Got Questions?
We don’t have all the answers but cobbled together a few below
GENERAL FAQs
What time do we arrive for our fishing or hunting trip?
We meet at Half Sun gas station at around 5:30 each morning but daily adjustments are often made. We’ll contact you via the preferred method indicated on your booking form within 48 hours of your trip, email, SMS or the ol’ phone call. Be sure to check out our trip planning page for more details.
Does Eastern Washington Guides handle VIP or custom trips?
Yes. If you’re taking your own jet in or chartering one, please contact us for custom package details. Package options can include multiple days, combo trips, catered shore meals, and more.
What sort of tipping & gratuity guidance can you give?
Gratuities are not included in hunting trip or fishing trip price. Gratuities show the guide how they performed, are greatly appreciated (Gratuities range from 15-20% of the total trip cost on average), and typically handled during or after decoys are being packed up.
Do trip prices include hunting & fishing licenses?
No. Trip prices do not include travel, tags, hotels, meals, or licenses. You can buy your hunting & fishing license in person around Moses Lake or Washington State DFW online.
Does Eastern Washington Guides clean fish & process waterfowl?
Booked trips do not include animal care or fish cleaning as part of the price but we do offer it as an add-on. Please talk to your guide before the fishing trip or waterfowl hunt for details.
Do you accommodate for video production or film crews?
We sure do! There have been a host of outdoor television shows in our blinds let alone YouTube, TikTok or other content creators. The cost for each non-hunter is $100 per person. We recommend a pre-production call or two with your guide to plan out possible camera wells and locations.
Why are your online prices less than paying in-person
We are offering discounts for customers registering and booking trips online throughout 2021 and early 2022 seasons. The discounts vary in amounts but roughly 20% the price if you pay in person.
Are non-hunting or non-fishing guests allowed?
Yes! We’re a family operation and enjoy welcoming people into the field, even if they’re not hunting. Family or friends interested in attending but not hunting will be $100 per person; the same goes for video production or content creation teams.
What payment options do you take?
WATERFOWL FAQs
Does Eastern Washington Guides shoot more ducks or geese on guided hunts?
It’s a coin flip. We don’t keep customer harvest records, we bang an awful lot of ducks every year, but adding up snow’s and Canada goose hunts, we think the prize probably goes to the goose.
Should I bring Waders?
It depends on your preference but if you have a set of waders, we say bring em’. Since we typically make the call on where we’re hunting after we scout the proceeding day we could opt to hunt over water in which case waders are nice, but not required.
What happens if we don’t limit?
We rarely have a slow day but never promise limits. Eastern Washington Guides continuously scouts working tirelessly to put our customers on birds and also work equally hard to get birds to setup for landing on our deeks so shot opportunities are close.
I’m learning to Goose & Duck call, should I bring my calls?
As long as you don’t get intimidated by two of our guides being in the top 5 of the 2020 Goose Calling World Championships! As long as you know there might be times we ask you to stow the calls – if so, we’ll ask quietly.
Will I learn to be a better duck or goose hunter after a fully guided waterfowl trip with Eastern Washington Guides?
Many of our clients are guides themselves or have been hunting for a lifetime. So, If you’re a long-time duck or goose hunter, probably not.
However, if you’re new to waterfowl hunting, one of the best ways to learn is through fully-guided trips w/ experienced guides as much as your budget allows, especially early on in your hunting development.
How much shotgun ammo should I bring or buy for a waterfowl hunt?
How good of aim do you have? We’re kidding, kind of. For our goose and duck hunts, we recommend 3 boxes. For most of our dove hunts, bring as much ammo as your shoulder can take.
If I’m only able to hunt one weekend, when is the hottest hunting?
That’s tough, we have quite a few weekends where the goose and duck hunting is lights out so difficult to hone in on one, let alone in advance of weekly shifts. We recommend signing up for our Kamp Blast. We won’t spam you but will let you know better times to take advantage of active birds
Does Eastern Washington Guides accept new hunters as clients?
Yes! You bet we do! Per Washington State DFW, “All hunters born after Jan. 1, 1972 must show proof of hunter education course completion before purchasing their first Washington hunting license.” If required by your age and upon successful passing of the course, we’re ready to roll. Please indicate your new hunter status (or relatively new) in your online booking notes and be sure to let your guide know leading up to your hunt.
