Husband and wife team, Kevin Newell and Lacey DeWeert are the guides here at Total Fisherman Guide Service.
Pro Guide Kevin Newell
Kevin started guiding on the Columbia River and other waters in Washington and Oregon in 2000.
I started guiding when I was 24 years old, fairly young by most standards, but now looking back on all of these fun times, I'm truly glad that I started at such at young age and didn't wait … so many things have changed over the years and I'm glad I was able to participate in these changes and not sit idly by waiting to make my big move into the professional guiding arena.
I live for catching high numbers of fish and a variety of different fish on the same trip, but what thrills me most is seeing multiple anglers bent over the rail of the Liberty Gun, pulling on big fish!
Pro Guide Lacey DeWeert
I'm Lacey DeWeert and fishing is my passion! It doesn't matter whether it's spring Chinook, estuary sturgeon or just a great crabbing trip, I love being on the water and sharing my love of fishing with other people.
Kevin and I live in Woodland Washington.
Woodland is kind of the epicenter of fishing here in the Northwest. This is where G. Loomis and Lamiglas rods are manufactured. Woodland has a great local fly shop and rod building supply company called Anglers Workshop as well as two different tackle stores, and every Minute Mart and even the hardware store sells bait! We sure do love our fishing in this town!
Woodland rests on the shores of the Lewis and Columbia Rivers, and within a 90 minute drive you can find yourself on at least 12 other rivers, the Pacific Ocean or a multitude of lakes and reservoirs.
It's hard to beat living in Southwest Washington or Northwest Oregon for year around fishing opportunity! We just love it here!
Kevin's Bio
I moved up from southern Oregon in the late 80's with my family to Longview, Washington. High school graduation found me departing the halls of R. A. Long High School, and after this Lacey and I moved over to the wheat fields of Pullman, Washington. In between fishing trips, I earned my four year degree in five years from Washington State University.
I should have graduated earlier ... friends and family worried that I fished too much and didn't focus enough on my studies, but apparently everything worked out okay!
I have a Bachelor of Science degree with minors in business and computer science.
I spent some time in the corporate world working for some good companies and some great people, but I just couldn't get the fishing monkey off my back. So here I am, owner of this website, and full-time fishing guide. What I do isn't so much a living as it is a lifestyle, and I wouldn't change a single minute of it!
I've been fishing my entire life.
Skiing isn't for me. I occasionally golf, but not well. My passion for hunting is definitely tempered by my overall lack of success, so I don't find myself afield much anymore. My wife won't go to the movies with me. Yardwork, tinkering around the house, washing the cars? My neighbors seem to enjoy doing all of that.
All I do is fish. Get ready to go fishing. Cleanup from having been fishing, or spend my time sharing my fishing knowledge and experiences with you, here on this website. It's what I do, it's what drives me, and I cannot imagine life any other way.
I'm on the water 200+ days a year, fishing the Columbia River, Willamette River, Tillamook Bay, Pacific Ocean, and a variety of other locations. There is a direct correlation between days spent on the water and putting fish in the boat. Being on the water day in and day out allows me to see the fish's changing patterns and to constantly hone the fine details that it takes to not only be successful as a professional fisherman, but to be able to educate my customers and my readers on the skills that they need for a great day on the water.
Lacey's Bio
Born and raised in Kelso, Washington, I have never been far from the water. My family has always been into the outdoors, whether it be hunting or fishing, it was more common to find our family in the house trailer up by Mt. St Helens rather than at Disneyland. As a kid, I loved sitting on the shores of Swift Reservoir, Silver Lake and other SW Wa lakes and streams chasing trout all day long.
As high school approached, sports took the place of fishing. I fell in love with basketball, and upon graduation from Kelso High School I earned a basketball scholarship to Lower Columbia College. A back injury cut my basketball career short, so after finishing up at LCC I moved onto Washington St. University to finish a degree in biology. I graduated from WSU with a B.S. in biology, minor in Chemistry and a 7-12 secondary education teaching endorsement, and hold a Masters from Seattle Pacific University.
Upon graduating from WSU,I applied for a job with the Kelso school district and that is where I am currently employed. I originally taught chemistry, advanced biology and integrated science at Kelso High School, now I'm the Associat Director of Teaching and Learning for the Kelso School District. So fishing isn’t my full-time job, but because our school district's schedule does allow summers and weekends off, it was a natural transition for me to get into guiding. For years I was seen on the river fishing by myself and every time I returned to the dock, Kevin’s customers were asking me when I was getting my license. As Kevin’s schedule began to max out, it seemed the next logical step to bring me onboard as a partner.
For me, fishing really is the ultimate way to spend the day. Because of my schedule, I get to spend +100 plus days a year fishing. I get the biggest thrill out of watching people tend their rods and then watching their rod fold over. I get the biggest kick out of saying the most exhilarating phrase of all, “Wait, wait, wait, get’em!” I take great pride in my gear and the preparation I put into each day.
Some of the areas I fish are quite technical, so please be assured that a great deal of thought and planning has been put into our day. My ultimate goal is to catch fish – but along with that I promise you we are going to have a safe and fun day!
EST.Total Fisherman Philosophy2000
We believe that:
- Spending your life doing something you love is the secret to happiness.
- Attention to detail and being absolutely driven, catches fish and creates success.
- A focused effort catches more fish and bigger fish. Just going through the motions is for other people.
- Spending extra time and effort toward making your day successful is important and makes a difference.
- We believe that cutting corners on expenses and effort isn't something you do, even if nobody else will know.
- We believe we should expect the most from every day on the water and hold ourselves to a higher standard.
- We should give back as much and as often as we possibly can.
- It's our job to act as stewards of the resource and as consummate professionals who know that our actions speak louder then words.
Giving 100% every day is the norm, because Buoy 10 or Estuary sturgeon or whatever season we happen to be in only comes around once a year, and in a few weeks it will be over. Let's be realistic ... every one of us has to have a last day on the water. We never know when that day will come, so we are absolutely going to make every day our best day.
We don't have gimmicks like "Fish Catch Guarantees". We won't tell you that we're catching 50 pound salmon every week, or tell you the fishing is red hot when it's not, or any of the other assorted things that guides tell prospective clients to get them on their boats. We're honest and we have integrity.
We provide high quality fishing trips at the median price for guides in the NW. We could charge more or we could charge less, but we don't want you to come fishing with us because your decision is based on price. We want you to come fishing with us because you think we run a first class operation, that we are going to treat you well, and because we catch fish.
We're not the Dollar Store of fishing guides and we certainly aren't the Four Seasons. Our pricing is middle of the road. We believe in charging enough so that we can use high quality equipment, maintain this equipment, and not have to cut corners. We also believe that charging the average price will hopefully allow you to come back more often.
We really take fishing seriously, it's our passion and we certainly want to catch fish just as much as you do; that's why we go during the best times to the best locations and spend extra time, effort, and money to make your trip the best that it can be. We want you to have a successful trip so you come back fishing with us, we also want to be successful so we maintain our reputation as top notch guides.
We take a lot of pride in our fish catching ability and we do everything in our power to put fish in the box, while at the same time having fun, and keeping you safe.
Our approach to life and to fishing isn't standard, and it would certainly be "easier" for us if we weren't worried about these things, but the easy route and the safe bet aren't what we're after. We care about you and we care about your experience on our boats.
We believe our customers, peers and fellow fishermen know that we hold this philosophy close to our hearts and that they know we are out there every day living it. We believe it's important to not let them down.
Kevin, Lacey, Chris & the whole Total Fisherman crew!
Kevin Newell & Lacey DeWeert - Team Total Fisherman
