Unlicensed guide changes plea

SANDPOINT — A Washington state angler who pleaded not guilty to guiding a fishing trip on Priest Lake without a license is changing his plea.

Charles Lonnie Osterholm is scheduled to plead guilty to the misdemeanor offense on May 4 in Bonner County magistrate court.

Osterholm was charged following an undercover sting operation conducted by the Idaho Outfitters & Guides Licensing Board and the Idaho Department of Fish & Game last year.

The licensing board received a tip that Osterholm was outfitting without a license and discovered two websites where Osterholm was offering guided trips on Priest Lake.

Enforcement agents from the licensing board and Fish & Game booked a trip for Nov. 2, 2010. They paid $450 for a two-person excursion.

During the trip, Osterholm allegedly admitted that he lacked a guide license because the original licensee vanished in Alaska before the paperwork could be transferred into his name.

Investigators, however, debunked the claim by speaking with Rich Lindsey, a licensed guide who had in fact purchased the business in question, according to the Fish & Game’s investigative report.

Lindsey operates as Priest Lake Guide Service, a name which Osterholm continues to use on one of his websites.

Osterholm, a 49-year-old from Deer Park, apparently realized his Nov. 2 trip was a ruse before he made landfall at Kalispell Bay, where another Fish & Game officer was waiting for them.

“Fish & Game ... that can only mean one thing,” licensing board agent R. William Snyder quoted Osterholm as saying in his report.

Deputy Prosecutor Roger Hanlon offered to resolve the case prior to trial.

In exchange for a plea of guilty, the state would grant Osterholm immunity for other guided trips he did on Priest Lake last year.

The prosecution is recommending a 90-day sentence with 80 days suspended and the remaining 10 days converted to service on the sheriff’s labor program, according to court documents. Osterholm’s fishing license would be revoked for two years.

The state is also recommending a $5,000 fine with $4,000 suspended.

Both of Osterholm’s websites remain online, although bigfishtales.com is devoid of content. The other site, fishpriestlake.com, continues to advertise guided trips on Priest Lake.