We went out to B-10 with a guide this Wednesday. A buddy had booked the trip for he and a couple of customers of his. Knowing that I live for fishing and had taken him out serveral times he invited me along. This is where my dilema starts.

On our way down to Astoria, About a 4 1/2 hour trip for us, the guide calls and says he caught limits for all 5 of his guests and was back into the dock by 9:30 am, all the fish are coho. My buddies all excited with the news, I ask him if he is just wanting to catch Coho or would like to try for some kings. We both agree that kings are the fish to target and that coho with kings would be a bonus. We have great fishing 10 minutes from my house right now, problem is they are smaller coho and a few in the teens. Maybe around noon we would start to keep coho unless they where over 10lbs then we sould keep one open for a king. Later that day he talks to the Guide and lets him know we are not in a rush to fill our limits and that we would like to C&R and target the Kings.

That morning I knew somthing was up, over night the kicker develops a problem and can not be used. So we will have to troll with the big motor and it will be tough to go slow enough to target the kings. I didnt book the trip so I didnt feel it was my place to cause a stink, The cutomer recommended the guide to my friend. I repeated that we would like to C&R unless we get into some large coho and then we would still like to save a spot for some larger fish. The guide told me that the bite has been turning on and off so we should get what we can while we can. I said I would go without fish if the bite turned off and the others didnt get their limit, I didnt drive a 9 hour round trip to get some small coho. I was told he had things to do and wasnt going to waste the gas or the time over one fish. He repeated that the bite could shutt off and he wasnt willing to take that chance. I looked at my buddie rolled my eyes and suggested that we " the four paying customers" should make the choice to take a chance on the bite shutting off. Fishing was good from the start, so good we had our limit of 15 fish, 3 of which where his, by 8:45 AM. Hatchery coho at a rate of about 4:1 over the nates.

Before you could say throw it back, the coho was bonked and into the fish box whout out being bled. All fish hatchery or native where netted, boated and then checked. I told him in Washington and I thought Oregon also that native fish are not to be removed from the water, netted or boated. It was a major infraction to do so, he said he didnt care, he was not going to stick his hands down there with those hooks flying around to release the fish. I told him that was a major problem with me, he didnt respond. On my third fish of the morning I caught a Native it was brought into the boat, I told the Guide it had a fin, and it looked like he was going to bonk it, I told him loudly that it was a native, he bonked it anyways. I asked him what he was going to do now, he asked about what? I said check that fish in your net, it is a nat, he checked and sure enough a nice fully intact fin. I told him to me thats two major violations and what are you going to do with the fish now. He said he was going to release it like your suppose to do, which is fine except for killing it first. We get back to the dock about 9:10 and to the fillet station about 9:15. People ther where giving the guide a bad time about being in so early, and with now kings. About 9:45 an older couple arrive with their limit and it included 2 nice little kings. they said they targeted the kings and then went and got their coho.

I was pretty upset about it, and when we left the customers and the guide to head home I asked my buddy if he got his moneys worth from this trip. We did get limits, but that was the only brite spot. We all would have liked to fish longer, would have liked to tried to catch larger fish or at least targeted them. I excpeted this out of a larger charter boat, not a guide boat at twice the price.

I am going to call the guide today and let him know how i feel and that I believe he owes my buddy a 1/2 day on the water. I would go out with him if he paid me.

What can or should I do.

He seams to be a well respected guide, or at least I have heard good things about him.
He netted all the coho including several natives and bonked one of the nat's. I dont think it was a mistake but I will leave that one alone.

Would like you imput.