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34 Reasons We Hook So Many Fish

  1. We’ve made a study of identifying the very best catching scenarios in the NW
    (Maybe Dale has too much free time on his hands). A fraction of them are on our 130 Most Productive Catching Scenarios in the NW list.
  2. We've found so many good fishing scenarios that we need a computer.
    One database alone has 1/4 of a million cells in it (our software actually ran out of columns!), and we have yet to see a better sport-fishing database in the NW.



  3. Most tailorable catching scenarios database.
    You’ve never seen a non-profit fishing group in the NW with a more tailorable fishing database…not only will you catch way more fish, but you’ll enjoy it more since you’ll fit the scenario to your unique likes/dis-likes. One database has around 96 variables for each catching scenario that you can tailor to suit your likes/dis-likes (256 variables total.)
  4. We often fish with 2-3 lures per person.
    As featured in article about Dale and one of his techniques in Salmon Trout Steelheader magazine, April 2005. Unlike 95%+ of fishermen. We’ll show you our system for this.
  5. We try to fish with multiple rods, per person.
    Unlike 95%+ of fishermen. We’ll show you where this is legal.
  6. We identified 10 main "Catching Rules".
    These rules will help you tremendously in understanding fishing better!
  7. One big rule is the "18 day rule".
    We usually identify about an 18 day period of the whole year when that fishing scenario is at it’s peak, and fish it at that time.
  8. We have the best fishing "Game plans". we’ve ever seen.

    Game Plans


  9. We’re willing to travel to where the fish are.
    But we prefer closer to home.
  10. We have access to more fishing software than maybe any fisherman we’ve seen.
    (Makes fishing more fun, and productive):
    1. 102+ total fishing-related computer files in our computer.
    2. Software that graphs pounds of fish per acre, for selected fisheries (where does Dale find the time!?)



    3. Water temperature graphs (vital for trout!)



    4. River-height-forecast graphs.



    5. Software that Dale wrote that determines distance from your town to our fishing spot (and you can sort all our fishing scenarios by that distance.)
    6. Electronic topographical maps of the entire continental US
    7. Electronic nautical charts of the entire west coast of the continental US
    8. Aerial photos of most of the NW USA.



    9. Aerial photos of virtually the entire Washington coast.
    10. Satellite photos of virtually all of our fishing scenarios.



    11. This satellite image was used to locate an underwater island (fish magnet) in one of our fishing scenarios.







      This satellite image shows  
      a dock we’ve had great luck
      trolling past over the years. 

    12. On-the-water pocket computer (TREO 650)…talk about fun!

      Some features:

      1. Wireless internet (while you’re fishing, get info from fishingcoaches.org, or check on the Seahawks’ game!)
      2. Wireless email (we could email you from on the water, when the fishing is exceptionally good)
      3. Excel and Word.
      4. Cell phone
      5. Camera
      6. Video camera (now people will believe us when we tell them how big the fish was)
      7. MP3 Player (relax while you fish.), plus Bluetooth, for wireless transmission to a headphone (for music)
      8. Calendar/reminders (put your tailored Fishing Coaches fishing calendar on this, and it will automatically remind you when the best fishing is!)
      9. Metric conversion calculator:
        • “Will I get a ticket if I keep this 21 inch salmon, since it has to be over 50 centimeters here in Canada?”
        • He said the lake is 9 degrees Celsius, is that over the 48 degrees Fahrenheit the Fishing Coaches recommend for trout?”

  11. Our massive database gives us flexibility:
    1. When river guides have slow fishing since “we need some rain to bring the fish into the river”, we are fishing in the salt-water where the fish are!
    2. When salt-water charters have slow fishing since “the fish all moved up the rivers, with the rains”, we are fishing the rivers where the fish are.
    3. When salt-water charters aren’t catching fish because the wind is keeping them in port, we fish rivers or small lakes.
    4. When river guides are having poor fishing because their river is blown out, we are nailing fish in the salt-water…or maybe lakes, or different rivers.
    5. Etc.
  12. We have great fisheries on 32 species on our massive database:
    1. When bass tournament-pros have slow fishing in the winter, we fish the peak of the steelhead runs.
    2. When trout experts suffer summer lake doldroms, we have great smallmouth bass or early salmon fishing at that time.
    3. When walleye guides settle for weak “post-spawn” fishing, we’re catching hundreds of hungry trout!
    4. When river guides sulk because of high flows or low, we target the best of non-river species.
    5. Etc.
  13. We have the smooooothest trips.
    Since we have the most complete fishing “Extra-credit Reminder List” that we’ve ever seen, we bet we have the smoothest-running fishing trips of almost any fishermen in the NW (remember, it’s about having fun.)

