Why do we tip the mates?

[flyersnfluke]

I (and the guys I go with) generally tip 20% of the fare, if for some reason we are needier than usual than we give more, but we're pretty self sufficient and think the mates should concentrate on those who need help more than us (getting tangles out/fish off hooks etc...). I've never won a really big pool..but the last one I did I wound up splitting with the mates, just kept enough so that my day of fishing was free.

One issue I always had is WHO to tip. It's often my experience that one guy is working the deck where I'm fishing and another guy the other part of the boat (I usually get there early enough for a stern spot), but when it comes to cleaning the fish they are splitting the work, or the other guy does most of the cleaning.....If the mates pool tips at the end no problem, but I sometimes I feel that one guy of the two may be getting stiffed.

[Cuz]

I try to make the mates day easier by handling my own fish and tangles. I tell them to cater to the greenhorns where they are needed.
Last week I saw a pool winner of $45.00 give the mate $3.00. I had to bite my lip really hard. But I could tell he wasn't a fisherman. How do you get through to someone who doesn't understand the business. He was out with a friend for a fun day. He'll probably won't be back very soon.
Some boats post a 20% tip is fair. They should all do that.
When I mated on Captain Joe Vasallo's boat, Captain Joe, out of Belmar many moons ago, I use to bring a big straw hat and walk it around at the end of the trip. This way I reminded people they forgot to tip the mate. Even the cheap skates were shamed into giving me a couple of dollars. Maybe passing the hat around could solve, if not help, the tip issues. Sounds like a winner to me. Can't count on peoples memory to tip.

[bulletbob]

So if a boat has 50 people on board, and the fare is $75 and everyone tips 20%, 2 mates get to split $900 for the day???.. Lots of bread there... I have to work 3 weeks to bring that much money home...
Ridiculous scenario I know....

I am glad there are so many guys that can afford to pay $65 and up for a boat fare, plus a $15 and up tip for a mate that fishes the entire trip[again, not all, but still a lot of them], not to mention tackle, gas, to and from, tolls, etc.. I personally am not in that position.. Should I NOT go on a head boat, because I don't feel I need to tip the mate simply because he's there?. I have in the past and will in the future tip the mates, and have and will share pools with them if I ever win another. However, I feel no obligation to do so.. If they have no contact with me, never say a word other than "hey guys" as we walk aboard, and they fish most of the day leaving customers to cut their own bait, I will probably not tip.. If they provide reasonable service, sure, why not?
I can't recall the last time I saw a mate help a struggling newbie on a boat catch a few fish... I have seen it in the past, yes, but its more and more rare today.
For some reason,most of the mates I see these days are very young as well. I just don't see the seasoned vets like I did years back.

On one trip the kid was telling the customers that the previous day's stinkin' rotten bleached out white clam snot he was passing out was every bit as good as fresh shucked clams.. NO difference at all!.. Everyone knew better, and went and got their own clams and shucked and cut them themselves, me included.. Maybe he was under captains orders to use the rotten shit up first, but the paying customers didn't like it, and let him know.. Good tips should follow good service, thats all i am saying.. It would be great if everyone got top pay for substandard or lackluster work performance, but thats simply not the real world.. I have to have a good attitude, and provide my best effort every day at work to earn my meager salary, and go the extra mile daily to gain the respect of those I serve as well as those that employ me.. Sorry guys, but I don't see it on all the head boats.
Might be just me, but it seems a few of the captains care more about cheap help as opposed to seriously good help.. Just my take on it, flame away if you'd like.. Good tips for good service is what the mates should be thinking, Not expecting good tips simply because they work on a head boat.

Put down the rod, and ask the guys if they want some fresh bait, and keep an eye on the obvious beginners, and show them the ropes. A smile and some real, honest friendliness goes a long way toward winning customers hearts and minds as well. Thats what gets the borderline cheapskates to open their wallets.
Not fishing much of the trip, and only working when the boat is underway, or anchoring. bob

[fishguy]

That's a long and thought out reply, bullet. You are cheap. Only someone trying to assuage his own guilt about being cheap would put all that effort into a reply such as yours. It sounds like the mates on the party boats you frequent are EXACTLY the kind of mates you like. They don't need to take care of you as you are self-sufficient so you can justify being a lousy tipper.

[tombanjo]

Originally Posted by fishguy

That's a long and thought out reply, bullet. You are cheap. Only someone trying to assuage his own guilt about being cheap would put all that effort into a reply such as yours. It sounds like the mates on the party boats you frequent are EXACTLY the kind of mates you like. They don't need to take care of you as you are self-sufficient so you can justify being a lousy tipper.

Thought Bob's reply was well thought out and covered the bases vis a vis good and bad mating. Don't know how you consider it being cheap. I'll use the restaurant analogy so many others here have used Fishguy. If you can't find your server for long periods of time, like when you want to return a dish or need to order more and their service ends up giving your meal a bad taste, do you still automatically tip them 20% or more? I don't think so.

