Very helpful Guide at Astoria

[fishingfirst]

We had a wonderful sturgeon trip planned out of John Day on Sunday, unfortunately the bearings on my trailer decided they no longer wanted to be part of my fishing ensemble! We decided to go ahead and fish (as we were already at the boat ramp, and no way to fix the boat at 5 am), anyway we tried all day by cell phone to reach someone to fix the trailer, all with no success. When we arrived back at the boat ramp there was a big red Guide boat (Costa Rica adventures-not sure of the guide's name) that helped us out and called a buddy to come to our aid! I just wanted to send a big thanks for taking the time to give us a hand in finding a mechanic :cheers: .
I wish I would have written down his name as he deserves the recognition, so if anyone knows, please let me know.

Unfortunately (yeah right!!!) we had to stay an extra night while waiting on the trailer repair, which meant one more day of fishing (no sense in waiting at the marina). :grin: :grin: Also I would like to thank the guys at Free Willy bait and marine for staying late Sunday and Monday getting the job done (allowing me to be able to drag the boat home afterwards).

And now the other important part......yes we did catch fish, two at 44" and one 51" hog. We had a great time!

Thanks again for all who helped!

Scott

[ultramag]

The guides name is
Andy (very nice guy)

We fished with him last year for springers...
He runs a pretty clean ship,all of his equipment was very well taken care of,he was very knowledgable,and most importantly he put on top of quite a few fish...

[fishingfirst]

Thanks for the name, and Andy if you are on here, thanks a bunch your help it was greatly appreciated.

Scott

[Killertraylor]

His last name is Bitner. You must have cought him on a good day. He ran up behind us at Buoy 10 about three years ago - going faster than us and all the boats around us, nearly broke one of our rods while steering his boat with a remote for his trolling motor and then he yelled at us and told us to watch where WE were going. His crew was pretty embarrassed. I've seen him really put the hurt on the springers fishing off the wing dams on the lower Columbia and other people have told me nice things about him. Maybe he was just having a bad day when he ran into us?

[Tacklebuster]

Andy Betner...... He is top notch when finding and catching fish... Any fish.

He is pretty cocky and I have seen him yelling at other boats during the B10 circus. I have also seen hundreds of other boats with skippers doing the same. I would say he is a nice enough guy at the ramp especially when a person is in need but on the water with a boat full of customers he is all business.

Glad he was able to help you out.

[Pitch Pocket]

Andy Betner taught me how to fish sturgeon many years ago. I've heard some people bad mouth him and perhaps he gets a little testy, but that man knows how to fish. He is one of the hardest working guides on the water and won't quit on you like I've seen some other guides do. Truth is, if he's yelling at someone, they probably deserve it. After all, he is a professional. :wink:

You can get hold of him through Reese's "Guides Forcast". There is a link on iFish.

[TeamYeeha]

Went to school with Andy. He's a nice guy and puts alot a fish in the boat :cheers:

Larry

[Killertraylor]

SjP - I guess those top notch guides have different fishing rules than the rest of us. In my initial post, I gave him the benefit of the doubt - maybe he was just having a bad day.
However, where I learned to fish, if a guy trolls right up to your stern, going faster than the fleet, almost hitting your boat, and you have to bring a rod in to keep him from busting it off, it's his fault. If instead of apologizing he cusses you out, that's seen as anything but professional. Your implication that we deserved being yelled at is nonsense. Just because a guy catches lots of fish doesn't make him a professional. Common courtesy for others on the water and treating everyone with respect make you a professional.

[Pitch Pocket]

Whoa Killer*, I was being facetious (hopefully indicated by the winking happy face). Next time I'll be more blunt and spell it out for you so you don't attack me. How many people do you cuss out on the river?

[Killertraylor]

Sorry bout that - my bad. Now I know how everyone else feels when I'm being sarcastic and they don't know it.

I've never cussed anyone out, although I came close that day with Andy. He was embarassed enough by acting the way he did in front of his crew. I did cut a guy's line once when he trolled right inbetween my boat and another that was anchored not 10 feet away on the Mult. Channel. He did it once and miraculously missed our kwikfish - I told him not to do it again as he was trolling right over the top of my plug. He did it again and snagged us real good so I just cut his line.

Anyway - sorry again - I thought you were being serious! Now I know what that little winking smile means....

[Pitch Pocket]

No problem Killer. Being subtle has it's drawbacks.

I've learned that there are a lot of dummies on the river just like there are in life. Piloting a boat seems easy until you actually get the thing out there and are affected by wind, current, wakes and confusion. I've learned to give other boaters the benefit of the doubt because even I (yes even I) have put my head down tying a hook or unraveling a tangle and careened off course causing widespread panic in a crowd. :shocked:

Personalities on the river range from the calm to the frantic. If anyone fishes B10 and gets upset at the antics of the crowd playing bumper boat, whether guides or just normal folk, they should be fishing where the crowds are not. It's can be combat fishing at it's best. I am constantly amazed at peoples cluelessness at that buoy (and elsewhere). I've been cut off, crashed into, tangled.......you name it.

Back on topic, I like Andy. He taught me a lot and is a top notch individual. Given the fact that he fishes almost every day, I'm sure he see's his share of incidents on the river. I wouldn't doubt he can have a bad day or two.

[Paddlefish]

Well and reasonably stated, SjP.

For a further example, see Crabbait's post down in the "Fishing Follies" thread. :hoboy:

[TeamYeeha]

No doubt SJP Andy is a great guy and the bouy 10 season brings out some real idiots and most of them think it's the other guy that's the problem. Everybody has to be aware and moving to avoid issues like that. Fishing tough with everyone holding on the line. I don't know why they don't go outside and fish. One thing for sure people need to give boats with fish on more room. I too was cut off multiple times while playing fish there some jacka$$es don't even know what there doing there.

And Andy does know how to fish that area