BROOKINGS, Ore. (April 15, 2025) – This year’s ocean salmon season on the Southern Oregon Coast will provide a summer-long opportunity to troll for coho salmon, as well as a king salmon fishery spread over three months, including the Fourth of July 4 weekend.
Federal fishery managers approved West Coast ocean salmon seasons on April 15, giving sport fishermen fishing out of the Port of Brookings Harbor a 79-day hatchery coho season, which will run June 7-Aug. 24, and a 37-day king salmon season, open May 16-June 6 and June 30-July 15. Crescent City will have a short season, open June 7-8, July 5-6, July 31-Aug. 3 and Aug. 25-31.
Salmon caught aboard the Miss Brooke of Brookings Fishing Charters
This year’s ocean seasons out of Brookings fall when anglers typically encounter good number of coho and king salmon. An abundance of hatchery coho salmon from the Columbia River allowed biologists to recommend the lengthy coho season on the Oregon Coast. Upwards of half a million hatchery coho salmon are expected to be present off of Oregon this summer. Populations of wild coho also are strong. Coho spend the ocean portion of their life off of Northern California and Southern Oregon before migrating up the coast to the Columbia River during the summer, entering freshwater in late summer and fall. This year’s season begins just as big schools of coho are moving north off the coast of Brookings.
A nice king salmon caught aboard the Miss Brooke.
King salmon season was constrained by low forecasts for the Sacramento and Klamath rivers, but Oregon fisheries were allowed to move forward since the season dates minimized impacts to those stocks while also allowing anglers to fish on healthy runs from the Rogue, Chetco, Smith, Columbia and Snake rivers, as well as the hatcheries in California that have had strong returns the last few years. Generally, the best king salmon fishing out of Brookings is late June and early July, so this year’s season occurs when fishing should be at its best off of Brookings.
Most seasons, hatchery coho season opens in late June off of Brookings. This year’s earlier opener was proposed by local charter boat operators who showed fishery managers catches are often best right as the season opens, and anglers often encounter hatchery coho prior to the opener. The coho season opens two weeks earlier than normal. With a 44,000-fish quota, the coho season is expected to continue through late August.
Anglers will be allowed to keep hatchery or wild king salmon, and hatchery coho salmon this summer.
A king salmon caught aboard the Kraken.
Salmon fishing also will be open on the Chetco, Rogue, Elk and Sixes rivers in Oregon and Smith River in California this year.
The Brookings Fishing Charters fleet has a well-earned reputation of producing the best ocean salmon catch rates out of Brookings. Their captains troll herring or anchovies with divers and downriggers, and also mooch for coho when they are schooled up. All of the captains are also licensed river guides, and spent the fall fishing for salmon out of drift boats on the Chetco, Smith, Elk and Sixes rivers.
Salmon trips will be offered daily, as the weather allows. In May, anglers will encounter a mix of fish from the Rogue, Columbia and Snake rivers, as well as kings from the Sacramento and Klamath rivers. Prized Rogue River spring Chinook salmon are still making their way up the coast in May and are the most sought-after of the ocean kings caught on the Oregon Coast.
Limits of hatchery coho caught last summer on the Miss Brooke.Big numbers of hatchery coho are common out of Brookings in June.
By June, coho numbers quickly increase, with fish-after-fish action common during the peak in mid-June. At times, all six rods will be hooked up at once as charters troll for coho out of Brookings. When coho action is fast, anglers often book combo trips, fishing for coho in the morning and then lingcod and rockfish in the afternoon, or lingcod at the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse, and then coho on the return trip to Brookings.
A mix of coho and king salmon caught aboard the Kraken.A nice king salmon caught aboard the Miss Brooke.
Anglers will be allowed one king salmon a day, and when coho season opens a total of two salmon, with a mix of hatchery coho and one king salmon as the daily limit (two hatchery coho or one hatchery coho and one king, which can be wild or hatchery).
BROOKINGS, Ore. (April 7, 2025) – A wide-open lingcod bite, with full limits over the weekend on our charter boats, has anglers anxiously awaiting the next nice-weather days on the Oregon Coast. The lingcod fishing is as good as it has been all year, with every customer on the Nauti-Lady, Miss Brooke and Papa B returning to port with their limit of lingcod on Saturday. The quality of the fish has been excellent, and the light-tackle, shallow-water action has been nothing short of epic.
Capt. Sam gaffs a lingcod aboard the Nauti-Lady in early April.
Lingcod remain in shallow water this time of year after the winter spawn. They are aggressive and hungry, attacking lures dropped onto the rocky crevices where they hide, waiting to ambush prey. Most of the fish are being caught in 20 to 40 feet of water, close to shore over rocky reefs. The lingcod are averaging 8 to 10 pounds, with fish up to 20 pounds being caught.
