Why do we tip the mates?

[Gerry Zagorski]

Not sure what it is for mates and if it even applies to them, but the minimum wage in NJ for service industry employees in the restaurant business like waiters and bar tenders is $2.13. Not a heck of a lot of money and these people rely on tips to make up the difference.

In my mind there are a few sensible rules when it comes to tipping mates.
- If you catch fish or not the mates deserve a tip
- As a general rule it should be between 18 to 20% of the fare.
- If you get exceptional service and you can afford it than more
- If you are smart and require a lot of maintenance like me or you are fishing with a kid who will need a lot of assistance you might tip in advance to insure good service.
- If the mate has to clean a lot of my fish (usually not the case with me) I will tip them a buck or so a fish in addition to the tip.

If you can't afford to tip properly that's one thing, but being cheap is another. Tip with your conscious knowing what you can afford and the level of service you get. Most mates deserve it, if they don't they shouldn't be a mate and won't be around very long.