Legendary Pacific Northwest charter boat joins Brookings Fishing Charters fleet

BROOKINGS, Ore. (Dec. 19, 2025) – A legendary Pacific Northwest charter boat, with decades of history taking people fishing off of the Oregon and Washington coasts, has joined the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet. The 50-foot Umatilla II, which ran charters for the past 20 years in Newport, Ore., was sold this fall to the family that owns and operates Brookings Fishing Charters, and will soon begin fishing charters out of Brookings.

Capt. Andy Martin and his wife Sarah announced the purchase of the Umatilla II from longtime Newport charter operator and commercial fisherman Brad Gnuschke. They said they are honored and excited to continue to legacy established by Brad and other previous owners of the Umatilla II as a premier West Coast charter boat. In Newport, the Umatilla II was one of the most requested charter boats in the fleet, and was well known for producing limits of lingcod and rockfish while also being a top-producer during salmon and halibut seasons. The Umatilla II has a strong following from sport anglers from throughout Oregon and the Western United States because of its spacious fishing platform, quality equipment and reputation for providing a first-class charter fishing experience.

Brad decided to sell the Umatilla II to focus on his commercial fishing business, and his commercial boat, which fishes for Dungeness crab, albacore tuna, salmon, and sablefish. He was a frequent customer of the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet during trips to Southern Oregon, and became friends of Andy, Sarah and the Brookings Fishing crew. The previous captain of the Umatilla II also worked with Capt. Andy when they both ran charter boats in Alaska, and was the first hired captain on the Miss Brooke when Andy bought his second charter boat in Brookings.

The Umatilla II has comfortably fish up to 26 anglers, although it will primarily fish 10 to 14 customers at a time. With plenty of room to spread out, an extra-large cabin, and extra-wide deck, it is one of the largest charter boats in Oregon. It will be used for lingcod and rockfish charters, along with halibut, salmon and albacore tuna. The boat has a rich history trolling for salmon in Newport, and previously in Ilwaco, Wash., and Westport, Wash. It also was consistently one of the top-producing halibut charter boats in Newport.

The original Umatilla was a ferry boat on the Columbia River in Hermiston. The owners had the Umatilla II built specifically as a charter boat. Made from fiberglass, the hull is very similar to the rugged, stable and seaworthy Rawson and Westport charter boats made for crossing rough bars and fishing in unpredictable seas the Pacific Northwest coastal waters are known for. The Umatilla II was first homeported in Westport, and then operated out of Ilwaco. It was moved to Newport in the 1990s, and fished there through 2025, before Brad delivered her to Brookings this fall.

Capt. Andy and Capt. Sam will operate the Umatilla II in Brookings. The legendary charter boat joins the Nauti-Lady, a very similar boat, but 10 feet shorter at 40 feet, as well as the six-pack charters Miss Brooke, Kraken and Dash. The expanded fleet will allow the six packs to focus on long-range bottom fishing charters, salmon trips and halibut trips, while the Umatilla II and Nauti-Lady will spend much of their time taking customers fishing for lingcod, rockfish and crab. The expanded fleet also will allow the six-pack boats to fish out of Crescent City and Gold Beach during various parts of the charter season.

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