Deckhand Eric holds a nice lingcod caught in April 2025 aboard the Miss Brooke.Another nice lingcod caught aboard the Nauti-Lady in April 2025.
Lingcod fishing remains good in April and May, before some of the fish migrate back to deeper water. Until then, fast and furious action is common over the shallow reefs near Brookings. Our charter boats have been doing well from Twin Rocks and House Rock to Mack Arch, Arch Rock and Mack Reef.
In May, fishing for trophy lingcod will get even better, as the Point St. George Reef next to the historic Point St. George Lighthouse opens to fishing. It provides some of the best lingcod and rockfish action outside of Alaska. Halibut season also opens May 1 out of Brookings.
Capt. Sam with a lingcod caught aboard the Nauti-Lady.
Spring salmon also are being caught on the Rogue River near Gold Beach, Oregon. Capt. Rye has been focusing on Rogue springers, and finding some beautiful ocean-bright fish. Springer season runs April through June, and April and early May are prime time.
Capt. Rye holds a chrome-bright Rogue River spring king salmon caught in early April 2025.
Springers are caught from boats anchored in the slower water, using the current to spin anchovies. The bite is the hardest pull down a salmon angler will ever see. The springers hit, and then turn into the current, charging full speed downstream. It’s similar to the massive strikes made famous on Wicked Tuna. To book a Rogue River spring salmon trip, call our office at (541) 813-1082.
Another nice springer caught in early April with Capt. Rye on the Rogue River, fishing from the comfort of a covered jet boat.
Ocean lingcod and rockfish trips will run daily through the spring and summer as the weather allows. Trips are available on the Nauti-Lady, Miss Brooke, Kraken, Papa B and Dash. To book an ocean charter boat out of Brookings, call (541) 813-1082 or visit www.brookingsfishing.com.
Capt. Andy helps a customer hold a 19-pound lingcod caught aboard the Nauti-Lady.
Here are some of the great catches from the past week with the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet.
BROOKINGS, Ore. (March 31, 2025) – The Oregon Coast has experienced a stormy, very wet and rainy winter and early spring, limiting the number of days boats can get offshore for lingcod and rockfish. But on calmer weather days between storms, fishing has been good, with limits of rockfish and lots of nice lingcod. Now that Spring has officially arrived, better weather is in the forecast. The second half of this coming week has the best weather forecast so far this year, with light winds, small swells, sunny weather – the making of what should be great fishing off the coast of Brookings.
A pair of nice lingcod from the Nauti-Lady in mid-March.
Our charter boats have seized the weather openings between storms to run trips, returning to port with nice limits of rockfish and plenty of lingcod. On calmer weather days, the lingcod fishing has been excellent. During big swells, rockfish are still eagerly biting, but lingcod have been tougher to come by.
Another limit of lingcod from the Nauti-Lady in March 2025.
Fishing on rocky reefs in shallow water, using light tackle, the rockfish action is often wide open this time of year. We are finding a mix of large black rockfish, blue and deacon rockfish, canaries, vermillion, China and an occasional copper rockfish. Lots of smaller rockfish are mixed in, but with the lighter tackle and shallower water, they are easy to release unharmed. April and May usually signals the start of the surface bite, where rockfish are caught just under the surface as they feed on freshly spawned baitfish and crab spawn.
Deckhand Eric holds a lingcod caught aboard the Nauti-Lady.
Lingcod also are still in shallow water after the winter spawn. Most of the lingcod caught on recent trips have been in 20 to 40 feet of water. Our boats have done best at House Rock and Mack Arch for lingcod, the typical destination of our six-hour long-range charters.
Pacific halibut season opens May 1, along with our trophy lingcod and rockfish season at the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse. This season, the Nauti-Lady, Miss Brooke and Kraken will be running trips to the lighthouse. While halibut is open May 1, the best fishing is from late June through September.
We will learn our 2025 ocean salmon dates for the Oregon Coast next week, after the Pacific Fishery Management Council sets ocean seasons for Oregon, California and Washington. Early indications show a mid-May through early June king salmon season, and early June through August hatchery coho season. The best coho action off of Brookings is mid to late June, when action is often wide open.
Spring king salmon caught on the lower Rogue River with Capt. Rye. April and May are prime time for Rogue springers.
Winter steelhead season closed March 31 on the Chetco and remains open through April on the Smith River. Our river guides are switching gears to the Rogue River for spring king salmon. Capt. Rye, Mick and Sam will be running trips from their jet boats for these hard-fighting, great-eating springer salmon. Call (541) 813-1082 to book a spring king salmon trip.
Ocean charters will run daily now through the early fall, weather permitting. Book online at www.brookingsfishing.com, or call our booking office at (541) 813-1082.
Here are some more recent catches from our ocean charters in March.
