottom fish, hopefully a stray Cod.

We tip 20%. The mates we've had out of Ocean City Fishing Center work their tails off to make it worth our while to pay $1250/day. We've been sticking to 2 boats for the last 5 years and usually catch more than the other boats that day. Not to mention, we know the captains/mates fairly well by now.