Fish the mouth
of the Columbia.
Salmon, albacore tuna, lingcod, and bottomfish out of Ilwaco — six anglers max, gear and bait included, and a captain who's crossed the Columbia Bar more times than he can count.
USCG-licensed & insured · All gear, bait & tackle included · Fish cleaned and bagged at the dock
What we run
Per-person rates, everything included except your fishing license. Want the boat to yourselves? Book all six seats and it's a private charter — same price, your crew only.
Chinook & Coho Salmon
The classic Ilwaco tripTroll the Columbia mouth and the nearshore ocean for kings and silvers. When the bite is on out here, it's some of the best salmon fishing on the West Coast.
Albacore Tuna
The long run — worth itRun 30–50 miles offshore to the warm blue water and get on hard-pulling albacore. Long day, sore arms, and a fish box you'll need help carrying.
Lingcod & Rockfish
Best trip for first-timersSteady action over the reefs — lingcod, black rockfish, and sea bass. Kids and first-timers almost always go home with a limit and a story.
Bottomfish + Crab Combo
Fish the reef, pull the potsWe drop Dungeness pots on the way out, fish the reefs, and pull the pots on the way home. Rockfish fillets and fresh crab in the same cooler.
What's running when
Rough guide to a typical year out of Ilwaco. Exact openers and quotas are set by the state each season — when you request dates we'll confirm what's open.
F/V Blackmouth
A 34-foot aluminum crew boat built for the Washington coast — fast enough to beat the afternoon wind home, heavy enough to fish comfortably when there's a lump running.
- 34' welded aluminum hull with twin diesels — built for bar crossings, not borrowed from a lake.
- Heated cabin and a real marine head — warm up, dry off, and yes, there's a bathroom.
- Full electronics — radar, GPS, sonar, and VHF, checked before every trip.
- USCG safety gear for eight — life raft, EPIRB, and jackets in every size, inspected annually.
- Six anglers, one deckhand — room to fight a fish without tangling your neighbor.
Capt. Marco Reyes
USCG 50-Ton Master · 22 seasons out of IlwacoMarco grew up crabbing with his uncle out of Chinook and has run charters off the Columbia mouth since 2004. He'll put you on fish, teach your kids to work a rod, and tell you exactly why the bar decides whether anyone fishes today — because out here, the bar is the boss.
What's covered, what's on you
We've got it
- Rods, reels, and terminal tackle — quality gear, rigged and ready
- Bait and all lures for the day's trip
- Fish cleaning, filleting, and bagging back at the dock
- Life jackets and all USCG safety equipment
- Hot coffee on the way out — non-negotiable
You bring
- Washington fishing license + salmon/tuna tag (port store opens at 4:30 AM)
- Layers and rain gear — mornings are cold even in August
- Rubber-soled boots or shoes (leave the flip-flops at the beach)
- Lunch, snacks, and drinks — soft-sided cooler if you can
- Seasickness meds the night before and the morning of — trust us
- A cooler in the car for the ride home
Why people come back
Some days it's the fish box. Some days it's the whales, the sunrise, or just being out past the bar before the world wakes up.
The fish box
Iced the minute they hit the deck — your fillets taste like it.
The neighbors
Grays and humpbacks work the same water we do. No extra charge.
The water
Every day out here looks different. That's half the reason we go.
First light
We're through the bar at dawn. The sunrise is part of the trip.
Dinner, sorted
Cleaned and bagged at the dock — from deck to dinner table same day.
The good days
Flat calm off the cape. When you get one of these, you don't forget it.
What the crew says
"Limits of coho by 10 AM and the deckhand had my son fighting his own fish by the second drop. Marco called the weather straight all week — when he says go, you go."
"First tuna trip ever. 50 miles out, arms destroyed, cooler full. They cleaned everything at the dock while we grabbed lunch at the port. Already booked next August."
"Took my dad for his 70th. Weather pushed our first date and they rebooked us for two days later, no hassle. Boat's clean, gear's good, and the lingcod fishing was stupid fun."
Request your dates
Tell us when you want to fish and how many are coming. We'll confirm open dates within a day — faster during the season. Prefer to talk it through? Call or text any evening.
Request received.
We'll check the calendar and get back to you within a day to confirm your date and square away the deposit. Watch your phone — we usually text first.
The good dates go first.
July and August weekends book out by spring. Grab yours.