About Jody Smith

Jody Smith is a fifth generation resident of Elkton, Oregon, nestled in the renowned Umpqua River Valley. Since an early age Smith has been pursuing the unique fish and wildlife in this part of the Pacific Northwest. Now, Smith has turned his firsthand knowledge and years of expertise to the public, offering guided fishing and hunting trips for some of the West's most prized quarry.

From his doorstep, Jody Smith has the opportunity to get you on world-class Roosevelt elk, cunning Columbia blacktail deer and what many consider to be the finest turkey hunting west of the Mississippi. In addition, the area Smith hunts holds Oregon's highest population density of black bears, which can be dynamite in both spring and fall. Waterfowl can be hunted here, and if it's the highly sought after Rocky Mountain elk or mule deer you yearn for, Smith can take you to the eastern part of the state for a crack at these giant bulls and bucks.

When it comes to fishing, the Umpqua River is arguably the top stream in the entire West. Here, Smith's family property borders the river, and he has direct access to some of the best fishing holes. Noted as a premier river for spring and fall Chinook, Smith is dialed in to these prizefighting, delectable eating fish. Capable of tipping the scales to 40 pounds or more, Umpqua River salmon attract anglers from around the globe.

In addition to spring run Chinook, the American shad start making their way into the mainstem Umpqua. From May through June, it's not uncommon to hook over 50 shad a day, and once you discover how hard they fight, you'll understand why they are refered to as the "poor man's tarpon." With runs of over 750,000 shad making their way into the Umpqua to spawn, this is one of the most exciting, most overlooked game fish in the West.

During the summer months, the Umpqua is home to some of the best smallmouth bass fishing on the planet. Here, 100 fish per day, per angler are attainable, with a chances of catching that trophy five pounder being quite real.

The Umpqua is also a premier steelhead fishery, for both winter and summer runs. This breathtaking river offers one of the best chances along the entire Pacific Coast to latch into a coveted 20-plus pound winter steelhead. The river is made for side-drifting, but lends itself to an array of other proven techniques.

As if that's not enough, the mouth of the Umpqua River offers some of the best Dungeness crabbing in the state. If traveling to Oregon to crab is not in your game plan, combine it with a fall chinook or sturgeon fishing trip. Both green and white sturgeon make their way into the Umpqua, yielding yet another unique opportunity for anglers.

Not only does Smith offer combination fishing/crabbing trips, but has some of the most attractive cast-and-blast opportunities in the entire country. Imagine chasing Roosevelt elk one day, 40 pound fall Chinook the next. Or calling in a boss tom in the early hours of a fresh spring morning, then going after springers or shad in the afternoon.

Whatever your desires, Jody Smith can taylor a trip to meet your needs. Having lived in the area for so many years, Smith, a full-time, licensed, independent guide, has access to vast tracts of private land. The prime habitat on these lands holds some of the highest game densities in western Oregon. Don't wait, call today, as these prized outings are booking up fast.

Our Equipment

Jody Smith fishes out of a 24 foot Alumaweld jet sled capable of seating 6 clients. For those cooler and wet days, his Alumaweld sled is equipped with a full canopy top and is fully heated. Jody's Alumaweld sled features a Honda trolling motor and a TR-1 Auto Pilot. Jody also fishes out of a 18 foot RiverWolf custom slidedrifter with forced air heating capable of seating 4 clients. For smaller parties Jody has an 18 foot North River jet sled which seats 3 clients comfortably.

Fishing gear used by Jody Smith Guide Service, includes Lamiglas fishing rods with Abu-Garcia and Shimano reels. Quality fishing line from P-Line. Jody Smith is a pro-staffer for many of the top brands fishing names in the industry.

On the hunting side, Jody uses exclusively Leupold optics. His clothing of choice is SportHill and Columbia with Danner/LaCrosse his footwear mainstay. Jody always carries his ThermaCELL mosquito replentant and his Benchmade Knifes.

Jody shoots BowTech archery gear, equipped with Spot-Hogg archery sights.

High-Quality Labs and Pudel Pointers provided by Elk Creek Gun Dogs or Cabin Creek Retrievers for Jody Smith's waterfowl and upland hunts. All dogs have been disciplined using the high tech Tri-Troincs training collars.

Hunting and Fishing Magazines and Television

Our hunting and fishing adventures have also been featured in numerous hunting, fishing, and outdoor magazines across the country.

• BowTech's Western Adventures
• Game Chasers
• Limbsaver Outdoors
• Outdoor America
• Woolrich's Classic Outdoor Stories
• Bow & Arrow Magazine
• WA-OR Game & Fish Magazine
• Salmon, Trout, Steelheader Magazine
• Oregon Fishing & Hunting News
• Oregon Hunter Magazine
• Eastman's Bowhunting Journal