By Capt. Andy Martin – Fresh Dungeness crab is one of the most delicious treats of the Oregon Coast, great eaten as quickly as you can crack it, served with a green salad, prepared in Cioppino or made into tacos. One of our favorite ways to enjoy crab, however, is baked with homemade macaroni and cheese. Crab Mac and Cheese is rich and creamy, comfort food at its best. Served as a side with fish and chips, or part of a more elegant meal, we enjoy Crab Mac and Cheese frequently at our home, especially when family or grandkids are visiting.
Crab Mac and Cheese is a delicious way to enjoy fresh Dungeness from the Oregon Coast.
My wife, Sarah, uses a variety of cheeses when preparing Crab Mac and Cheese – sharp cheddar, jack, parmesan, mozzarella, Velveeta, and cream cheese. The variety ads to the flavor. Traditional homemade mac and cheese often excludes the Velveeta and cream cheese, using butter instead, but our family prefers the broad range of cheeses. We also often add bacon or diced ham, making the Crab Mac and Cheese a meal in itself.
Crab Mac and Cheese is versatile and can include different seasonings, such as creole seasoning or Old Bay, or sauteed vegetables, such as bell peppers, zucchini, onion or mushrooms.
Capt. Chris Cooke pulls a pot of Dungeness crab onto the Nauti-Lady.
Start by boiling the crab, and removing meat from the shells and setting aside. Lump crab from the grocery store will work, but freshly caught crab is so much better. In fact, we’ve found preparing a few large batches of Crab Mac and Cheese, dividing into several containers, and then freezing is a good way to preserve crab to enjoy later. We often pull a serving out of the freezer when family visits to serve with fresh fish and chips.
A variety of cheeses, such as cheddar, jack and mozzarella, plus Velveeta and cream cheese, will make Crab Mac and Cheese extra creamy and rich.Combine the cheeses and macaroni in a large pot. Heat over medium heat until well combined.Fresh crab turns homemade macaroni and cheese into gourmet version of a family favorite.Sprinkle with breadcrumbs before baking.Crab Mac and Cheese, one of the best ways to enjoy fresh Oregon Coast Dungeness.Crab Mac and Cheese served with a garden salad.
Homemade Crab Mac and Cheese is simple and easy. Our recipe doesn’t have to be followed precisely. Use whatever variety of cheeses you prefer, and the amount you like. Two cups of cheese is a good starting point for a 16-ounce package of macaroni. If you don’t want to use cream cheese or Velveeta, add a little more milk, and a half cube of melted butter. Season to taste.
Crab Mac and Cheese
16 ounces macaroni or other pasta, cooked to directions, drained, set aside
1 cup cooked, shelled crab meat (or more if desired)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat baking dish with cooking spray.
Boil pasta as directed, drain, set aside
In a large pot, combine cheeses, milk, sour cream, Velveeta, cream cheese, seasonings, green onion and crab. Heat over medium heat until well combined, stirring constantly. Add cooked pasta, stir well.
Transfer the pasta, cheese and crab mixture to the baking dish, sprinkle with bread crumbs, bake for 15 minutes.
A customer on the Nauti-Lady with a pot full of crab.Crab caught aboard a charter boat with Brookings Fishing Charters.
By Capt. Andy Martin – Growing up in Brookings, catching surfperch are among my earliest childhood memories. Abundant at area beaches, easy to catch, hard fighting, and good to eat, surfperch are an under-rated bounty of the Oregon Coast. These spectacular-looking fish are eager biters, and fun for anglers of all ages and skill levels. Even after a day on the water running a charter boat, I often walk to the beach near my home after work and catch surfperch during the spring and summer with my wife or grandkids. Catching surfperch never gets old – and its one of the best ways to enjoy a visit to the Oregon Coast.
A young anglers holds a double hookup of redtail surfperch caught at a beach near Brookings.
Since they are relatively easy to catch, and the gear needed is inexpensive, even the occasional angler has a blast catching surfperch. The Brookings, Oregon, area has some of the best surfperch beaches on the coast, and the safest, with small breakers, easy-to-access beaches, and generally less wind than the rest of the Pacific Northwest.
Most anglers use what is known as a high-low rig for surfperch. A weight is attached at the bottom of a leader, with two hooks attached with dropper loops above the weight. The rig doubles the chances of hooking up, with two hooks, and with the weight on the bottom, it is easier to feel the bite.
Capt. Andy with a striped surfperch caught near the Chetco River jetty.Sarah Martin with a walleye surfperch caught near Brookings.
A few keys to surfperch – the fish have small mouths, so small hooks and small baits must be used. I often see anglers attempt to catch surfperch and get frustrated as others around them are catching fish after fish. The biggest mistake is using too big of a hook or bait. Generally, use a bait the size of a fingernail and no bigger than a thumbnail. A size 6 to 4 baitholder hook works best. Try using a size 1/0 or bigger hook and you may get a bite, but likely won’t hook the surfperch.
