I understand that guiding is meant to be a moneymaking proposition, but as a paying customer I can tell you that there’s nothing worse than fishing with a guide who is indifferent or hostile to your presence. A good lodge or outfitter knows that while catching a pile of fish goes a long way, the presence of a friendly, helpful and entertaining leader in the boat makes a world of difference. In our travels, Hanna and I have fished with some exceptional personalities, some world-class anglers, some who combined both skillsets, and unfortunately a few who’d likely be happier visiting their parole officers.
With that said, whoever does the hiring at Grosse Savanne should be commended. Not only was every employee friendly, outgoing, talented and helpful, but we were fortunate to be paired up with an exceptional guide in Greg Dawsey.
To be brutally honest, the guiding part isn’t quite as tough down there as it might be on the Ohio River, the Dead Sea or some other local mudhole. The bass are plentiful and they’re spectacular. That doesn’t necessarily make the socializing part any easier, though – as a guide you still need to be able to get along with a wide range of personalities. From the moment we met him in the parking lot, we knew that Greg was a winner, the type you could joke with about anything and everything, who had a wealth of knowledge despite his young age, and he worked his ass off to make sure that we had every possible advantage in the boat. It felt like fishing with someone we’d known and liked forever.
My best guess is that all of the guides down there are every bit as good, and just as loaded with personality, but I may never find out because we’re unanimous in our intent to request Greg again the next time around.
