Category Archives: News Release

What it takes to be a professional charter fishing guide

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With years of fishing experience, a passion for educating others and a lot of flexibility, being a professional charter fishing guide is one of those jobs where work doesn’t feel like work.

In the state of Oregon, to become a charter fishing guide one will need to register with the Oregon State Marine Board. The board recognizes these individuals as Outfitter Guides.

Along with registering there are a number of minimum requirements they need to meet, such as providing proof of insurance, having basic First Aid and CPR skills and having an updated Passenger Boat Operator’s certification or license.

Outfitter Guides have options of choosing [More information can be found at https://www.oregon.gov/osmb/Pages/Guides-Charters.aspx]

Betty Kay fishing charter catch
Captain Kurt Smith of Betty Kay Charters

Aside from the legal side of what it takes to be a professional charter fishing guide, it is important for Outfitters to be familiar with their local area. Taking groups of people out to sea to catch fish can be more of an experience if the guide is knowledgeable about the local marine wildlife, history and weather patterns of the area.

Fishing charter companies will usually start preparing for the next days tours the night before. Getting the lines and bait ready and checking the National Weather Service are just a few of the things that need to be done before the usual 4 am wake up call on the day of a tour.

Guides are usually prepared to take one or two tours a day, depending on the season. On the Oregon Coast they can catch Lingcod, Rockfish, Tuna, Salmon, Chinook, Steelhead and Halibut.

As unpredictable the weather can be at the Coast, flexibility is important, along with people able to communicate to clients. Think you have what it takes to be a professional charter fishing guide?

New…Oregon iNaturalist

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The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has created an iNaturalist project to increase their knowledge of wildlife and biodiversity in the state, with special emphasis on the Oregon Conservation Strategy Species. The following is their description of the project and links to participate.

Have you ever taken a picture of wildlife in Oregon and wondered if anyone might want to know where you saw it? We do!

Help us improve our conservation efforts by sharing your wildlife observations! The Oregon Wildlife Conservation iNaturalist Project allows you to share your wildlife observation data directly with biologists. Even if you can’t identify what species you are looking at, odds are that someone in the iNaturalist community can. Participation in this project helps to enhance our understanding of wildlife in our state, and your data can help improve wildlife conservation efforts in Oregon.

It is not possible for the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) to survey all wildlife species, we need your help to monitor their presence and distributions across the state. The Oregon Wildlife Conservation iNaturalist Project was developed to collect wildlife observation data from community scientists like you on amphibians, birds, mammals and reptiles across Oregon. While we are interested in all wildlife observations, we are particularly interested in your observations of the 109 wildlife Strategy Species, or species of greatest conservation need, and Strategy Data Gap Species that are missing key information needed to accurately determine their conservation status.

The information gathered will augment ongoing research efforts, conservation actions, and management plans for sensitive wildlife species by ODFW and our partners. Your help is crucial for the successful conservation of Oregon’s wildlife species! iNaturalist is a free online tool managed by the California Academy of Sciences and the National Geographic Society that helps users to identify, report, and learn more about the plants and animals they observe.

We appreciate your contribution and ask that you help to spread the word.

Enjoy!

Tide Pooling on the Oregon Coast

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 The Oregon Coast has some excellent areas for tide pooling, which amazes and attracts visitors of all ages. Tide pooling is going out to rocky shores at low tides to touch and observe critters that live there.

During low tide, organisms that live in zones between the high and low tide are exposed from the water. They can be seen stuck to rocks or swimming and crawling in small tide pools of water. Some cannot withstand being exposed to air for very long. 

As tides go out, more delicate organisms will be visible. Therefore, it is important to track low tides and times before planning a tide pooling trip.

Resources

There are many resources for identifying wildlife in tide pools and along the beaches, such as ID guides found in bookstores or that can be printed online. In addition, some Oregon State Parks offer interpretive walks and other programs open to the public.

Guides

There are also opportunities to hire guides for tide pooling, such as Wavecrest Discoveries. By going tide pooling with a guide, you get much more out of the experience than just being able to identify different species. You also learn more about the area, hear additional stories about the organisms, and gain more information that you could never learn independently.

Giant Green Anemones and Sea Stars are reveled at lower tides. Photo by Susan Dimock

When tide pooling, it is important to wear proper footwear, as many of the rocks are went and covered with algae and can be very slippery. The marine layer can also lead to variable weather, so wearing multiple layers will provide the most comfort.

Rocks covered in kelp provide habitats for many species that are fun to look at. Photo by Justin Myers

For more information about tide pooling on the Oregon Coast, visit http://oregontidepools.org/.