Why should you hire me?

We catch a lot of fish! And ... we have fun!

Hi!  You probably found my website through a search engine or maybe you saw one of my print ads in a magazine.  If so, then your probably a little overwhelmed with how many other fishing guides there are to choose from!  If I were in your position, I would be thinking to myself  "Why should I contact this Total Fisherman guy?  What makes him worth hiring?  Is he going to be any better than the other guides I found?"

Let me give you some of the reasons that I think set my guide service head and shoulders above the rest.

Customer service:  It doesn't just mean knowing how to bait your hook, it means patiently explaining how I do everything and why I do it.  From tying hooks to anchoring and driving the boat, if you want to know about it then I want to pass on my knowledge.  My reasoning for this is so that if you wanted to go out on a fishing trip of your own, then you would have the knowledge to have a fun, safe and successful trip.  When your fishing with me,  you will leave with  information that will make you a better angler.  

The right match:  Not every fishing guide is a great match for every customer.  There are good fishing guides and not so good ones, the same thing is true of customers and most often this is because the customer and the guide have different expectations.  In order to set the appropriate expectation of what you can expect from a trip with me, here are a few of the things I will do and won't do.

1.  I won't spend all day talking on the cell phone and ignoring you.  Sometimes I may have to answer calls from interested customers and also talk briefly with other fishing guides about where the fish are biting and what they are biting on, but I try to limit the amount of time I spend on the phone.

Why?  Because you didn't pay to here me gab on the phone all day.

2.  I won't do anything that will jeopardize your safety.  Safety is my highest priority.  I have never had a person get hurt in my boat.  My safety record is perfect.

Why? Cause you wont come back fishing with me if I hurt you or scare you.

3.  I won't talk your ear off all day long.  Some folks like fishing guides that will tell them story after story and lots of jokes.  I'm not that kind of fishing guide.  I'm good for an occasional funny story but I can hardly ever remember any of the hundreds of great jokes I hear.

Why?  I would much rather hear about your experiences get to know you better and answer any questions that you might have.  If I'm doing all the talking it's hard to do this.  Don't get me wrong I'm not quiet in the boat, actually I can carry on a pretty good conversation but the trip isn't about me ... it's about you.

4.  The fish you catch is going to be handled with care,  put on ice while it is on the boat, and cleaned before you take it home.  

Why?  The fish we catch are amazing creatures and they deserve to be treated properly so that they taste great when you put them on the dinner table.  Icing down and bleeding your fish allows it to retain the great taste that you expect.  

5. I wont use cheap or inadequate gear. I use only the highest quality equipment.  You won't find any cheap "off brand" or "good enough" poles, reels or tackle in my boat.  

I don't buy cheap rods because cheap rods break, and they break on YOUR big fish and that is unacceptable.  The only two brands of rods in my boats are G. Loomis and Sage.  Both are known for their quality, reliability and time tested performance.

I don't buy cheap reels because big fish will destroy anything but the highest quality reel.  I've seen it happen, big sturgeon and hot salmon or steelhead leaving an angler with a handful of parts or a "smoked" drag.

My 24' custom made jet boat is possibly the finest guide boat on the water.  

Here is a list of some of it's features.

• Full top for rainy and cold days!

• The boat has 36" high sides to keep you in and the water out.

• The boat is 8 feet wide so you have lots of room to stretch out and to fight fish!

• High back swivel seats with armrests and headrest. 

• Each seat has it's own welded on cup holder.

• Hot water sink to wash your hands.

• Dry storage.

• 2 wash down hoses to keep blood and slime off the floor so you won't slip.

• Onboard fish cleaning station inside the fish box.

• Heater to keep you warm while the top is keeping you dry.

• Autopilot for the trolling motor to keep us going straight when I'm baiting your rod.  I also use this when we are anchored on very windy days to keep the boat from swinging back and forth, this allows us to fish longer after other boats have been "blown off" the water.

• Garmin electronics, GPS and fish finder.

• VHF Radio to contact the Coast Guard, other fisherman or to get up to date weather reports.

• Powerful, quite, environmentally friendly Yamaha 4 stroke outboard motors.  My 225 horsepower main engine has a removable jet pump so I can run shallow or I put the prop on to run out on the ocean and Columbia River, this allows me to take you where the fish are.

• Two 2000 gallon per hour bilge pumps, just in case.

• 2 batteries, just in case.

• Slim fitting inflatable life jackets in case you want to wear a life jacket but don't feel comfortable in the big orange ones.  (I have the orange ones too!)

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Why do I put such a focus on high quality equipment?  I get to go fishing all the time, so I always get another chance at the big one that got away.  Many of my customers only get out fishing a few times a year.  I'm not going to risk your first fish or your trophy fish of a lifetime to save a few bucks scrimping on gear.  When you hire me your going to go on one of the best guided fishing trips in the Northwest and one of the reasons is the great equipment you will use.

6.  I'm in the loop.  I talk with other guides and expert fisherman about where the fishing is great.  When you go fishing with me, we are going to be headed for a spot on the river that has been producing fish.  I take you to fishing locations where you have the best opportunity to have a great fishing experience.  We go where the fish are!

7.  Service after the sale.  I enjoy it when my customers call me back months after a fishing trip to ask my opinion about a product they are buying or want some tips on where the fishing is hot.  Some times they are outfitting their own boat and are going on their first trip for a certain species and have a question on technique.  I'm going to be there to answer your questions.  My goal is to make you a better fisherman and that doesn't stop when you leave my boat, so call me and fire away with those questions!  I never get tired of answering them!

8.  I work hard to get you into fish.  I've noticed through the years that the harder I work in the boat the luckier we get!  Hard work and attention to detail equals consistently catching fish, and can mean the difference between an average day and a great one.

9.  I love being a fishing guide!  I love being on the water with new friends and enjoying the many beautiful areas we fish.  I sometimes talk with my customers about their previous experiences with other fishing guides, and they tell me about the guide being frustrated or impatient or acting like he didn't really want to be there.  My take on this is that there are some (not many) guides out there for whatever reason who are stuck being a guide, they cant move onto another career choice even if they wanted to.  I'm not one of those guides.  I have a Bachelors degree in Business Administration from Washington State University, and the day that the fishing guide business turns into a "job" for me is the day I will go find something else to do.  I'm not stuck doing this, therefore you won't be stuck in a boat with some guy that's just doing this for the money.  This is where my heart is at.  You can always tell a mile away when someone loves what they do.  I'm one of those people. 

Kevin M. Newell