Jon’s Outdoors Fishing & Hunting News

Hey Everyone,

How is everyone doing? You guys here in the Northwest, did you get in on any of the spring salmon fishing on the Columbia River? It was pretty good but very short lived. We were told by the F&G that there was going to be this record spring salmon run on the Columbia River but I don’t think we have had as many salmon over Bonneville Dam as we did last year at this same time. I think it would be a good bet on which one is more reliable, a weatherman or a fish run prediction by the F&G. Anyway; my boat did all right on the salmon. As a matter of fact, the last Saturday and Sunday that salmon was open we limited both salmon and sturgeon. Those were a couple of good days. I think we limited on salmon most of the days in April. Spring salmon is sure a good table fair. My wife and I even got to get out one evening and get a couple nice ones. Now, since the salmon closure I have been hard and heavy after the keeper sturgeon. It has been a very good sturgeon bite. We have seen a lot of big keepers in the 50-inch bracket. Here on the Columbia River we can only keep sturgeon on Thursdays through Sundays and they have to be between 42” and 60 “. The way the keeper sturgeon came in so late I am sure that the bite will continue to be a good one through May. If you have not got your keeper sturgeon in the freezer yet, give me a call. I have 3 good dates left. May 15, 16 and 22 is what I have left to book. Today we were done with our keepers by 10:00 am. The end of May the keeper-size sturgeon will head down river to the estuary and gorge themselves on anchovies and sand shrimp. While they head down river the big trophy sturgeon are heading up river and a lot of them are here already. We hooked up 4 oversize sturgeon last week and they are fresh ones. The big breeder sturgeon follow the shad up and then spawn below Bonneville Dam. Shad season will open on May 16th. Those shad are a real fun fish to catch. The American Shad average about 2-4 pounds each and they really put up a fight. They come up river by the thousands so mid May through the first part of July you can catch these all day. It makes a great kids fishery because there is never a dull moment and all the kids on my boat are experts when I’m done with them. We have a great time. I book a lot of half-day trips for kids on these shad trips. When we start on the trophy sturgeon we catch shad in the morning and us that for the bait on the big sturgeon. Using a bait that is about 4 pounds is awesome. Fighting these big sturgeon make for some good videos. When you see a 400-pound fish tail-walk right behind the boat with your hook in his mouth, now that is an adrenaline rush. If you haven’t done this with me yet, come on out this June and let’s get you some bragging rights on one of these monster fish. Here is what I have available for dates:
Keeper Sturgeon – May 15th, 16th, and 22nd
Trophy Sturgeon – May 20, 21, 22, 27, 28, June 2, 4, 5, 16, 17, 19, 24, 25,
26 and 27

I sure got a lot of emails and comments about my last newsletter talking about my first deer. Thanks to you all. I have so many goofy stories about my buddies and I learning to hunt and fish together. If you have fished with me you have probably heard some of them. To think back on the things we did are just about embarrassing. I do mean it when I say thanks. At least I know some of you are reading this newsletter. Just kidding. Here is another story of my first steelhead trip.
I was about 12-years-old. I had my little $9.99 rod and reel and a can full of night crawlers and headed for the river. Now, at this point in my life I had no idea what a steelhead or salmon was. I knew what trout were. I knew what catfish were. I knew what other pan fish were but had no idea of what a steelhead or salmon was. I just couldn’t wait to get down to the Cowlitz River and see how the trout fishing was. So, I walked across the Toledo Bridge and hiked down behind this farmer’s house to see if I couldn’t get my 12 trout limit. The water was very clear so I could see my worm sinking below my bobber when I cast my line out right to the edge where the fast river and the back eddy met. As the night crawler was sinking I couldn’t believe what I was seeing. These giant “trout” came over and ate my night crawler. The fight was on but my line broke. Frantically, I tied on another hook, weight and bobber and cast out again and again another big “trout” grabbed the worm and broke my line again. This went on several times. Now, the smaller trout I could catch but the bigger ones kept taking off across the river and breaking my line. I was down to just a couple hooks left but finally I got my 12th trout. These were the biggest trout I have ever seen in my young little life. The smallest one was probably over 24”. Well, I cut a branch off a near by tree and started sliding these trout down the stick. After I finally got all 12 fish on that stick I could not believe how heavy it was so I had to drag them. So off I went down the gravel road and back across the Toledo Bridge. While on the bridge a log truck was coming across so I stopped on the edge of the bridge and so did he. The driver pulled up beside me, rolled down his window and said. “Boy, it looks like you got more then your limit”. I told him “nope. There’s twelve there” and kept walking. When I got home the neighbor straighten me right out and I found out that those “trout” were summer steelhead. I bet that log truck driver laughed all the way home about that. Oh well, I was introduced to steelhead fishing and have been addicted to it ever since.

If we can help with any of you summer fishing plans please give Stacy or I a call. We would love to talk with you and maybe get a day or two of fishing with you. Talk to you soon.

