Pybus Point Lodge is located on an extremely remote island far away from the distractions of the city. This makes for incredible sightseeing, fishing, and an all around great opportunity to connect with friends, family, and m
LEARN MOREWhile the packages we offer at Pybus Point Lodge for our wonderful Alaskan fishing vacations are all-inclusive, featuring everything from lodging accommodations and food through fishing equipment, boating equipment and much more, there's one important additional financial area we recommend our clients consider: Tipping their guides. While there's no technical requirement that you tip your fishing guide, this is a common courtesy that's often observed, and one you should prepare for.
Why is this, what sorts of amounts should you prepare to bring for fishing guide and other forms of tipping, and when is tipping appropriate or not appropriate? Here's a comprehensive primer.
While it's true that many of our fishing guides take on this career because they simply love the outdoors and want to impart their knowledge and expertise on others, there are certain parts of this life that can be challenging. Fishing guides spend 8-10 hours on a boat or body of water during the day, and this sort of thing can take a toll.
In addition, fishing guides often spend much of the calendar year away from friends and family, living in a place that's very different from where they grew up or now reside. This also can be difficult, and while some people thrive on the freedoms of life on their own, fishing guides work hard to bring clients fish who take most of the credit for what's caught.
For this reason, even if your guide never says a word about tipping (and they won't, as it's not professional), this is a good practice to get into. While our fishing guides are paid quality rates that make their time worthwhile, the extra money they receive from tips can go a long way -- and just as importantly in many cases, will be appreciated and will make our guides feel like they're doing good work.
Like with many other areas where tipping is common, the amount you tip your fishing guide or other wilderness guides will depend on a few factors.
One of the most important considerations is how much you spent on your trip. If you're employing guides for a multi-day trip or a weeklong vacation, or if your guide has done something special to help make your experience more enjoyable and successful than it otherwise would have been, tip accordingly.
In addition, however, the job performance of the guide should also be factored into your tip amount. If the guide is on-time and professional for every part of your trip, for instance, your tip should be on the higher end and should reflect a job well done. If the guide is often late, has a bad attitude, or otherwise doesn't provide a satisfactory level of service, your tip should be correspondingly lower.
If the guide does something above and beyond their required duties (perhaps they teach you an important skill that will help you keep fish alive after you return home from your trip), this is another reason to tip higher. Finally, if you can tell your guide is doing lots of extra work due to poor weather conditions, issues with a boat or other unexpected concerns, consider rewarding them with an increased tip.
What about tipping for staff in areas like the lodge, your seaplane flight to the lodge, or any others who assist you during your vacation? Once again, tipping needs and customs will vary between situations, and you should do some advanced research.
For instance, some hotels or resorts employ a specific no-tipping policy as part of their all-inclusive pricing. These entities will generally pay their staff higher wages than usual, which helps account for the fact that there's no need for customers to tip.
If you're staying at a lodge or other location that employs staff who take your fishing equipment out on the water, however, it's appropriate to tip them -- these are the people who will ensure your gear is cared-for properly and returned in good condition. In this case, follow any guidelines or customs employed by the lodge, or tip between $5 and $10 per person.
Even if you don't have any equipment to handle personally at your destination, a cabin attendant will likely be available while you're staying there. This is another job where it's appropriate to tip -- again, follow the guidelines of your lodging location for this sort of thing.
For more on tipping customs during your fishing vacation, or to learn about any of our Alaskan fishing tours or other wildlife adventures, speak to the staff at Pybus Point Lodge today.
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DOWNLOAD NOWPybus Point Lodge is located on an extremely remote island far away from the distractions of the city. This makes for incredible sightseeing, fishing, and an all around great opportunity to connect with friends, family, and m
LEARN MOREAlaska is one of the top dream destinations for anglers around the world, and it’s no surprise why! Our waters are home to a wide variety of fish species that are good to eat and a blast to catch.
LEARN MOREDiscover why people like you can’t stop talking about Pybus Point Lodge. More than 30 years ago, the lodge opened as a simple fishing camp, drawing a devoted following in spite of basic accommodations. With new owners and experienced captains and crew, our corner of Alaska has become an unbeatable fishing and eco-tourism resort.
Andrea Tate
Incredible Experience!
Pybus Point Lodge has some of the most stunning scenery I’ve ever seen. I mean absolutely breathtaking! In addition to the amazing fishing, I hiked to a beautiful secluded lake, soaked in some hot pots, saw several waterfalls, went whale watching, saw bears and all kinds of wildlife and marine life. As a photographer, photographing a wedding under a waterfall will remain a highlight of my life.
Shirley Johnson
Pybus Point Lodge - WOW!
We had the best time! This was our first visit to Pybus, but it definitely will not be our last. The stunning scenery, amazing fishing experience, and the joy of meeting new friends – all outstanding! We did not want to leave!!! If you are thinking about this trip – don’t think any more, just book it. You will not regret it!!!
