March 2022 - Brookings Fishing Reports

Spring weather results in awesome fishing off of Brookings

Lingcod have moved into shallow water, rockfish are actively feeding and for the most part fishing has been outstanding in recent weeks out of the Port of Brookings Harbor. The charter boat fleet from Brookings Fishing Charters has been enjoying limits of rockfish and limits or near limits of lingcod on most trips. Simply put, the fishing has been awesome.

**Anglers hold limits of lingcod caught in March 2022 aboard the Miss Brooke.**

Our charter boats are now able to get out almost every day of the week, thanks to lighter winds in the morning and smaller ocean swells. On calm weather days, lingcod fishing has been fantastic. During rougher weather, we are still getting limits of rockfish and a few lingcod.

The best fishing has been in the House Rock and Twin Rocks area, where we have been able to fish several days a week. On rougher days, our charters are catching fish near Chetco Point and Aiken Point to the south of the harbor.

With lingcod in shallow water, our charters are using the light spinning rods to catch both rockfish and lingcod. The shallow water, light-tackle action makes for an ocean bottom fishing trip to remember.

**A hefty lingcod caught in March 2022 with light tackle aboard the Miss Brooke.**

Currently, half-day bottom fishing trips are $125 a person, and the longer targeted lingcod trips are $150 a person.

Book online at www.brookingsfishing.com or call our office at (541) 813-1082.

Earlier this month, we had the pleasure of having Craig Reed from the Roseburg News Review on the Miss Brooke. Check out his article and photos here: Bottom fish feed the industry off Southern Oregon Coast | Outdoors | nrtoday.com

**A nice limit of lingcod from the Miss Brooke.**

**All smiles catching rockfish on light tackle aboard the Nauti-Lady.**

**Another set of limits from the Miss Brooke.**

**A nice double of big black snapper aboard the Miss Brooke.**

**Nice limit of lingcod from the Kraken in March 2022.**

**How’s this for a first-time lingcod fishing?**

**Check out this great limit of lingcod from the Miss Brooke during Spring Break 2022.**

Lingcod action heats up

Lingcod fishing has busted wide open out of Brookings, with limits or near limits during calm weather days. Limits of rockfish also are being caught.

With nice weather to begin the month of March, the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet was able to run trips several days, getting limits of rockfish on each trip, and nice catches of lingcod. On trips to Mack Arch, limits of lingcod have been the norm.

**A nice limit of lingcod caught in March aboard the Miss Brooke.**

**A pair of big canary rockfish caught aboard the Miss Brooke.**

**A young angler with a big lingcod caught on the Kraken.**

The biggest storm in nearly two months hit the coast the second week of March, keeping boats at the docks. Better weather days are already showing up in the forecast.

During most trips, there has been an excellent grade of rockfish, with big blue and black rockfish, plus an assortment of canary, vermilion, China and copper rockfish. The lingcod are running 5 to 12 pounds, with a fish on most trips topping 15 pounds and an occasional lingcod to 20 pounds.

**A nice halibut caught and released in March aboard the Papa B.**

Sport halibut season opens May 1. The first halibut of the year was caught and released over the weekend by a customer aboard the Papa B. They were targeting lingcod near Mack Arch.

**A big lingcod caught aboard the Nauti-Lady in March 2022.**

**A limit of lingcod from the Kraken in March 2022.**

The 2022 ocean salmon season will be set in early April. The season will likely begin in late June and continue through July. Anglers are expected to be able to keep hatchery coho and wild or hatchery king salmon.

To book an ocean charter, visit www.brookingsfishing.com or call (541) 813-1082.

**A lingcod double header aboard the Miss Brooke.**

**A nice Miss Brooke lingcod from March 2022.**

**Limits of lingcod caught in March at Mack Arch on the Miss Brooke.**

**A double hookup of black and canary rockfish.**

**The Kraken in action in March near Chetco Point.**

Winter lingcod, rockfish action good when weather cooperates

Unseasonably nice weather, with calm winds and small swells, has allowed charter boats to venture out of the Port of Brookings Harbor throughout February, resulting in great catches of rockfish and lingcod. On nice weather days, limits of rockfish, and limits or near limits of lingcod are being caught.

The Brookings Fishing Charters fleet ran several trips in February, with the Miss Brooke, Kraken, Nauti-Lady, Papa B, Dash and Bout Time getting in on the action. The local charter fleet has been running two to three trips a week.

**A nice catch of lingcod aboard the Miss Brooke in February 2020.**

Lingcod are in shallow water spawning during the winter and early spring. With large numbers of fish staging on shallow pinnacles this time of year, they are in close range of anglers hoping to catch them with light tackle.