Somebody brought up a scenario where a big crowd might end up giving a large amount in tips at the end of the day. Some restuarants have been known to take a cut of that, do salaried captains do the same? I've heard complaints about a % of fish money having to be kicked upstairs.

[fishguy]

Originally Posted by tombanjo

Thought Bob's reply was well thought out and covered the bases vis a vis good and bad mating. Don't know how you consider it being cheap. I'll use the restaurant analogy so many others here have used Fishguy. If you can't find your server for long periods of time, like when you want to return a dish or need to order more and their service ends up giving your meal a bad taste, do you still automatically tip them 20% or more? I don't think so.

Somebody brought up a scenario where a big crowd might end up giving a large amount in tips at the end of the day. Some restuarants have been known to take a cut of that, do salaried captains do the same? I've heard complaints about a % of fish money having to be kicked upstairs.

I'll throw the restaurant analogy right back at you. You go to a restaurant and the food is good but the service is terrible. (good fishing, bad mate) Then I tip less. Conversely, if the food is terrible and the service is good (bad fishing, good mate) I will tip well, like always. If the food and service are bad then I don't go back to that restaurant. (This is where the analogy gets dicey because comparing bad food to bad fishing doesn't really add up. There are so may reasons out of a Captains control that could make fishing poor)

I'm saying it sounds like bullet keeps going back to a restaurant with good food and bad service so he can justify not tipping.

As for a Captain dipping into the mates tips, that is simply outrageous.

[Flukenstein]

The restaurant analogy is only good up to a point. The waiters don't put in hours of prep time before you arrive and clean up time after you leave. They don't wash the dishes and silver ware. They don't set the table. If you sit in a diner for breakfast how much extra attention do you need from from a waitress? We are all "self sufficient " eaters. I guess Bob doesn't tip in that case because the only service he got was when the server delivered the food. Bob, it sounds like you are fishing on a boat (or boats) with crappy mates who don't do much of anything. Try fishing with some polished professionals and you'll see a big difference. I would not be a regular where the service is as bad as you get. Also, you might notice better service if you were a better tipper. Why would a mate give you a lot of attention when he knows he'll be getting a paltry tip if any at all. There are other fishermen who are self sufficient AND good tippers.

[Ol Pedro]

It's all about service . When a crew always tries to do the right thing regardless of if they get a tip or not in the end it always works out. If I didn't do a good job please tell me . If I didn't earn it then don't give it to me . I pray that I never get jaded and come to expect a tip . I have never stiffed a crew in my life but when they didn't do their jobs I let them know about it and stopped fishing on their boats . When you have to make most of your money in 4 to 6 months every penny counts . Don't forget that if the Boat doesn't sail the Mates don't get paid . If there only enough for one or two Mates the rest go home or fish .

[bulletbob]

Originally Posted by fishguy

That's a long and thought out reply, bullet. You are cheap. Only someone trying to assuage his own guilt about being cheap would put all that effort into a reply such as yours. It sounds like the mates on the party boats you frequent are EXACTLY the kind of mates you like. They don't need to take care of you as you are self-sufficient so you can justify being a lousy tipper.

You can think I'm cheap, thats fine, and I really have no guilt feelings to justify.
I like to explain myself as best I am able, and am not a guy that provides one line answers to complex issues.. At my age, I have plenty of time on my hands.

The fact remains. If you wish to be well rewarded, take the level of effort up a notch or three. That goes for any endeavor in this life , from brain surgery to shining shoes.

Maybe I am "out of the loop" and times have changed.. Perhaps it is proper etiquette in the modern age to tip well in any "tips accepted " , venue, even if you have received no service at all.

That simply goes against my nature..

I simply feel one needs to put forth ones best effort always if expecting a customer to generously grease the palm at days end.
Lackluster effort?? Its the customers call .
Again, perhaps its a trend, but I see mostly young kids working the boats these days. I see a pretty poor work ethic compared to years ago.
I don't go 2-3-4 times a week like some regulars here, so of course I don't get to see every mate on every boat.. If I get on a head boat 3-4 times a year these days I am lucky, so I readily admit, there is an awful lot I DON'T see.

Another thing I have considered is this.. I am always an outsider. I don't know the mates, and they don't know me.
These kids might be a lot more forthcoming to regulars they see often and know they can expect a good tip for good service. Perfectly understandable.. In any case, think of me as a cheapskate if you'd like, thats fine, regardless, I have enjoyed the debate... bob

[Flukenstein]

50 people at $75 each = $3750 20% of $3750 is $750--not $900. So each mate would make $375 in dollars in tips. A good days pay indeed. But you continue to miss the point of the original post which is all the work done by the mates besides the actual fishing time. Furthermore, if you think mates are $375 a day very often you ARE out of the loop. There are many days when boats sail with 10-12 people and the mates are hoping to make $50 to split.