    Here is a tiny fraction of this “Reminder List”:



  14. Live underwater video camera w/infra-red lens and 120’ cable.
    Dale has watched fish take his lure…makes fishing almost “too easy” at times.



  15. We’re very experienced as we’ve been fishing since we were kids.
    Dave Vedder, possibly the NW’s #1 fishing writer, emailed Dale the following “You obviously fish waaaay too much, and know a lot...”
  16. We don’t limit ourselves to fly-fishing, like many fly fishers do.
    But we love fly fishing.
  17. We use many fishing methods.
    A wider variety of methods than most any fisherman (trolling, jigging, casting, fly fishing, float-fishing, plunking, down-riggers, side-planers, etc.) so we can match the conditions.
  18. Dale and his main fishing partner have tons of fishing gear, to match the conditions, including:
    1. 7 motors
    2. 6 depth sounders
    3. 3 GPS units
    4. 4 downriggers....2 are electric
    5. 4 temperature gauges (both electronic ones can serve as thermocline finders)
    6. Electric trolling speedometer
    7. 28 rod-holders on one boat alone (counting rod-holder-bases, rocket-launcher rod holders, and rod-grippers).
  19. We’re boat-nuts.
    Between Dale, his dad, and brother, they have 11 boats (counting inflatables).
  20. The “Northwest” (BC, Wa, Ore, Idaho, extreme western Montana) is one of the best fishing places in the world, period!
    We’ll show you how to have some of the best fishing in the world.
  21. Whatcom County, Washington is less than 9 miles from the one river in the world with the most salmon returning to it.
    According to National Geographic, and also davidsuzuki.org, the Fraser River has 50+ million fish in some years.
  22. The Northwest has arguably the world’s best sturgeon fishing.
  23. The Northwest has arguably the world’s best cutthroat trout fishing.
  24. The Northwest has arguably the world’s best American Shad fishing.
    The average American Shad (3 lbs.) is bigger than most trout, and fights equally as hard…and harder than largemouth bass, walleye, Brook Trout, crappie, perch, rockfish, etc.
  25. The Northwest has arguably the world’s best kokanee fishing.
  26. The Northwest has arguably the world’s best smallmouth bass river fishing (Snake, Columbia, Umpqua, John Day, etc.)
  27. The Northwest’s Columbia River has arguably the biggest walleye in the world.
  28. The Northwest has arguably North America’s best steelhead fishing (including Alaska, which mostly has trout/salmon.)
  29. The Northwest has arguably the world’s best salmon fishing (except for Alaska.)
  30. The Northwest has arguably the world’s largest number of Rainbow Trout (except for Alaska.)
  31. The Northwest has arguably the world’s best Dolly Varden/Bull Trout fishing (except for Alaska.)
  32. We have the most extensive fishing contacts list (30+ pages) you’ll likely ever see.
    Allows us to get info quickly.
  33. Dale learns a lot since he loves to experiment more than most any fisherman you know!
  34. Dale has attended tons of fishing seminars.
    Some include:
    • Jim Jorgensen’s extensive Salmonar ™ course
    • Tom Nelson
    • Brian Chan
    • Terry Rudnick
    • Tony Floor
    • Denny Rickards
    • John Keizer
    • Eric Linde
    • Larry Gonczy
    • John Maynard
    • Ken Elsea classroom and on-the-water-seminar
    • Kevin Longard
    • Mark Krueger
    • John Martinis
    • Jim Johnston
    • The late Gary LaFontaine.


"We're not just fishing, we're catching!"



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