The Washington State Guides Association is a professional sport fishing guide and charter operator organization. We were created to represent our common interest throughout the State of Washington. This page outlines our mission & vision and what we support.
If you are a professional guide or charter operator, whether you are part-time or full time, your participation is critical for the success of Washington State Guides Association.
If all you do is maintain an active membership, we welcome you. You have helped our industry statewide.
The WSGA Executive Board is very active. We meet monthly and have open lines of communication with WDFW. Washington State guides and charter operators face issues unlike that of any other state in our country. While the tasks and issues may be daunting and slow moving, our association is here to address those issues.
We look forward to working with you so we can accomplish our mission. We want more fishing opportunity for everyone!
Our Mission
WSGA is the voice of the sport fishing guide and charter industry in Washington State. Fishing guides and charter operators provide access to public resources for the general public. Through integrity and professionalism, we strive to help WDFW improve and maintain healthy sport-fisheries for all anglers.
“We recognize necessary restrictions that promote conservation, stewardship and sustainable use of our fisheries. It is also important we are not regulated out of our workplace and fisheries now and in the future.”
Our Vision
Have a positive working relationship with WDFW, legislation and fellow anglers in an effort to see a strong and stable sport fishing guide and charter industry and abundant fish populations for all to enjoy, both today and in the future.
“We represent the professional guiding and charter operator industry in Washington State, to ensure we are represented at the state level to achieve our vision.”
We Support
Fisheries should be crafted in a way that is consistent with conservation, yet maximize angler trips and the statewide economical impact associated with those trips.
- We support increasing hatchery production wherever possible. We recognize that we now live in a world where ESA may constrain where and how hatchery production is implemented. We believe strongly in advocating for more fish, both hatchery and wild. With that being said, we understand the science may not always allow that to be possible.
- We believe in order to make meaningful progress in recovering wild salmon and steelhead populations, it is essential to have a well balanced ecosystem. This includes keeping their natural predators in check. Pinniped populations have grown exponentially, unchecked. We support state and federal managers using whatever tools necessary to bring this population down to a healthy level.
- WSGA supports mark selective fisheries as a tool to maximize angler opportunity and as a tool to help control pHOS (percent Hatchery-Origin Spawners).
WSGA Core Values
Professionalism – Competency and maintaining the highest standards in our engagements with membership, the public and government.
Integrity – Adherence to moral and ethical principles.
Passion – We eat, sleep and breathe our livelihood.
Anglers – Anglers are the heart and soul of sport fishing.
Our state has a tremendous amount of visitors from all over the world. As professional guides and charter operators, we depend on these visitors and the fisheries they endeavor to experience through our independently owned guide and charter services. Washington State once featured destination fisheries, which people from all over the world experienced. We need to work toward this goal once again.
There are a lot of fishing associations throughout Washington State and beyond. While many associations have the best intentions on a variety of fishing issues, as a matter of practice WSGA does not endorse letters from these associations. If WSGA membership and executive board feels strongly on an issue, WSGA will write a “Stand Alone” letter on the issue.