Pancake sinkers work best. Bank sinkers or pyramid sinkers will also work. Round cannon ball style sinkers will roll around, and make it easier for waves to wash them back to shore. During conditions with small swells or light currents, weights as light as 2 ounces will work. Upwards of 6 ounces are needed when breakers and swells are bigger. In snaggy, rocky areas, many anglers will use larger slinkies, or pencil lead with surgical tubing.
A high-low rig works best for surfperch from beaches around Brookings.
For bait, remember smaller is better. Many anglers use larger raw shrimp or prawns, but cut them into small pieces, again about the size of a fingernail, or dime. These baits stay on the hook well, and are a favorite bait of both redtail and striped surfperch. Berkley Gulp! sandworms also work well for surfperch, especially the 2″ camo colored baits. Raw clams and mussels are another extremely effective surfperch bait. If conditions are calm, with light swells, cooked salad shrimp will work, but in rougher water, that bait will easily be washed off the hooks.
A medium-sized spinning combo works best for surfperch. Around Brookings, a 7 1/2-foot rod is ideal. In areas with larger breakers and waves, a longer rod may be necessary. The same rod and reel used for bass fishing at the lake, or steelhead, will work for surfperch. Lighter lines, no more than 20 pound test, works best, as heavier diameters will get washed toward the beach faster by incoming waves.
Surfperch can be caught year round near Brookings, but the best fishing is in the late winter, spring and summer. Striped surfperch move close to the beach in the late winter and spring to spawn. Unlike most fish, they give live birth near the surf. Striped surfperch like gravel, sandy and rocky beaches, and tidepools that are covered at high tide. March through May are prime time. The Winchuck Beach, McVay Rock State Park, Sporthaven (Port of Brookings) Beach, both jetties of the Chetco River, Chetco Point Park and Lone Ranch State Park are hot spots for
Redtail surfperch will spawn later. They are caught from March through September. Crissy Field Welcome Center, right on the Oregon-California border, is a hot spot for redtails, along with Harris Beach, Lone Ranch, Kissing Rock in Gold Beach and the sandspit at the mouth of the Rogue River.
Surfperch like to feed right next to shore on the breaker line. Often anglers cast too far and overshoot fish holding within a few feet of the beach. Capt. Michael details how to catch surfperch in this video.
Surfperch season is open year round in Oregon. The limit is 15 per day, with no size limit.
Capt. Michael with a surfperch caught near Brookings.A nice catch of surfperch from a beach near Brookings.
To learn more about surfperch fishing, stop by Brookings Bait and Tackle at the Port of Brookings. To learn more about ocean fishing charters, visit www.brookingsfishing.com.
BROOKINGS, Ore. (Feb. 22, 2025) – Limits of rockfish, lots of lingcod and a few Dungeness crab to end the day have made for exciting winter charter boat trips out of Brookings so far this winter, with good fishing on the nice weather days between storms. Chrome-bright steelhead, meanwhile, are entering local rivers, giving anglers plenty of options for February and March fishing trips.
Ocean lingcod and rockfish action has been above average so far this winter, with more lingcod than recent years in January and February. Steelhead fishing, on the other hand, has been slower than expected coastwide, with just a couple steelhead per boat on most days.
Customers with limits of lingcod aboard the Miss Brooke in February 2025.
The Miss Brooke, Nauti-Lady and Papa B have been running ocean charters as the weather allows between storms. The rockfish action has been hot, with lots of smaller fish released and a good grade for limits. Lingcod also are biting aggressively, with limits typical on the longer 6-plus-hour trips, and a fish or rod or better on the shorter 4-hour trips. On long-range trips to Mack Arch, the lingcod bite has been wide open, with limits and plenty of smaller lingcod released, as well as some larger breeders let go as well.
A large steelhead caught with Capt. Andy on the Chetco River in February 2025.
Steelhead fishing will remain a solid option well into March. Our ocean charter boat captains are also river guides, and fish out of drift boats during the fall and winter when the ocean is too rough to fish. They use light spinning tackle to drift tiny clusters of roe for steelhead. The scenic floats down the Chetco and Smith rivers are memorable, and the hard-fighting steelhead are among the most prized an angler can catch.
A limit of lingcod from the Miss Brooke in January 2025.
During the winter months, lingcod move into shallow water to spawn. Big numbers of fish congregate over rockpiles in 20 to 50 feet of water. Many of the lingcod are caught on typical rockfish gear, but once limits of rockfish are caught, our captains switch over to larger jigs and bigger baits to specifically target lingcod. The catch rate of the Brookings Fishing Charters crew speaks for itself – our captains have a well-earned reputation for catching quality rockfish and lots of lingcod using light tackle in shallow water.
