GSO Fishing

GSO Fishing GSO Fishing strives to support anglers, and give our customers the ultimate fishing experience. Throughout the years, we haven’t just hired any and everyone.
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GSO Fishing launched our first boat on Blue Mesa Reservoir in 2006 as Gunnison Sports Outfitters. We only had one boat and one guide back then, but our vision was to help our clients make memories that would last them a lifetime. Over the past 15 years, our team, fleet, and family have grown tremendously, but the foundation of GSO Fishing remains the same. We knew that to give our clients the best

possible experience on the water, we needed to hold our team to higher standards. Don Mills was the first person to join our Gunnison Sports Outfitters Team as a deckhand. His guidance over the years truly set us on the path that we follow today. Each team member is unique, has excellent fishing skills, but most importantly, they work together as a team to ensure that their clients experience the best fishing trip possible. We are blessed to get to work with this talented group of anglers. In 2018, after a lifetime of fishing, years of guiding, and almost two decades as a buyer in the fishing industry, Andy couldn’t find products on the market that we needed for our style of fishing. So, that year we began creating and testing our own products. Thus, in 2019 our line of GSO Premium Jigs was born. Just like on our guided trips, we hold our products to higher standards. All of our jigs are hand-poured, trimmed, and packaged. We spend countless hours designing each jig until we get it just right, and we use only the best materials ensuring they hold up to all fishing conditions. We’ve worked hard to make sure they’ve earned their title as Premium Fishing Jigs. Although fishing is the core of our business, and our team is the strength behind it, our family remains the heart. Our four wonderful daughters have grown up napping, crawling, and eventually walking the decks of our boats. We’ve spent thousands of hours on the water as a family, growing, making memories, learning tough life lessons, healing, and catching fish. Now, our girls help us run the different divisions of GSO Fishing, are the faces of the company, and have even helped out as deckhands on some of our guided trips. Our team, guiding locations, family, and business have grown tremendously over the past 15 years, but our dedication to our clients and the foundation of our business still stand firm. So whether you are on a guided fishing trip, fishing our Premium jigs, or taking one of our online courses, we want you to know that we value you and genuinely appreciate your support of our GSO Fishing Team and Family.

Fish trivia time 👇There’s a XL lake dwelling “trout” out there that isn’t a trout at all… but it acts like one and eats ...
11/01/2025

Fish trivia time 👇

There’s a XL lake dwelling “trout” out there that isn’t a trout at all… but it acts like one and eats them too.
Any guesses?

10/31/2025

Comment eBook in the comments below to grab your copy today!

Anglers ask for our "secret" to catching fish all the time, and they don't believe us when we say knowledge. Time spent learning about your species before you ever cast your first line can save you hours, weeks, months, or years of guessing.

It's not glamorous and there is no easy button like a fancy new rod or lure. It's figuring out what makes your target species tick.

Understanding their diet, habitat, seasonal patterns, etc. sets you up for success! This helps you narrow down where to fish, what techniques to try, what lure to use, and more!

This is our secret weapon and what can set anglers apart in this sport, as well as any field of study.

So, if you want the secret to our team's 20 years of success, it's knowledge; and we teach you all about it in our new Know Your Species eBook. Get yours now.

10/30/25 Blue Mesa Fishing & Conditions Update: Tomorrow marks the end of October and we can't wait to see what November...
10/30/2025

10/30/25 Blue Mesa Fishing & Conditions Update: Tomorrow marks the end of October and we can't wait to see what November brings! It’s some of the best fishing of the year and although anglers are restricted to shoreline access at Blue Mesa right now, that actually works in their favor in November because it is the one month of the year that you can access every species in the lake from the shoreline!!!

We hope you all have a safe and Happy Halloween!!! 🎃👻

Support The Report: A huge thank-you to Andy Lightbody, Weldon Allen, Mark Painter, Kevin King, and Alan Lubow for supporting the report!

This is what your support makes possible: hours spent collecting data in, around, and on the lake, conversations with local agencies, digging through water reports, and piecing together everything that helps paint the full picture of Blue Mesa’s current conditions.

Our weekly Blue Mesa Fishing Reports are free for the community, but they take real time, effort, and resources to produce. If you’ve found value in these updates, please consider supporting the report. Your contribution helps cover fuel, tech costs, and the behind-the-scenes work that keeps this information coming every week. - The GSO Fishing Family

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Blue Mesa Conditions:

Water Level: 54.61 feet below full (47.88% capacity)
The lake should now remain stable at about 54-55 feet low. The Water Year has ended and flows going out now typically meet the inflow coming in.

Gunnison River Flow: 272 cfs

Blue Mesa remains closed to boating. Shoreline access and hand launch craft are allowed. No electric motors.

Roaring Judy Kokanee Giveaways: Roaring Judy Give-Away at the Hatchery north of Gunnison October 31, November 7 (Fridays)

Be in line by 9:00 AM to receive fish.
Call 970-641-7070 or 970-641-0190 evening before giveaway for update on numbers expected to be given away.

