The Fish Bus of Oregon With Capt. Jonny

In an old school bus festooned with colorful fisherman artifacts, Jonny Rush brings his fresh-frozen, organic fish to customers around Oregon.

For the past 18 years, Rush, who goes by the name “Capt. Jonny,” has been buying fish in bulk from commercial suppliers and selling it in towns across Oregon.

Capt. Jonny sells halibut, sea bass, ling cod and salmon.

Fish and fishing have been Capt. Jonny’s life for decades. When he was still in his teens, he began fishing on the Columbia River.

“I started out in the 1960s with a Dodge van and one freezer,” he recalled. “I learned who the distributors were, and then came back to Portland and bought a retired bus. I filled it up with freezers and 2,800 pounds of frozen fish.”

Because he buys his fish in bulk, Rush is able to offer significant discounts. While major grocery chains charge $23 per 12-oz. halibut filet and $30 per pound for sea bass, Capt. Jonny sells both for $9, but usually requires a purchase of 10 pounds.

The fish bus is seen across Oregon in Hillsboro, Forest Grove, Cornelius Pass, Germantown, St Helens, Deer Island, Rainier and possibly few more places. Capt Jonny’s home is in Longview, WA.

You’ll have to watch for the bus, because his dates in a certain spot are never certain.

The fish bus stopped right in front of our home in Deer Island the other day.