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Todd Martin photos
Fish like a Guide
Wade Dayley is not happy unless you are happy holding fish like this.
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Fish like a Guide
A great day on the water with Gibran White
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Fish like a Guide
Rod Hennig holding a heavy lake char from Shuswap Lake
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Fish like a Guide
Tony Nootebos (right) is an expert at landing massive white sturgeon in the Fraser Valley
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Fish like a Guide
Jason Assonitis operates Bonchovy Fishing Charters and operates from Granville Island in downtown Vancouver
Story & photos by Todd Martin
Some of B.C.’s top guides reveal secrets to their success
We’ve all thought about it. “How can I fish more effectively on the water, put more fish in the boat, and be in the 10% of anglers who catch 90% of the fish?” The one thing you can do that really shortens the learning curve is hire a fishing guide. These guys are the experts in their chosen fisheries. Continue reading, and I’ll teach you how to think, and fish, like a guide.
Today’s guides are not crusty old curmudgeons who don’t share information, or who hide their secret spots. Nowadays, they are more like fishing coaches and mentors who love helping anglers to improve, and getting them into as many fish as possible. In my time as an outdoor writer, I have fished with some of the top fishing guides in B.C., and let me tell you, these guys are good! When you hire a guide for a typical full-day charter, it’s like going to fishing school. Since most fishing tackle companies have guides to field-test products first before making them available to the general public, another benefit to fishing with a guide is learning about the best new gear on the market.
In my quest to help recreational anglers improve their fishing skills, I have picked the brains of five of the best guides in the B.C. sport fishing industry with whom I have personally fished. All fishing guides are generally more effective on the water for one simple reason – they fish almost every day! Every one of the guides I’ve interviewed for this article said the same thing: “I guide for a living, and time on the water pays off.” The other common thing they all mentioned was having a passion for fishing: “If you absolutely love fishing and spending time on the water, you’ll make a good guide, and you’ll do a better job for your paying clients.”
Now, let’s get down to business, and introduce our top guides.
- Wade Dayley and his wife, Shannon, operate Bear Cove Cottages (www.bearcovecottages.com) in Port Hardy, on the northern tip of Vancouver Island.
- Gibran White is the Marine Operations Manager for Nootka Marine Adventures (www.nootkamarineadventures.com), who have three fishing resorts in Nootka Sound on the west coast of Vancouver Island.
- Rodney Hennig runs Rodney’s REEL Outdoors (www.kelownafishing.com), based in Kelowna. He runs guided trips for salmon, trout, and bass all over the Okanagan and Shuswap regions.
- Tony Nootebos, from the BC Sport Fishing Group, manages over 20 guides and boats out of Harrison Hot Springs in the Fraser Valley (www.bcsportfishinggroup.com), while still out guiding himself.
- Jason Assonitis (along with his partner Jeff Copeland) from Bon Chovy Fishing Charters (www.bonchovy.com) run a four-boat operation based on Granville Island in downtown Vancouver.
I asked all of these guides the same three questions. The information shared by these BC fishing experts should be taken as fishing doctrine.
What makes you a successful fishing guide?
Wade Dayley: Having a passion for your work. If you don’t love what you do, you won’t provide your guests with the best experience possible. I’ve also been taught by some very good people, and am absolutely driven to “get bit.”
Gibran White: Fish with confidence. Ensure your clients always have a good time regardless of the fishing or the weather. Put yourself in the client’s shoes, and do the little extra things to make their trip memorable.
Rod Hennig: Being a good listener, and being a people person. You need to have a willingness to try new techniques. Fish get conditioned to certain lures. Change lures’ colour and size often.
Tony Nootebos: Understanding the watersheds I guide in, and knowledge of salmon run timings is critical in my operation. An ability to read the water, and adapt to changing conditions are also very important to my success.
Jason Assonitis: Having a passion for fishing, and sharing it with your guests. Be able to adapt to ever-changing conditions. Adapt your day to the weather, and your guests’ fishing abilities. You always want to get the most out of every trip.
How can average recreational anglers get more hook-ups and land more fish?
Wade Dayley: Fish with different gear on each side of the boat. On one side I’ll run bait, and hoochies or lures on the other, until I figure out what the fish want. It changes hour-to-hour, and day-to-day.
Gibran White: The little details, like trolling speed, are crucial. I’ll troll bait between 1.5 and 2.4 mph. When trolling hardware like lures or hoochies, I’ll increase the speed up to 3 mph.
Rod Hennig: Be willing to change presentations, move to another location, and adapt. Have fresh line and well-tied knots.
Tony Nootebos: Get to know what’s below the surface. Learn why fish hold in certain spots of a river. Is it protection, a comfortable current speed, or food supply?
Jason Assonitis: Stay focused on the little details. Small changes in lure colour can make all the difference. The Georgia Strait fishery changes from day to day, and you need to be able to adapt to different conditions.
What are your ‘go-to’ tips and tricks when you need to put fish in the boat?
Wade Dayley: I’ll find out what the fish have been feeding on. Open up the bellies of recently caught fish to determine what they are eating. I’ll also match the colour of my flasher to the colour of the bait head I am using.
Gibran White: Learn how the tides affect the bite in your chosen area. What tides turn the bite on and off? Also, stay on top of the fish! Communicate with other guides and experienced locals. Work the radio, spread out, team up, and find the fish.
Rod Hennig: I’ll spend time pre-fishing a certain location before I take clients out. Also, pay close attention to your electronics, and trust what they are telling you.
Tony Nootebos: Be willing to explore new locations and try less crowded spots. Always be ready and willing to change locations. Change baits, change lures, and change location.
Jason Assonitis: Pay close attention to every bite you get, and note the little details such as location, depth, tide, and time of day. Keep a detailed log, establish patterns and run timing.
Now that you have heard from my panel of experts, here are a few additional pointers. Each of these guides has laser-like focus while fishing. It’s pretty rare you spot a bite before they do. Guides almost never fish something straight out of the box. They change the action on a lure; change the hook; modify the colours; or trim a hoochie. They are always tinkering with their gear to make it more effective. They are always working a strategy while on the water. Guides don’t run around willy-nilly looking for fish. They plan out their day, and have several back-up plans ready if things don’t work out. Guides won’t normally leave fish to find fish. If they are marking fish on their electronics, and can’t get them to bite, they will change tactics and gear to get them to bite before changing location.
Apply these words of wisdom from our five top guides to help you on your next fishing trip. If you want to take it further, feel stuck in a rut, want to learn new techniques, or simply want to have a great experience on the water, treat yourself to an outing with a professional guide – you’ll learn more in one day than in five years of fishing on your own.