You will need a valid fishing license to receive ‘Give-Away’ Kokanee. Donation certificates will be issued at the give-aways if the number of fish exceeds 10 per angler.

For youth to receive Kokanee, they must be accompanied by a license holding adult. Up to 4 youth may receive fish with each licensed adult.

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Historical Fall Fishing Conditions:

Kokanee Salmon: Kokanee snagging season Starts November 1st in Blue Mesa and the Gunnison River

Anglers are successfully catching them in the river from just above the lake all the way up to the hatchery, but remember they are catch and release from the high water mark of the lake (near the Lake City Bridge) all the way to the Roaring Judy Hatchery. until November. (We have a detailed Blog on our website with a downloadable PDF Kokanee Run Map with the Regulations for each area. Visit our website and click Blog, it is the first one.)

Brown Trout and Rainbow Trout are now focused on feeding up for winter. They will begin to roam the shallows in search of any and all available food, including small fish, crawdads and insects. Key baits include jerkbaits and swimbaits in perch and rainbow trout patterns, along with tube jigs and marabou jigs in crawdad patterns.

Lake Trout will soon be on the move towards their spawning grounds. Smaller males will show up first, scouting out suitable spawning grounds. The larger females will show up to these places briefly to deposit their eggs and turn back to deeper water to feed. Timing and covering lots of water are the keys to catching lake trout successfully around the spawn. Swimbaits and jerkbaits in rainbow trout and perch patterns are the most efficient lures to use around the spawning season.

Yellow Perch are also feeding heavily in preparation for winter. Use crankbaits or spinners to cover water and find them, then switch to a slower presentation, such as a drop shot or slip bobber, to catch the rest of the fish out of the school. Perch schools can be found from 10 feet deep to as deep as 60 feet in the fall, so covering a lot of water is essential. Luckily, these fish are highly aggressive and will strike at nearly anything, giving up their location.

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Upcoming Weather Conditions:
Fall is pretty unpredictable in Colorado. Be safe out there, and always check for the most up-to-date weather conditions before heading to the lake.

Wind Forecast:
*We highly recommend getting the FREE Windy. com app to track the winds before your next Blue Mesa outing. We have used it for years! (The Windy app icon is a red square with a white W on it.)

If you have any questions about fishing Blue Mesa, you can always DM us or email us at info@gsofishing .com

Comment eBook below to grab your copy of the Know Your Species eBook now!

10/30/2025

You ever get to the lake, look around, and think,
“Where do I even start?”

We’ve all had those moments.
New water. New season. New conditions.
And that little voice in your head goes,
“Okay… now what?”

Inside our new eBook, we break down something we call the Core 3;
and once you learn how to research a species’ Core 3, the unknowns get smaller and the opportunities get bigger.

You start to understand:

🎯 Where to fish
🕓 When to fish
🎣 What tackle and presentations make sense

You’re no longer throwing guesses at the water and hoping for the best.
You’re making decisions based on behavior, patterns, and biology — not chance.

Same love for the sport…
just a little more clarity behind each cast.

Comment eBook below to grab your copy!

10/30/2025

Caught this beautiful Brown trout trying to make a quick getaway with my bait.

A quick photo, a careful release, and he’s back in the water for the next angler to enjoy.

10/29/2025

Comment eBook to grab your copy of the Know Your Species eBook! 👇

It’s finally here, after months of prep, years of research, and countless hours designing, writing, and refining, Know Your Species launches today!

We poured everything we’ve learned into this guide to help anglers level up, to truly understand fish behavior, build confidence, and spend less time guessing on the water.

This book was built to meet anglers where they’re at; for those who want to grow, learn, and see real results.

A little bit of insanity...This eBook was born out of equal parts overwhelm, stubbornness, insanity, and love.There were...
10/29/2025

A little bit of insanity...

This eBook was born out of equal parts overwhelm, stubbornness, insanity, and love.

There were days I’d sit at my computer, hunched over the screen, quietly cursing everything, and then I'd suddenly stop mid-rant and think, “Wait… what about this??”
That happened about 472 times. (Okay, maybe more.)

Every time I thought I had it figured out, another idea hit.
Another question popped up.
Another angle I hadn’t considered yet.

Somewhere around version 23, I stopped keeping track.
I’d wake up at 1 a.m. to jot notes in my phone, and I’m pretty sure my family started to cringe anytime they heard the words, “So, I had this idea for the eBook…” 😅

Looking back now, I can’t help but laugh at how patient Andy and the girls were through all of it; listening to me growl at my screen, mumble to myself, and look like a full-on mad scientist half the time.

But the truth is, this book came together during one of the hardest seasons we’ve ever faced.
We were tired and weren’t sure if GSO could keep going. In the middle of all that uncertainty, this became my outlet; the project that reminded me why we started, why it matters, and why we keep showing up for this community.