Capt. Andy with a pair of nice lingcod caught aboard the Nauti-Lady in February 2025.Deckhand Eric with a pair of lingcod caught aboard the Miss Brooke in January 2025.
Ocean fishing is open year round out of the Port of Brookings, which also has the safest bar crossing on the Oregon Coast. Our crew is ready to fish each time there is a break in the weather and it is safe to get out and fish for lingcod and rockfish. Trips are available aboard the Nauti-Lady, our 42-foot boat, as well as the 30-foot six-pack charter boats Miss Brooke, Kraken, Papa B and Dash.
The Nauti-Lady hovers of a big school of rockfish near House Rock in January 2025.
Ocean salmon dates will be announced in April 2025. Pacific halibut season opens May 1. The highly anticipated season at Point St. George Reef Lighthouse also opens May 1. Albacore tuna trips are offered in July, August and September, once the fish get within 30 miles of the coastline.
Here are some of the recent lingcod and rockfish catches aboard our charter boats out of Brookings.
Steelhead season closes March 31 on the Chetco, and April 30 on the Smith. Spring king salmon action runs mid-March through June. To book an ocean charter or spring king salmon trip, call (541) 813-1082. Learn more about ocean charters at www.brookingsfishing.com. Learn about river trips at www.wildriversfishing.com.
Here are some recent steelhead catches with our river guides.
By Rich Holland (Pacific Coast Sportfishing) – Albacore! Once the driving force of Southern California sportfishing, albacore have been gone a long time from local and Baja banks. Gone so long that when bursting to tell the tale of an epic summer bite in Oregon after I got home last summer, it became apparent that any local angler in their 20’s didn’t even know what an albacore was.
Capt. Rye Phillips holds fists full of albacore tuna caught aboard his charter boat, the Dash, part of the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet.
Yes, an entire SoCal generation has gone without chasing albacore, longfin, albies, chicken of the sea, or whatever you wanted to call the tasty white meat tuna with impossibly long pectoral fins that the gun-blue and silver bodied fish use to literally glide thousands of miles around the Pacific. Yet it was also clear from social media that older and not-so-old SoCal anglers remembered the days when albacore fishing was king. They, too, had journeyed last summer to Northwest waters from California’s Fort Bragg and Shelter Cove, Oregon’s Brookings and Newport, and Washington’s Ilwaco and Westport and scored big on the longfin tuna.
There’s nothing prettier than the blue of albacore water. Somewhere off the coast of Brookings, Oregon.
Here’s Where You Can CATCH ALBACORE This Summer
They are going back. And so am I.
Here’s where, when and how we caught them.
Brookings, Oregon Capt. Sam Stover pulled the charter boat Kraken up to the dock in Brookings-Harbor after taking our group on a successful lingcod and rockfish run to the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse, 12 miles south in California waters. Capt. Andy Martin, owner of the Kraken and Brookings Fishing Charters, soon found us with some highly anticipated good news. “We’re a go for the albacore tomorrow!” said Martin, adding, “The boats are all leaving at 4 a.m.” Scramble time. Albacore gear poured down in carts as we took our gear and fish up to the truck. Go, go, go! Sleep a little.
Capt. Mick Thomas with a hefty albacore tuna caught off the coast of Brookings.
Beat up, bedraggled, tired and excited, as ready as we would ever be, we were back on the Kraken way before the crack of dawn and passed the mothership Nauti-Lady, a 41-footer licensed for 26 anglers, deck lights on and the dock lines coming in. Then we trailed the lights of the other 29-foot twin outboard, heavy-hulled aluminums Miss Brooke, Papa B and Dash into the main channel of the Chetco River and across the bar. Earlier, Andy had explained where he hoped to find the mother lode. “The spot of good water 20 miles out looks isolated on the latest charts, so we’ll be heading up north about 35 miles to an area off Gold Beach where we have a pin on where some fish were caught. Then we’ll spread out and look for the albacore.”
The Nauti-Lady enroute to the tuna grounds of off Brookings at first light.
By the time the Kraken got to the area, the seas and winds had both picked up. It was gusting up to 15 knots and the boats had scattered and radio communication was sketchy. As the sun turned the wind chop golden, we could see albatross and shearwaters skimming the wake and waves. The more we could see as the sun came up, the water looked pretty good, too. Albacore water is magical. Picture the purest blue that turns to a dense purple as it deepens. Find the water and the birds and the albacore will be there. Deckhand Chris Cooke put out a couple hand lines and some feathers (plastic, tinsel, feather, vinyl etc. trolling lures) on four troll setups, too. Patrick Bird and Patrick, Jr. eagle-eyed the rods in the holders and Brookings local Mark Gasich, an old friend invited by Andy to join us, tended to his Mexican flag (green, yellow, red) lure. Soon Mark had a fish on that hit and pulled like an albacore. And fell off halfway to the boat. As we drifted, we slid over into dirty water. As Mark said, it might not have even been an albacore. I didn’t believe it. We just had to get into the really good water. We went looking.
