Tillamook Fishing with Big Johnson’s Guide Service FAQs

All rods, tackle, gear, and bait are provided. Jamison handles the fish cleaning for salmon and steelhead on river trips; the marina handles bottom fish and crab. Clients provide their own Oregon fishing license, food, and drinks.

I am often surprised! A regular haul might include Chinook salmon, coho salmon, steelhead, Dungeness crab, halibut, lingcod, black rockfish, and sea bass. But I’ve had Humboldt squid come to the surface—big ones that turn an ink fire hose on you the moment they’re near the boat. I’ve caught occasional octopuses, wolf eels, Cabezon (green when you catch them whose delicious flesh turns white when you cook it.) The ocean off the Oregon Coast keeps you guessing as it is teeming with aquatic wildlife.

If you’re prone to seasickness, take precautions before you arrive—not when you’re already on the boat. Jamison recommends taking Dramamine the night before, not the morning of. By the time you’re underway, it’s already in your system.

If you forget, Jamison keeps ginger candies on the boat. Ginger can settle a queasy stomach before it gets worse.

“If I have a full boat, there’s usually at least one person who gets sick,” Jamison says. “If you know you’re sensitive, prepare the night before.”

There is no minimum age. Jamison has had clients as young as two and three years old on the boat. As long as young children aren’t a safety risk and their parents are comfortable, they’re welcome. All safety equipment – including child-appropriate life jackets – is on board.

Most fishing trips don’t require significant physical fitness. You’ll be sitting or standing on a stable platform for the majority of the day.

Raft trips are the exception. The upper river raft trips involve dragging gear to non-traditional launch points through brush. These trips require more physical effort and reasonably able bodies.

For guests with mobility limitations, please call Jamison on 503-812-6403 in advance so he can plan the most appropriate trip.

The Oregon Coast runs cold in the morning, even in summer. Ocean trips start at first light and the air off the water will remind you of that. Dress in layers.

Ocean trips:
• Base layer and mid-layer (fleece or similar)
• Wind and waterproof outer layer
• A light poncho or rain jacket for ocean spray
• Non-slip shoes or boots – the boat deck gets wet
By midday on a summer trip, it’s often warm enough to shed layers. Start with more than you think you need.

River trips:
On river trips, rain is the norm, not the exception. “It’s not if it’s going to rain,” Jamison says, “…it’s how much.” (In Oregon, there is no bad weather, only bad clothing!)

• Full waterproof rain gear—jacket and pants
• Waterproof boots or rubber boots
• Warm layers underneath—a cold, wet day on a river drains heat fast

Summer trips start around 5:00–5:30 a.m.
If you’re traveling to Tillamook for a trip – and many of Jamison’s clients do, from Portland, across the Western states, and internationally – an overnight stay before an early morning departure is worth considering.

Tillamook has motel accommodations, and there are Airbnb options in the area.

Jamison will confirm your exact meeting point when he confirms your booking.
The primary ocean and bay meeting point is often Garibaldi Marina, Garibaldi, Oregon but check your booking confirmation.
Here are some locations of boat launches in Oregon that we depart from.

If weather makes an ocean trip unsafe, Jamison monitors conditions several days in advance and contacts clients early. Trips cancelled due to weather will be rescheduled or the deposit refunded. We require 30 days notice of cancellation for client-cancelled trips.

Gratuity is never expected or required. If you had a great day, it is always appreciated.

If you don’t see your question listed please send me a message.