Brad Baker of Coho Design has been creating colorful backgrounds, imaginative overlays and oversized fonts for fishing boats for the last two decades.
ASTORIA, Oregon – This week we travel to the famed salmon fishing mecca of Buoy 10 on the Lower Columbia River to see a one-of-a-kind floating art gallery and meet the artist who makes fishing dreams come true.
The Buoy 10 salmon fishery is the largest fishing show in the Pacific Northwest. Every day hundreds of boats transport thousands of anglers to catch salmon, but not everyone comes here to fish.
Brad Baker of Coho Design is an artist and angler who enjoys the best of both worlds: traveling the West – from Baja to Alaska – casting lines for fun and helping boat owners build a brand.
“Buoy 10 has always been my art gallery or showroom,” Baker said. “There are so many guides and clients here at this time of year that I’ve wrapped their boats that it’s pretty nice to hit them up.”
Baker is the wrapper that designs and installs creative boat boards that make a statement about the owner.
For more than two decades, Baker has created colorful backgrounds, imaginative overlays and oversized fonts to satisfy the growing fish guide business. He’s a wrapper who really knows his beat
“I don’t always remember the names, but I do remember the wraps,” he said. “Sometimes I forget how long it took me to make the wrap. I think it’s 10 years and it’s 15 years. I mean, some of these wraps are 20 years old, believe it or not.”
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“It protects the boat for one and advertises the guide service,” said guide Evan Lafky. “I get calls from it and when you catch fish people see that and I think that’s good for business.”
The transition from computer design to a giant printer uses a special 3M vinyl that protects against sunlight and salty air, as well as punctures.
“There are micro-beads that snap when I press down with my squeegee,” Baker said. “It loosens the glue and seals a connection to the boat. It’s a fantastic material that has really revolutionized the packaging industry.”
Baker is a Portland kid whose love of fishing opened up the great outdoors. Also, his mother was an artist, so drawing and painting came easily to him.
“I went to art school in New York City, majoring in fine art, graphic design, and illustration,” he said. “I’ve done landscapes, still lifes and some sculptures over the years – do a little bit of everything.”
Baker said that each pack means hours – even days – of design, printing and application. Everything is made from scratch.
“When I started it was trial and error and I learned the hard way. I remember one of my first wraps I did outside and had the whole thing on the boat and started wiping it down when a big gust of wind blew the whole thing right off the boat.”
Baker has wrapped more than 2,000 boats, so he’s a well-known figure in the Mecca of the Buoy 10.
“They want the boat to look great,” he said. “They want to be on the water and get people to notice and say, ‘Wow, look at that slide. This guy needs to know what he’s doing and have his A-game on the water.’”
So do wraps catch more fish?
“Oh yes,” said the longtime artist with a mischievous smile. “I always tell my customers that every wrap comes with Fishing-Mojo and they can expect to catch a lot more fish. Sometimes it works, but it’s my selling point. The packaging is free, but the Angelmojo is expensive. You pay for that.”
Follow my Oregon adventures on the Grant’s Getaways Podcast. Each segment is a storytelling session in which I share behind-the-scenes stories from four decades of travel and television coverage.
You can also learn about many of my favorite Oregon trips and adventures in the Grant’s Getaways book series, including:
Grants Getaways I, photography by Steve Terrill
Grant’s Getaways II, photography by Steve Terrill
Grant’s Getaways: 101 Oregon Adventures, photography by Jeff Kastner
Grant’s Getaways: Guide to Wildlife Watching in Oregon, photograph by Jeff Kastner
Grant’s Getaways: Oregon Adventures with the Kids, photography by Jeff Kastner
Featuring hundreds of outdoor activities throughout Oregon, the collection promises to delight a kid of all ages.
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