A nice score of albacore tuna caught aboard the Dash of the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet.Customers aboard the Nauti-Lady with some of the albacore caught using P-Line Tuna Ripper jigs.
Soon, a boat loomed on the horizon exactly in the direction the Nauti-Lady should be coming from. The tall antennas on the boat’s house sent and received us loud and clear and worked as a relay to the rest of the fleet. Capt. Travis Sallander on Miss Brooke was on the fish, and both Capt. Mick Thomas on the Dash and Capt. Mike Brouillette on the Papa B were either in ‘em or on the way. Once Andy managed to get one of the busy captains to give him the complete lat/long numbers, we were on the way too. The water went from chlorophyll powder blue with a ton of birds and no fish to perfect and birds over fish. Sam slowed down and in went the jigs. The starboard handline bounced tight and two trolling rigs doubled over. The deck was bloodied with all three albacore (so good to see after so long). Happy does not describe the feeling. More like building greed and exultation.
Nauti-Lady Capt. Andy Martin holds a pair of albacore tuna caught by longtime Brookings Fishing Charters Barb Hunt of Medford, Oregon.
We could see boats in the distance, and the chatter sounded so good we kept the lures out of the water and ran to the meat of the matter. The albacore, as so often, definitely were concentrated in one area and they were hungry. And they are extremely fun to catch on modern tackle. The same rig you would use to finesse fish for bluefin – and what Andy uses for Pacific halibut on trips both local and in Alaska – is perfect for trolling. That is, a strong, single speed 20- to 30-size casting reel packed with braid and a small diameter composite rod with a moderately fast tip and lifting power.
A typical Oregon Coast albacore tuna.
Of course, Mark’s old school gold reel and troll rod monofilament setup worked too. The Birds perched over their chosen setups, and they didn’t have to wait long. Several times, all six lines in the water loaded up with albies – first two or three fish would stick, then a couple more as Sam throttled back a bit, then the last one or two. Never less than three. A handful were “peanuts,” a term for albies under 10 pounds, but most were the good grade that fill the freezer. We took turns bouncing the handline fish over the rail and if there was a reel with the clicker still singing, you’d grab that. Better still, if fish were still hanging – and 15- to 20-pound albacore hit hard and pull hard enough for some good strong runs – it was time to reach for a drop-back bait.
Capt. Andy Martin with a nice albacore tuna caught aboard the Nauti-Lady.A tote full of iced tuna back at the harbor in Brookings.
To this writer, nothing is more fun than a swimbait, and Mark and I had some classic Channel Island ‘Chovie Fish Traps with us. It’s always a good sign when you can see free swimmers and followers flashing behind the boat. The first cast got bumped. I wound it faster and watched a beautiful bright-eyed albacore line up and blast the lure at the surface 20 feet off the stern. A tight drag on the Trinidad 20 with 50-pound braid and a 40-pound Seaguar leader resulted in a marlin-like head shake and it looked like the fish would come right up at the side of the Kraken – the crystal blue water illuminates the fish. In a wink, the longfin put its head down and dove deep into the cobalt darkness. Back came the fish wings spread and circling. One more sidewise dash and the 20-plus pounder was done. Then Pat Jr. Landed a trolled fish just about as big and Mark’s similarly-sized albie spit a swimbait right at the gaff. Slice, bleed, ice, repeat. It was the same for the entire squadron of five vessels. Run and gun and get it done. “We have enough ice and space left to do another pass,” said Sam. “Unless you guys have had enough and want to head back.” “I want to make another pass,” said the senior Patrick in his Irish brogue. We did, and we caught. On the way back, Patrick explained his thinking.
Oregon Coast albacore tuna caught with the Brookings Fishing Charters crew.
“You know, you get into a special day of fishing and you know you have caught enough. Still, you just don’t want it to end.” Brookings is a large town located a short drive north of the California border on Hwy 101. Summer tourists pour through for the old growth redwood groves and stunning coastline. Anglers head to Brookings Harbor at the mouth of the Chetco River. There is a small airport in Crescent City below the border and a major airport in Medford a bit more than two hours from the coast on Hwy 199. Ever since our small group of family and friends started doing summer trips to Brookings with Andy Martin’s operation instead of Alaska, albacore have always been a possibility.
Nauti-Lady deckhand Eric Howard helps a customer display an albacore destined to make more than a few tasty meal.
