Astoria Fishing Guide
It is my mission to create an experience worthy of the reputation of the best local Astoria fishing guides. The Columbia River, and Pacific Ocean offer multiple bucket list fishing opportunities. I study them closely and am constantly learning and revising my techniques. Every time I leave the dock it is my goal to help my clients have the best day possible. It doesn’t matter if your goal is catch and cook, catch and release, or exploring the beauty and history of our area. I would be honored to help you bring home memories to share.
Astoria Fishing Trips and Adventures
Ocean Fishing: Salmon
These chrome beauties travel in schools looking for anything shiny to eat. They offer fast action and a great fight. If you want to make an Astoria fishing guide work, this is the way to do it! I regularly have to call for a backup net or have to double-scoop fish when we hook a double. Fresh ocean caught Coho is one of the top prizes for the table.
Columbia River Fishing: Buoy 10 Salmon
Astoria Buoy 10 Salmon Fishing is on so many bucket lists for a reason! When these fresh from the ocean fish collide with the warm summer waters of the Columbia River, fireworks can happen. This is also one of our most technical fisheries. I spent years trying to master it before becoming a fishing guide. This is by far the most popular Astoria Fishing Charter.
Columbia River Fishing: Sturgeon
If you’ve never tried catching these massive prehistoric beasts you’re in for a treat. Sturgeon are ancient and powerful, and put up fights that rival other bucket list fish like tarpon. These are the hidden diamonds in the crown jewels of Astoria fishing.
The catch and release fishery means we are likely to hook a lot of large fish. My boat’s 2025 season record stands at 9 feet. Will you catch a bigger one?
Ocean Fishing: Lingcod and Rockfish
While salmon often takes the center stage, this is one of the most underrated fisheries in the Astoria area. Lingcod are aggressive and voracious. Rockfish can swarm your gear in a minute resulting in multiple fish on the line at the same time. With constant jigging and regular hookups, there’s no downtime for anyone.
Columbia River Fishing: Spring Chinook
Columbia River Spring Chinook is our most challenging fishery but the rewards are great. Spring Chinook are world renowned for their high quality. Commercially caught fish often sell for over $50 per pound.
The arrival of these fish in Astoria means that the Columbia River Salmon fishing season has started. When you catch one, you have a story and an excellent meal to share .
Dungeness Crab
The closing act for a year of Astoria fishing, catching and eating these tasty crustaceans is a favorite past time. Feasting on crab in the fall after the salmon have moved upriver is a holiday tradition around Astoria.
Fishing Updates
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Fall Coho: An Early Thanksgiving on the Columbia
Yesterday’s trip was a great reminder of how amazing fall fishing can be. We left the dock from Hammond at 7 and the clouds were getting light. The water was relatively calm, but a cool wind coming from the southeast kept things chilly. It was definitely October. I double checked the bar report. After getting […]
4 min read
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Buoy 10 Surprises and More to Come!
The fish are still in Astoria and the Buoy 10 surprises keep on coming! Chinook Retention ends on the 6th but the Coho encore is about to start. The soft tides have shifted the bite away from the mouth of the river and up towards Tongue Point. That’s where we picked up this beautiful 20lb […]
4 min read
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Smoked Salmon when the fishing is smoking hot!
The ocean fishing has been awesome this year. Buoy 10 is firing up. This means one thing: Smoked Salmon time! We now have two people consistently bringing home limits, and the fridge was getting full. It was time to mix up some brine and start up the smoker. With the freezers already near bursting, I […]
4 min read
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Buoy 10 and Beyond
We had a fun non-traditional day on the Buoy 10 opener!
4 min read
About Jerad
I love fishing, but I love being a fishing guide more. That’s a weird thing to say but it’s true.
I caught my first fish at 3 years old when my grandfather took me out on his homemade wooden boat. He was the best fishing guide you could hope for. When the rod went down he left the rod in the holder while I cranked the reel. His shouts of “don’t stop reeling” echo in my ears today. When the fish was netted and on the deck he smiled. He told me good job and covered it with a damp burlap sack to keep it cool.
There is still a picture of me somewhere holding up one end of the handle of a garden hoe. The other end rested on a wheelbarrow and the fish hung in between. That Rogue River Spring Chinook was nearly as big as I was. It had hooked me as much as I had hooked it. Even now, I feel that same sense of excitement every time the line goes tight.
Before the era of YouTube I learned the craft of being a fishing guide from my father and grandfather. They taught me about knots, lures, presentation, reading water, fish behavior, and fishing tactics. I learned to listen at the ramp as they swapped tips on the latest strategies with other people. These lessons have proven as useful fishing on the Columbia River as they did on the Rogue.
From them, I learned the best parts of fishing and being a fishing guide are the moments spent with others. Experiencing the moment with your son or daughter when they catch their first fish. Laughing with joy as your best friend’s eyes go wide when the fish rises up out of the water. Listening to the song that the reel’s drag makes when the fish takes a long run. Seeing the ear to ear grin on your parent’s face when the net finally embraces that shimmering, collection of scales. The smell of the water and of a freshly caught fish in the boat.
Now that I’m older and more patient, I love remembering and sharing stories while waiting for action to happen. Watching seabirds, otters and seals play and feed is some of the best entertainment around. Meeting with new friends and old around a shared past time is a treasure. Helping others experience all of this is why I love being a fishing guide.
Learn more about my journey to becoming a Columbia River fishing guide
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