Sharon Hedding
Trip of a Lifetime!
We had such an amazing time the staff was so wonderful and the lodge was fantastic! capt Joe was so helpful and always doing what ever he could do to make each day special. a special thank you to both Scott and Jody for taking the time to make us feel like family. can't wait to go back next year
Jason Nielsen
Wonderful and Magical Place
We had an amazing business retreat to Pybus Point Lodge. Everything was top notch... the fishing, the staff, the boat captains, the food, the accommodations, and especially the scenery. I really liked that Pybus took care of everything from start to finish. Chef John is an amazing cook. We had delicious hot meals the entire trip. The cabins were amazing and very comfortable. The fishing was awesome and that’s coming from a guy that doesn’t fish that much.
Brandon Foote
We brought home 100lbs of fish!
My wife and I spent a week at Pybus Point this Summer. We had a beautiful, private room overlooking the bay and our own new, ensuite, private bathroom. What an amazing place for couples to get away together. We set our own breakfast time, met our boat captain after, fished the day along, and returned to clean up and enjoy a nice dinner at the restaurant. Next time Alaska is on the trip list, Sherrie and I will go together, and it will be to Pybus Point!
Kent Danjanovich
Fun in Alaska
This was my first trip to Pybus Point. I stayed in one of their new cabins. The accommodations were incredible, the view onto the bay in the mornings was stunning. I loved the staff and the food was really very good. All of this and they have new boats to take you out onto fairly calm waters to fish. The fishing guides were great. Overall a great experience. Definitely going back.
Enjoy unlimited access to our fleet of motorized skiff boats. We’re just minutes away from beautiful freshwater stream fishing, and some of our guests’ biggest halibut catches have been reeled in on a skiff.
Three new 33’ walk-around boats make their debut for our 2019 season. Featured in the Seattle Boat Show and designed stem to stern specifically for ocean conditions in Alaska's Inside Passage, we couldn’t ask for better boats.
Guests love our build-your-own lunches, featuring fresh ingredients and thin-sliced meat we smoke right outside. Meals at the lodge are always made to order – no buffets or cafeteria-style meals at Pybus Point Lodge! Our chef has created menu options that are beautiful and delicious without feeling pretentious or unfamiliar.
If you’re going to come all the way to Alaska, you may as well fish with an experienced guide on hand to keep you on the fish and take care of all the little details. You can enjoy the scenery, your company, and the world-class fishing. You’ll get your guide’s attention as much as eight hours each day – already included in the cost of your trip.
Upgrade your trip to see the Alaskan wilderness from the air. Our experienced pilot will land on a secluded lake and guide you to some of the best salmon and native trout fishing in the state.
While you go out and play, our talented staff will make sure your room stays tidy and clean! We receive even more compliments about our friendly staff than we do about Alaska's stunning beauty!
Pybus Point Lodge is located on the remote and secluded far south edge of Admiralty Island National Monument. Coverage is always tricky in deep valleys and remote natural areas. We found that AT&T has the most reliable cellular service at the lodge while T-mobile, Sprint, and Verizon can be picked up while out on the ocean. We do have a lodge phone you can use if necessary.
If you can't get a signal, we do provide free high-speed WIFI to the lodge and cabins. A popular option is to utilize your phones WIFI calling mode to communicate and take calls while at the cabin, although we prefer to unplug and enjoy all that the island has to offer.
The calm, cool waters of Alaska’s Inside Passage are the perfect habitat for humpback whales. Our guests tell us close encounters with these peaceful giants have changed the way they see the world – and we know just what they mean.
You’ll stay with us on Admiralty Island, called Xootsnoowú by native Tlingit people, which means “Fortress of the Bears.” There are more bears on our island than in all 49 other states combined – and more than 2.5x the number of people here!
A short ride in one of our skiffs will take you to the mouth of a river where, if your timing is right, you can watch salmon make their final run to spawn. When it isn’t overrun by bears dining on the feast, you can walk upstream just a few minutes to a beautiful waterfall in the thick forest.
From tiny phosphorescent algae lighting up our private docks to enormous humpback whales hunting in our deep, calm waters, you won’t find a more beautiful place to experience Alaska. Pybus Bay is a photographer’s paradise – bald eagles and brown bears, orca, otters and sea lions, and more. We can’t wait to help you experience Alaska.
A short ride in one of our skiffs will take you to the mouth of a river where, if your timing is right, you can watch salmon make their final run to spawn. When it isn’t overrun by bears dining on the feast, you can walk upstream just a few minutes to a beautiful waterfall in the thick forest.
Take quick detours or day-long excursions to explore some of our planet's most beautiful, remote waterfalls and glaciers.
Meet us in Juneau and let our experienced staff handle every detail of your all-inclusive Alaskan vacation, starting with a beautiful seaplane flight to our secluded lodge at Pybus Bay.