Now, seeing all those pages laid out on my screen, it’s surreal.
It’s hope. It’s dedication. It's change. It’s a little piece of my heart, and a whole lot of late nights.

But most of all, it’s proof that even in the chaos, something good can still come to life. ❤️ - Stormy

PS: this images show about half of the 40+ page Know Your Species eBook. It's not about technique or the "hottest must-have lure", it's about setting a stronger foundation and enhancing your knowledge which leads to skill improvement. I hope you'll consider checking it out at gsofishing. com

Introducing the Know Your Species eBook!This one’s for every angler.New or seasoned, shoreline or trolling, weekend warr...
10/29/2025

Introducing the Know Your Species eBook!

This one’s for every angler.
New or seasoned, shoreline or trolling, weekend warrior or guide, if you love to freshwater fish, this was built for you.

Born out of one of the hardest seasons we’ve ever faced, this project became our reminder of why we started: to support anglers, rebuild community, and make fishing about connection and clarity, not hateful competition.

Know Your Species gives you the tools to understand fish behavior, traits, and patterns so you can enhance your skills, on the open water or ice.

With this research tool, you can take out the guesswork and start fishing with focused detail and intention.

✅ Bonus: LIVE Q&A Zoom Meeting on November 11th, for anyone who orders before November 5th! (Replay available for those who order but can't show up LIVE.)

This isn’t just a guide.
It’s how you enhance your fishing skills, no matter what your target species is or even your target lake.

Go to gsofishing. com and grab your copy of the Know Your Species eBook today!

10/28/2025

It’s the little memories like this that stick with you over time.

I don’t know how many more years our girls will come fishing with us or be excited to help out…but I’m going to cherish every single one.

We can already see our youngest growing up and pulling back a bit; it’s heartbreaking, but we’re also so proud to see her finding her own way and learning independence.

Thank goodness for the memories, the videos, and all those moments spent on (or near) the water together. ❤️

Tomorrow’s the day. 🎉This eBook has been months in the making, built on years of research and countless hours designing,...
10/28/2025

Tomorrow’s the day. 🎉

This eBook has been months in the making, built on years of research and countless hours designing, writing, and refining.
All of it leading up to one goal: to help anglers level up their skills and truly understand the fish they’re chasing.

We built the Know Your Species eBook to meet anglers where they’re at, whether you’ve been fishing for decades or just started picking up a rod.
It’s for those who are ready to put in the work and see real results… and thanks to the tools we now have at our fingertips, that work can take as little as 15 minutes.

We couldn’t be more proud of what’s coming tomorrow, and we couldn’t have done it without this incredible community of anglers who believe in learning, growing, and supporting each other.

Thank you all for your support, encouragement, and excitement along the way.
Tomorrow, it’s go time. - Team GSO Fishing

“But I don’t have one target species.”We hear that a lot, and honestly, that’s where most anglers start.The good news? Y...
10/28/2025

“But I don’t have one target species.”
We hear that a lot, and honestly, that’s where most anglers start.

The good news? You don’t need one.

Inside the Know Your Species eBook, we share another way to think about fishing, a method that shifts the focus away from having a single target species and helps you make sense of the water when you just want to catch whatever’s biting.

Because sometimes it’s not about chasing one fish… it’s about understanding the lake in front of you.

⏳ Launching tomorrow.
Know Your Species takes anglers from where they are at (no matter where they are at) and provides them with the tools to enhance their skills on the water.

10/28/2025

Fun fact: There are 18,000+ freshwater fish species out there!
Some can see in UV, some can shock their prey, and others can taste with their fins.

Talk about superpowers!

If you could borrow one fish ability for a day, what would it be?

Address

144 N Main Street Suite D
Gunnison, CO
81230

Telephone

+17198509789

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Fishing Is Our Passion

Gunnison Sports Outfitters is the oldest locally owned and operated fishing guide service on Blue Mesa Reservoir. Because Blue Mesa Reservoir is so large, long, and often very intimidating to fish, Gunnison Sports Outfitters was formed in 2006 to give visiting and resident anglers a high-quality fishing experience. Our guides have all the right equipment, know, where the fish are, and most importantly—know how to catch them and give their clients a fantastic fishing expedition!

Over the years we have expanded our guide service from the more traditional guided fishing trips to walk-wade trips, ice fishing, kayak fishing, and now Blue Mesa lake tours. We can now offer trips for the hardcore angler, the modern-day kayaker, the traditional fly fisherman, to the nature enthusiast. We do it all!

Not only do we provide many different types of trips but we can custom tailor your trip to suit your needs! Do you have a large party? No Problem! Want to try evening fishing? We can do it! Need wheelchair access? We have the perfect boat for that! Just let us know your specific needs, and we will do our best to make it happen.

We are a family-based company, and since the launch of our first boat, we have striven to provide the best experience imaginable when guests are out on the lake with us. Don’t take our word for it. Call to book your trip now or come visit us inside Gene Taylors Sporting Goods at 201 Tomichi Avenue in Gunnison, CO.