Summer has arrived on the Oregon Coast and we are at our peak season for rockfish and lingcod. The rockcod have moved in shallow as giant schools of anchovies move close to the beach. We are seeing daily limits of nice rockfish on light tackle. Aside from plenty of black snapper, we also are seeing some very nice vermillion rockfish (such as the trophy fish picture below) and canary rockfish. The limit on rockfish remains 7 fish a day in Oregon, with up to 6 black snapper. We also can keep canary rockfish, vermillions, China rockcod, copper rockfish and blue rockfish, so limits are very common right now. The lingcod are running 8 to 10 pounds, with a few fish over 20 pounds. Our biggest recently is a 26-pounder. We have plenty of seats open in July and August. Call (541) 813-1082 to book a trip.

Trophy vermillion rockfish

We have entered the peak season for spring lingcod, with limits common when the ocean conditions cooperate. So far we’ve seen stormy weather for half of March, but also some nice days where we’ve enjoyed fast action for lingcod and a variety of rockfish. With the new rockfish regulations for 2017 on the Oregon Coast, we can now keep more canary rockfish, as well as coppers, Chinas and quillbacks. The grade of black and blue rockfish has been nice, the prefect size for fish and chips. Crabbing was good to start the month, but slowed with the large amounts of freshwater running into the ocean from the Chetco River. We expect the lingcod fishing to remain strong through April and into May. The ocean conditions also will continue to improve. Yesterday we saw the most whales we’ve seen so far this year, with half a dozen spotted between the Brookings jetties and the red buoy. To book a trip. call our office at (541) 813-1082 or Capt. Andy’s cell at (206) 388-8988.

Limits of lingcod out of Brookings, Oregon, with Brookings Fishing charters

First lingcod caught by young angler

Nice limits of lingcod caught aboard the Miss Brooke of Brookings Fishing Charters in early March 2017 (top), and a young angler with her first ever lingcod, caught with Brookings Fishing Charters.

Lingcod season off to good start

Although ocean conditions have been rough for most of the winter, the days between storms when boats have been able to get out of the Port of Brookings have resulted in good fishing for lingcod. rockfish and crab. Capt. Andy took the Miss Brooke out for the first charter of the season in February. and found limits of lings and rockfish in the Bird Island area. The lings are running 5 to 15 pounds, with a few bigger. The fish are spawning in shallow water, making them easier to target during the bigger winter swells. Crab season has been good for recreational crabbers so far this year. Ocean conditions generally improve as we get into March, so we will be on the water more often. To book a trip, call (541) 813-1082 or email Capt. Andy at wildriversfishing@yahoo.com.

Capt. Andy Martin holds the first lingcod of the season aboard the Miss Brooke.

Capt. Andy Martin holds the first lingcod of the 2017 season caught aboard the Miss Brooke in late February.

Ocean fishing regulations set

Oregon ocean anglers will continue to be allowed to keep seven rockfish and two lingcod per day, and the season will remain open year round, the Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission decided recently. The commission adopted the 2017 ocean rockfish and lingcod regulations at its Dec. 2 meeting. The rockfish limit remains seven fish a day. New for 2017, anglers will be allowed to keep quillback, copper and China rockfish. The sub-limit for canary rockfish has increased from one to seven. The sub-limit for blues has increased from three to four. This four-fish sub-limit also includes the coppers, quillbacks and Chinas. This is all good news and will allow anglers to keep some of the fish they were required to release during previous seasons. The commission also lowered the black rockfish sub-limit from seven to six. While black rockfish make up most of our catch, anglers will still be able to keep seven rockfish total, with several fish that were off limits previously. The lingcod limit remains the same, two a day at least 22 inches. In California, anglers are not as fortunate. The black rockfish limit in California has been reduced from five blacks to three blacks, and the lingcod limits have been reduced from three to two. The Oregon Coast will be your best bet for plentiful limits of rockfish, and now you will be allowed to have a lot more “color” in your catch. We begin our ocean charters in March.

Brookings rockfish charters

Anglers fishing out of Brookings will now be allowed to keep more canary rockfish as part of their seven-fish rockfish limits. The lingcod limit remains two fish a day.

Rough weather has kept all the charter boats off the ocean for the past few weeks, so Brookings Fishing captain Andy Martin has been focusing on the Chetco and Smith rivers for fall king salmon. Fishing has been good, thanks in part to lots of early rain on the Oregon Coast. Capt. Andy and the other guides of www.wildriversfishing.com have boated several limits in the last few days, with a few fish over 40 pounds. The fall salmon season runs through November. We will then switch to steelhead before turning our attention to ocean charters again in March.

Smith River king salmon

A 40-pound king salmon caught in late October 2016 with guide Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters and Wild Rivers Fishing.