Not a given. We pick a week when regulations say just about any briny fish is fair game. Albies were caught the week before and the week after, or two weeks later. Or the wind blew hard outside the protected inner waters. Targeting albacore calls for more flexibility, said Martin. The season in the Brookings area is roughly late July to mid-September, with August the most reliable. “On the southern Oregon coast, you can’t really pick a week a long time in advance and expect to catch albacore,” noted Martin. “We do it off a call list. We watch the water temps and charts and wait for the weather to align. We’re lucky because the Chetco River Bar is one of the easiest to get across in Oregon. Our goal is a dozen trips a year and that’s it. Lots of times we send all five boats out, as the guys who have booked other trips usually opt in. If the albacore fishing is really good, we’ll cancel the other trips and go straight albacore. “To me, it seems the abundance of albacore off the southern Oregon coast is just getting better and better; the abundance of bait fish is better, so I think it is just going to get better,” Martin added. “Our catch rate is certainly getting better. The charts, the sonar, communication technology are so much better – we know the next day where fish have been caught – and because people, especially the private boats, have figured out how to catch them. “More so, I think there is simply more albacore.”
To book a trip with Brookings Fishing Charters, call (541) 813-1082.
Capt. Mick and Capt. Mike with albacore caught off the coast of Brookings.Kraken deckhand Chris Cooke deals with albacore caught during a hot bite.A nice albacore caught aboard the Miss Brooke.
Fort Bragg, California
Capt. Brandon Hayward is best known these days for his and his fellow Bight Sportfishing captains’ white seabass and bluefin tuna catches. What you might not know is Hayward was working the deck of Ray Sobiek’s Producer when the albacore returned to San Diego in 1997 and rode out the last San Diego surge of albacore working on the Excel until August of 2005. Always looking to be on the front edge of the fishing curve, Brandon and crew jumped into Northwest albacore action last summer, trailering boats up for charters out of Fort Bragg. Hayward’s new cat-hull might be the vessel this summer. “I talked with Pete Grosbeck before I went up and what he told me is that it’s the same as albacore fishing anywhere – it’s all about the water structure,” said Hayward. “What I learned was that going up in September was on the late side, the season gets going in August. “We caught the albacore just like we catch them here, mostly on Rapalas and feathers,” he noted. “We were late – I heard it’s different farther north – so we worked hard running and looking for loose jumpers and that kind of thing.” Hayward’s customers are encouraged to fly into Santa Rosa (there are flights from both Burbank and San Diego), rent a car and take the short scenic drive through wine country up to the edge of the Lost Coast. “Fort Bragg is a great harbor , it reminds me of New England with little seafood restaurants, nice places to stay and processors right there. I really enjoy it,” said Brandon. “If you want to bring your own boat, slips are dirt cheap, and there is an easily accessible launch ramp. There’s no live bait, so bring some salted an – chovies or whatever.” Bigger tuna also move into rich Northwest waters. “We missed the bigeye tuna that Pete Grosbeck and his buddies got,” Hayward. “They caught them on the MadMacs just like we catch bluefin down here. They were staying out all night fishing late afternoon and early morning. “While we were in Fort Bragg, down the line blue – fin tuna were jumping and boiling on smelt outside the kelp line in 90 feet of water . One fisherman I talked to was catching 100 pounders just a few miles below the harbor,” Brandon added. “We kept running outside for albacore. “I wonder which way a boat would have headed if that was the case 20 years ago when the albacore were still around San Diego?”
Ilwaco, Washington
As noted, this is not the first point in time albacore have abandoned the waters of Southern California and Baja California. The way to satisfy albacore lust was to head way up north to Westport, Washington, where a lot of albacore boats have been built in the Westport Shipyard (now Westport Yachts). Andy Martin’s Nauti-Lady is a Westport that he bought in Ilwaco. Ilwaco, Washington, is a harbor town tucked up behind Cape Disappointment at the mouth of the Columbia River. Ilwaco is where Lawrence “Squig” Quigley of Fishworks headed last summer in late August to fish for albacore with Capt. Shawn Trowbridge, Ryan Herzog and his son Shawn, Jr. Trowbridge is a name familiar to many who have fished out of San Diego. He purchased the Tracer in 2022 after it had been moved to Ilwaco to be fished commercially (unsuccessfully) and completely refitted the 55-foot vessel into a luxury six-pack. Shawn renamed the converted boat Legendz. “Originally it was a Westport called the Aurora and brought down to San Diego and named the Tracer,” said Trowbridge. “After it moved back north it had been trashed and left at the dock for three years. It made more sense to buy it for the hull rather than buy a new boat. The Legendz is more like a yacht now.” A yacht with modern sonar and two 30-scoop bait wells. “Not many boats up here have more than a 5-scoop bait tank and except for one commercial boat, I believe we’re the only boat in the harbor with sonar,” said Trowbridge. “It’s pretty easy to find fish up here, mainly bird schools. We’ll troll some, but once it’s August and the albacore are on the birds, it’s one-stop shopping. “We’ve never had a trip with less than eight to 10 fish per rod,” he added. Shawn also noted that all of his business comes from “down there.” “We caught 68 albacore in a day-and-a-half fishing 30 miles out, it was crazy” said Fishworks’ Squig after his trip from down there to up there. “The anchovies were huge; I have never seen them that big. There’s a live bait receiver in the harbor and a fish processor right near the docks.” “What we have our customers do is hop on a plane that gets in early to Portland, about 9 or so, and we shuttle them to the boat, leave the dock at noon and we get in a solid five hours of fishing 25 to 40 miles out,” explained Trowbridge. “Then it’s dinner, the customers sleep, get up early and do the gray bite thing, and we’re usually on way the home by 9 or 10 with all the fish we need. We have a nice hotel nearby that most people stay at while their fish are processed. In the morning, they pick up their fish, we take them to the airport and pick up the next group. “We do that from August through September. The lightest line we fish with is 30-pound, and I use a Talica with 80 and horse ‘em! We have all the gear – Accurates, Talicas, Fathoms – so just bring clothes. Some stay for a while on Long Beach Peninsula, it’s a vacation spot. “My biggest problem is we run out of groups after Labor Day and in Sep – tember the fish are all bigger. My son and I had 39 one day by ourselves, and you can’t bounce those fish, so you have to take the time to gaf f them. I’m getting too old to catch all those fish in one day. The plan is to pass the operation on to my son.”
