It is not easy for small time entrepreneurs to muscle their way into the fishing bait and tackle business in the Northwest. Much of the industry is dominated by companies that have been around for a long time and have locked up their share of the market.
They also tend to have deeper pockets than the smaller businesses.
But Landon Connorton, a Longview-based tugboat operator and owner of River City Guide fishing guide service, has done just that, growing his bait business with products that have become staples of the local fishing scene.
His concern, River City Fishing Products LLC, makes what is hands down the most popular coon shrimp bait in Southwest Washington, aptly named Washington Coon Shrimp.
Coon shrimp are cured and dyed shrimp that are a very popular and effective bait used to catch winter and summer steelhead, and spring Chinook. For years the market has been dominated by a few large bait companies, but now local anglers are buying mostly Connorton’s shrimp.
“We got our license to sell Washington Coon Shrimp in 2014,” said Connorton. “We started with one small convenience store. They purchased six jars of coon shrimp.
“Then it became popular. More people started to know about it and now we sell a lot of it.”
His baits have truly caught on, and now anglers can buy Washington Coon Shrimp in 18 stores across the region.
How did this bait become so popular? Simply put, it catches fish.
Why?
Connorton said it is the quality that makes his baits so effective. He purchases the shrimp from local commercial fishermen, and he personally takes special care with the products.
“They are hand-sorted and selected,” said Connorton. “My hand touches every shrimp in the jar.”
As he works through the shrimp, he discards any that are not in perfect shape.
It is not easy work. He reports that during his busiest season, he can spend up to 16 hours a day processing shrimp.
The baits are sold in three sizes.
“We have a six ounce package that is just the tails, a 16 ounce package, and whole shrimp at 19 ounces,” said Connorton. “The larger baits are specifically used for spring Chinook.”
Anglers often fish coon shrimp below a slip-bobber for summer and winter steelhead in tributaries of the Columbia. This method is popular in fisheries such as Drano Lake and the Klickitat River. They are also fished extensively in local rivers such As the Lewis and Cowlitz.
Anglers that fish the mainstem Columbia River use the baits when “plunking”, a method of fishing stationary baits from the rivers’ beaches. The coon shrimp are used to tip Spin-n-glos that are the main lure used in the technique.
However, Connorton developed the baits to use with his favorite method for salmon and steelhead, backtrolling.
“The majority of my fishing is done by backtrolling with a Brads standard or magnum diver,” said Connorton, “with a size 10 or 12 spin-n-glo. That is typically a lot smaller than what other people use. I fish them with a four to six-foot leader.
He described how he rigs the business end of the leader.
“I use two hooks, a size one hook on top then a smaller one, a size four hook (rigged) one and a half to two inches apart. I straighten out the coon shrimp as much as possible, bring the big hook through the carapace, and run the tail of the shrimp up the line. I then run three or four half hitches around the tail.”
He also strings two beads between the bait and the Spin-n-glo.
With the baits thus rigged behind the divers, he simply backs his boat slowly down the river, as the divers hold the baits at the right depth.
“The rivers I usually backtroll you can use two rods, so I always run a diver and coon shrimp on one rod, and I run a Yakima Bait Maglip on the other rod.”
He is also developing a cured salmon eggs bait which he will be marketing soon. It will be named Tribu-berries. He is currently in the process of getting the trademark for them.
He has had good success backtrolling the eggs for winter steelhead.
“We get a few hundred steelhead a year on them,” he said.
They also work well for side-drifting, which he often employs for salmon.
“We did very well in August and September side-drifting for salmon,” he added.
The future looks bright for River City Fishing Products. Connorton is looking to hire a marketer soon and add a website. He also employs a couple people to help during his busiest season.
Interested fisherman can check out his Facebook page to see a full list of the stores that carry his baits. That list includes Angler West in Woodland, Bob’s Sporting Goods in Longview, and Fish Field in Tigard. Many of the stores will ship the shrimp to customers, but Connorton himself does not ship or sell the bait himself.
River City Fishing Products: 360-431-8423
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/River-City-Fishing-Products-Washington-Coon-Shrimp-Tribu-berries-1021925527818948/
