Month: July 2022

Huge lingcod, lots of salmon highlight July 4 off of Brookings

(BROOKINGS, Ore. – July 5, 2022) – There were plenty of fireworks off the coast of Brookings during the July 4 weekend, including some phenomenal catches for the Brookings Fishing Charters crew. Fishing for silver salmon was wide open at times, with our six-pack charter boats hooking 30 or more silvers a trip, and bringing in limits or near limits of salmon. Most of the keepers were hatchery coho salmon, but a few nice king salmon also were caught.

One of the highlights from the weekend was a massive 44-pound lingcod caught by Rod Allec of Happy Camp, Calif., while fishing near the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse aboard the Nauti-Lady on July 2. The giant lingcod was one of many big lings caught aboard the Brookings Fishing Charters boats over the July 4 weekend.

July is peak season for ocean salmon, and the catch rates soared over the holiday weekend. The season runs through mid-August, so there is still plenty of time to get in on the action aboard our productive six-pack charter boats.

Customers hold limits of hatchery coho salmon caught aboard the Miss Brooke with Capt. Sam on July 4, 2022. The group also released numerous wild coho and shaker kings.
Capt. Michael holds a nice king salmon caught aboard the Kraken.
Limits of salmon caught aboard the Dash with Capt. Mick.
Limits of salmon caught July 3 aboard the Kraken.
Deckhand Eric with some of the salmon and rockfish caught aboard the Kraken on July 4.
Nice catch of salmon from the Dash.

The best salmon fishing has been in 240 to 300 feet of water off the coast of Brookings. Our six-pack charter boats quickly and comfortably get to the fishing grounds. No rough, wet ride in a flat-bottom sled boat designed for river fishing. Our six-packs are equipped with twin outboard motors and have fully enclosed cabins, combining safety with fishability. Below are more great salmon catches from the July 4 weekend with Brookings Fishing Charters.

Lingcod fishing was very good over the weekend. Some giants were caught at the Point St. George Reef during our long-range trips, but plenty of big lingcod also were caught closer to the Port of Brookings. The biggest lingcod, Rod Allec’s 44-poiunder, was caught during an exciting day aboard the Nauti-Lady, when Capt. Andy found several groups of big lings. Allec’s trophy was part of a triple-hookup, when three big lings were hooked at the same time.

Nauti-Lady deckhand Eric holds a massive 44-pound, 45-inch
Three big lingcod were hooked at the same time aboard the Nauti-Lady on July 2. The day ended with a pile of lingcod on the boat.
Deckhand Eric shows off a couple of monster lings to visitors at the crabbing dock in Brookings.

Our local half-day bottom fishing trips also produced nice limits of rockfish and plenty of big lings. We also caught a few Pacific halibut and petrale sold over the weekend. Here are just a few of the great bottom fishing catches aboard the Nauti-Lady, Miss Brooke, Kraken, Papa B, Dash and Bout Time during the July 4 weekend.

We hope to begin albacore tuna charters out of Brookings soon.

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

Salmon season heats up off of Brookings

BROOKINGS, Ore. (June 30, 2022) – After a fairly slow start to the ocean salmon season offshore from Brookings, the action heated up the second week of the season, with good catches of coho and kings. The Brookings Fishing Charters boats have been the top-producers among the sport fleet, bringing in limits or near-limits of salmon, while also releasing big numbers of shaker kings and wild coho.

Salmon season began June 18, but only hatchery coho could be kept. Starting June 25, wild or hatchery kings, along with hatchery coho, can be harvested. Fishing started out slow, in part because of windy weather, dirty water conditions, and the bulk of the fish holding well offshore. But early this week, the salmon moved a little closer to shore, and massive schools of bait arrived. The salmon fishing has been wide open at times.

A nice king salmon caught aboard the Dash in June 2022.
Salmon caught in late June aboard the Miss Brooke.
Limits of hatchery coho and king salmon caught in late June aboard the Kraken.
Salmon from the Dash.
Capt. Michael with a nice limit.
Fish on aboard the Kraken.
Capt. Rich with a limit.
Capt. Sam with a nice king.
Another nice salmon for the Kraken.
More salmon caught aboard the Kraken in June 2022.

Fishing also has been very good at the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse, where the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet heads during its long-range trips. The lighthouse area has been producing an excellent grade of big black, canary, vermilion, copper and other rockfish, and lingcod close to 30 pounds. A few large lingcod also have been caught recently at Mack Arch north of Brookings.

A nice limit of lingcod from the Nauti-Lady in June 2022.

For the salmon, Capt. Travis, Sam, Michael, Mick, and Rich also have reported their best fishing trolling anchovies close to the surface, but in deep water, sometimes 4 or 5 miles offshore. Some trips are yielding more than three dozen hookups, with lots of fish lost because of barbless hooks. The hatchery-to-wild ratio for coho salmon is nearly 50-50, meaning half the silvers landed can be kept. There are big numbers of shaker kings less than 24 inches, and then keepers from 5 to 15 pounds. Each day, fish in the upper teens also are being caught.

Salmon season runs through mid-August out of Brookings. The best fishing is generally the last week of June and first few weeks of July, meaning peak season is right now!

Big ling on the Dash.
Whopper lighthouse ling for the Kraken.
Nice lingcod limin on the Kraken.
Nauti-Lady lingcod.
More Nauti-Lady lings.
Capt. Andy with a lingcod aboard the Nauti-Lady.
Another Nauti-Lady ling.
Nice limit aboard the Nauti-Lady.
Miss Brooke lingcod.
Kirby holds a nice ling from the Nauti-Lady.
Nice lingcod!
Canary from Mack Arch.
Kirby holds a nice canary caught aboard the Miss Brooke.

Lingcod and rockfish can be kept year round out of Brookings, but the summer months often lead to high catch rates, as the calmer weather this time of year results in better fishing. The Brookings Fishing Charters boats, including the Miss Brooke, Kraken, Nauti-Lady, Dash, Papa B and Bout Time, use light spinning tackle to target rockfish and lingcod. The light tackle adds to the thrill of catching these tasty fish.

Albacore tuna season begins in the summer, with late July or early August generally the most productive time to target tuna, as they move closer to shore.

To learn more about fishing charters out of Brookings, visit www.brookingsfishing.com or call (541) 813-1082.