Hey Everyone,
How is everyone doing? We are all fine here. I have been busy fishing for both spring salmon and keeper sturgeon and it has been awesome. We limited the boat yesterday for salmon and had 3 guys that had never caught a salmon before. They were stoked. It is always exciting for me to see the looks and actions of a first timer getting their first fish or game animal. It is the rewarding part of my job that just keeps me going. I think that everyone needs to reflect every now and then about your first fish that you landed or the first big game animal you shot. Some of you have heard my story of my first deer I ever shot. Growing up me dad never spent time with us teaching my brother and I about hunting or fishing so we learned it on our own. I was a hunting/fishing nut from an early age. I never got to do it much until I was about 12 years old where I could start getting out on my own a little. Anyway, I didn’t know anything about a buck or a doe or a season or a caliber you were supposed to use. I knew nothing except I loved going shooting with my .22 that I bought when I was about 10. Well, we moved to a little town called Ethel WA. When dad backed the U-Haul in the driveway, we saw 5 deer in the back yard. I went nuts. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing, deer right in my yard. This was a dream come true. Did you ever see the movie “Where the Red Fern Grows”? That was me. I couldn’t stop thinking about those deer. Are there more? Will I ever see them again? Does that happen a lot to just have deer come in your yard? Well, one day I was out shooting my .22 single shot out in the woods behind our house and I could not believe what I was seeing. Three deer were standing not 30 feet from me. You have been there you know how hard my heart was pounding. I was shaking so bad that I thought there was something wrong with me. I had never heard of buck fever. I had never heard about a buck. But, there were deer right in front of me and I was loving it. I had to shoot one. I aimed my .22 at the head of one and there was no way to keep that gun steady. I was shaking uncontrollable. I held it as steady as I could and shot. Two of the deer ran off but one stayed there. I am sure just laughing at me but for whatever reason that one deer stayed. I loaded another shell, took aim and shot again. The deer just starred at me. Feeling like I was going to loose a chance of a lifetime, I loaded another shell as fast as I could, aimed and shot again. Again I missed. Did I tell you this is about 30 feet away? I had just been shooting fir cones off the trees at three times the distance and hardly ever miss but I couldn’t hit this deer at 30 feet. I loaded again and missed again. I did this eight times. Finally, the ninth shot I hit the deer and it dropped like a rock. I did it. I shot my first deer. I was jumping up and down. I was yelling and laughing. I had shot a deer. I could have died right there and been happy. I started gutting this trophy out and I am sure that was a site. I had never seen so much blood in my life and boy did that gut stink when my knife cut it wide open. I got it as cleaned out as I thought it should be and started dragging it home. I was about a half mile from our house so I figured it would be best to drag it to the road then to the house. I wouldn’t have to go through all the woods this way. I started dragging that deer and it sure got heavy but I kept going. I drug it right down Larmon road to my house. I am sure cars had to of went by and seen what I was doing but no one stopped and my chest was stuck out as wide as a 12 year old boys chest could stick out. I finally made it to our driveway and ran in the house yelling for my dad to come out and see what I did. Hey dad I shot a deer and at that time all deer hunting education was brought out. “You what?” Dad had managed to pop my whole bubble. I found out there was a season in which you had to hunt in. I found out there that bucks are boy deer with horns and does are the girls. I shot a girl deer. I found out there are guns you can use and guns you can’t use while hunting deer. A .22 is one you can’t use. There was nothing I did right in that hunt. But, one thing else I found out. Venison is good stuff. I did it wrong but I will never forget that first deer. After that I hunted every chance I had. A good friend of mine named Don and I spent every bit of time we had hunting together. My grandpa got wind of what I did and sent me out a 30-40 Krag and that was my first hunting rifle. The first doesn’t have to be the biggest to be your best. While remembering your first hunting trip or fishing trip, think of a kid around you that might need some a chance at his/her first. It is rewarding.
Let’s talk some fishing. Keeper sturgeon is red hot right now. Sunday we were done by 9:00am. I had a group that had to catch a plane so we had to be off the water by noon. It never fails. You tell me we have to be off the water at a certain time and we will hook an oversize sturgeon 10 minutes before we have to leave every time and we did just that. That poor guy worked so hard on that fish to get it up as fast as he could and he did it. We pulled anchor and I cleaned fish as fast as I could. They made it okay and that was a great day. I have had something happen that I can’t remember when it last happened. I have had two cancellations for this week. This is a prime time keeper sturgeon fishing folks. I could have booked these days 25 times but life happens sometimes. If you can go on a short notice it is open for full boats both the 17th and 18th of this week. Give us a call and we will get you in for those dates.
Spring salmon fishing is red hot also. We are doing great. I was told by a biologist to not plan on fishing past the 20 of April. He thought the quota would be reached. I have not heard anything yet so if you want to book a spring salmon trip I have the 21 and the 23 open. You have to understand that the F&G can close it at any time so we may not be able to fish but it is worth getting on the books just in case. We are getting limits just about every day and everyday it keeps getting better.
Remember May 16th we will start fishing for the trophy sturgeon. I have a few dates left in May and some in June. Give us a call if you want a lot of fun and some bragging rights. The first of July we will be doing some combo sturgeon and salmon trips with some steelhead being caught. We will do that through mid July then I am heading over to Wyoming to do some carpet work in the bunkhouse.
Remember if you didn’t get your hunting draws you were hoping to get, you can still hunt. I will have antelope tags available so give us a call on that if you are interested.
Thanks and keep safe in the outdoors. Don’t forget to take a kid fishing or hunting with you.