Why do your guides look to finish (or land) birds vs take passing shots whenever possible; aka the “No Sky Busting Zone”?
We take pride in shooting birds on final approach - or just as they’re touching down in our fully flocked Dave Smith goose or fully flocked duck decoys. It’s both the most ethical shot you can take also increasing your chances of a limit. It’s also hands down the best in-your-face guided waterfowling experience in Washington State.
Can I bring my own dog to hunt with?
Dogs are allowed on occasion but require individual approval from Aaron in advance. We love dogs and seeing trained dogs work however we must ensure all clients have an enjoyable time. An unruly dog in the blind can make for a frustrating day for all.
If my dog is approved to hunt, are there any special blind requirements
Yes. For hunts utilizing our Final Approach Eliminator XL blinds we ask dogs to “kennel” in the layout blind with the owner, preferably behind the back rest.
Do clients get a refund if a limit is not shot?
Don’t be silly. All of our guides work extremely hard scouting, blind building, laying out decoy spreads, and calling to put clients on birds. To be honest, we rarely get skunked, but at the same time, make no guarantees. After all, this is hunting.
What’s a typical guided waterfowl trip look like?
A typical waterfowl hunt with Eastern Washington Guides consists of a morning meetup time and location determined by your guide the day. From our morning meetup location, we’ll drive out to the field, set up decoys, finish grassing blinds if needed, and patiently wait for legal shooting time as we regularly have birds in our decoys off the rip.
We hunt until we limit or early afternoon; sometimes we hunt the entire day, other times we move to another location, while other times we call it a day just after lunch; each hunt is slightly different. We’d suggest planning on an 8-hour day although many of our trips last 6-7 hours or much faster when we limit.
FISHING FAQs
What’s a typical fishing trip look like?
Morning meetup at Half-Sun gas station or at a boat launch determined by your guide. We recommend being on the water around sunrise but not required either. We’ll create a fishing experience around the kind of day you’d like to have on the water.
How many people are in each group?
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What’s the best time of the year to catch big Eastern Washington Largemouth Bass?
It’s hard to beat the stretching line on big Eastern Washington State largemouth in the spring and mid-summer. The lakes around Moses lake produce Fatty largemouth bass for the catching all year but spring through the summer for largemouth is hot.
Are trips rescheduled due to the weather?
Our anglers rarely see a cancellation as do our hunting groups. Our guides would need to determine it to be unsafe boating conditions for us to look at rescheduling. Our team can put you on fish, there’s plenty around Moses Lake, in Potholes and the Columbia River just waiting to be hooked!
What size bass might I expect to catch on a guided trip with Eastern Washington Guides?
Average-sized largemouth bass in Potholes are in the 3lb-4lb range with ample opportunities to stretch your fishing line on 5lb+ Fatty’s too. Our smallies are bigger on average than the average smallmouth bass found in most waterways on the west side of the mountains and fight harder too. We’re not saying a word about the humans on the west side of the mountains - nope, mum is the word!
What’s the best time of the year to catch big Eastern Washington Walleye?
We’d be hard-pressed to give you the best time. We can put you on Walleye morning, noon, and night – warm weather or really cold. All freshwater areas statewide are open > DFW Statewide Freshwater Regs
What’s the best time of year to book a Bowfishing trip in Eastern Washington State?
Bowfishing in eastern Washington State can be had year around. Our guides can put you on giant Carp nearly year around on Potholes. If you prefer to bowfish in the spring, we’ll find Carp in the shallows. If you’d rather bowfish later in the summer as a fun practice before bowhunting then we’ll benefit from the overall water levels in Potholes getting lower as the summer progresses.
What fish species are available on your guided trips?
It depends on the time of year but generally our guided trips target largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, sturgeon, carp (bow fishing), salmon, and steelhead.
Will I learn to be a better angler after a fully guided fishing trip with Eastern Washington Guides?
If you’re a new or relatively new angler, yes. If you’re fishing for bass with Aaron – probably. Maybe it’s recommendations on a fishing spot, or how to fish it; equipment setup, tips on casting accuracy or more. All of our guides have a wealth of knowledge ranging from understanding electronics, how temperature effects fishing or selecting the right tackle based on the conditions.