Hey Everyone, March 10, 2008

I hope everything is fine in your neck of the woods. I have a week off before I head over to Spokane, WA to do my last sportsman show so I thought I would get a newsletter out. It seems lately that my letters have been rushed a bit with too much business and not enough life in it so let me get you caught up on what is going on in our life.
It was fun last year to have my 18-year old daughter help me out over in Wyoming. She did everything from cleaning rooms to guiding and gutting. She might make out to be a good kid anyway. She will be back out again this year to work with me again. She shot a goofy horned antelope last year and a nice little whitetail. It is so much fun watching your kids hunt and take an animal. I am not sure if that isn’t the most satisfying thing to watch. Our 15-year old daughter wants to come out this year and shoot an antelope. I can’t wait. My wife and I also took a couple of good antelope. It was my wife’s first big game kill and now she is planning her caribou trip, lion trip and I think she even mentioned a sheep trip. I told her to get another job. You can see last seasons photos at: www.kodakgallery.com/gimmeago

My youngest son is doing well in the army. We are very proud of him. He finished basic last summer then graduated from his medic school. After that he got into Air Borne and graduated from that now he is in Georgia getting ready to get into RIP then Rangers. He is one beat up kid. I talked to him the other day and for the first time I could hear a bit of anxiety in his voice. He said he was no way going to quit but he was hurting. I reassured him that this isn’t for the weak. That he is in an elite group and it is supposed to be hard. I am sure he will do well.
My little 3-year old grandson is growing like a weed. He runs the place. He keeps telling me that he wants to shoot an antelope then gets mad when I tell him we can’t do that right now. He goes and gets his gun and grabs me by the finger to head out hunting. That boy doesn’t have a chance.
Stacy and I have just been busy with shows. It has been going very well. I did, for the first time, the RMEF show in Reno. It was great. I am sure we will be doing that show from now on. What great people I met there. It seemed like all the egos were left out at the door and that everyone no matter what you were hunting was important. The down side is that those dirty rotten no good $&%&% slot machines. I NEVER win anything on those yet I keep trying. I went over to the show with an old buddy of mine. That Friday night we called our wives to fly over and spend the rest of the weekend with us. I am glad we did because my buddy’s wife won $1300 and my wife won $300. THANK YOU GIRLS!!! Although they did forget the sharing part of the money. Oh well we had fun.
We are still booking hunts for 2008. We are all full on our deer hunts for this year and we are starting to book for 2009. We do however have room for antelope hunts. October 12, 13 and 14 which is early season on the east side of the highway and we opening for the later hunt after the 15th for the west side of the highway. If you are not familiar with where we are, we are in the Buffalo/Sheridan area of Wyoming. Lots of animals and we have a lot of land to hunt them. We have about 200,000 acres of leases from ranchers all over that part of the country. The draw is easy to get however to make absolute sure you get the draw the dead line is coming up March 15th. I am sure we will have left-over tags but you never know.
I am still booking for fishing trips here on the Columbia River. I have 4 spots left for spring salmon. Those dates are April 8, 9, 14 and 16. We are supposed to get a huge salmon run this year and we are already hearing of fish going over Bonneville Dam so it looks like we will get them. I still have a couple keeper sturgeon dates left May 1, 9 and 10. The Trophy sturgeon season will start up on May 16th when the shad season opens. I do have trophy sturgeon dates left. I have May 20, 21, 27, 28 and 29. In June I have June 2, 3, 4, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 26-30. In July I have most of it open.
I have not announced the dates for fall fishing because I thought I was going to go on an elk hunt this year but we are going to wait and do it next year. Therefore, I have the second week of September open at this time. This will always book up so give us a call if you want to do some fall salmon fishing with us.
This would not be a newsletter without a bad joke so here we go.
A group of hunters got a pilot to fly them into the far north for elk hunting. They were quite successful in their venture and bagged six big bulls. The pilot came back, as arranged, to pick them up. They started loading their gear into the plane, including the six elk. But the pilot objected and he said, “The plane can only take four of your elk; you will have to leave two behind.” They argued with him; the year before they had shot six and the pilot had allowed them to put all aboard. The plane was the same model and capacity. Reluctantly, the pilot finally permitted them to put all six aboard. But when the attempted to take off and leave the valley, the little plane could not make it and they crashed into the wilderness.

Climbing out of the wreckage, one hunter said to the other, “Do you know where we are?”

“I think so,” replied the other hunter. I think this is about the same place where we landed last year!”

Okay I told you it was a bad one. Anyway, thanks for being great friends and customers to us. We always look forward to fishing and now hunting with you. If you haven’t yet been out with us I just want you to know that we are looking forward to the opportunity to do so. Thanks again and give us a call if you are thinking about a hunting or fishing trip.