BROOKINGS, Ore. (Jan. 16, 2025) – While the ocean has been choppy and windy, with plenty of big swells, there have been a few windows of nice weather in January, allowing our charter boats to get offshore to target lingcod and rockfish, and check crab pots on the way in. Limits of quality rockfish are being caught, with nice lingcod mixed in, and an exclamation point to the day with fresh crab.
The Nauti-Lady and Miss Brooke have been running ocean charters this month, between storm events, while the rest of the Brookings Fishing Charters crew is focusing on winter steelhead drift boat trips on the Chetco and Smith rivers. As the rivers begin to drop to low, clear conditions as the storm door temporarily closes, the ridge of high pressure in the weather patterns often makes for fishable ocean conditions. We are planning more ocean charters the second half of January.
A pair of nice lingcod from a trip this month on the Nauti-Lady.Jumbo crab on the Nauti-Lady. We have been setting pots on the way out, and checking them before returning to the docks.
When the weather allows during the winter months, lingcod fishing is often good, as fish move into shallower water to stage to spawn. Large numbers of lingcod, which spend most of their life in deeper water offshore, come to the shallow reefs December through April. We use light tackle to fish for lingcod when they are in shallow water, often catching them at depths less than 40 feet.
Lingcod from a recent trip aboard the Nauti-Lady.A lingcod that fell for a light jig aboard the Miss Brooke in 30 feet of water.
Big schools of rockfish are in shallow water, producing quick limits. We use light spinning rods to catch the rockfish. Caught in shallow water, smaller fish can safely be released without harm, and anglers can sort through quality limits.’
Nice grade of rockfish during a hot bite aboard the Miss Brooke.
Steelhead fishing has been fair on the local rivers. After weeks of high water, the rivers are dropping to low, clear conditions. Expect big numbers of hatchery fish after the next rain. Here are a few steelhead catches with our guides this past week.
To book an ocean charter, call (541) 813-1082. More information about our trips is available at www.brookingsfishing.com.
Here are some more catches from the past week on our charter boats.
Also check out our web site for dozens of delicious seafood recipes. Click here for our latest recipes.
By Capt. Andy Martin – During a week-long fishing trip to the mouth of the Mississippi River years ago, I had the chance to enjoy fantastic redfish action in the delta, and a hot yellowfin tuna bite miles offshore. Aside from the great fishing, each night the group I was fishing with got to enjoy the delicious Cajun cooking Louisiana is famous for. One of the most memorable meals was a seafood boil with shrimp and crawfish.
A seafood boil is the perfect combination of crab, shrimp, corn, potatoes and sausage.
Seafood boils are especially popular on the Gulf Coast, in the Carolinas, and New Englund. Here on the Oregon Coast, seafood boils are a less-seldom way to enjoy fresh crab and shrimp, and locally grown produce, but are gaining in popularity. In Louisiana, seafood boils are part of the culture of the region. Churches, schools and civic groups often use seafood boils as fundraisers. Tulane University holds an annual Crawfest and serves a seafood boil to students. Crawfish are readily available on the Gulf Coast and are the most common ingredient in boils. It’s common to see seafood boils as tailgate feasts at college football games in the South.
Oregon Coast Dungeness crab and a variety of shrimp are a delcious regional twist to popular seafood boils.
My family regularly enjoys seafood boils, especially when we have out-of-town guests. We usually enjoy the boil with fresh crab and shrimp, often with potatoes and onions from our friends in the Klamath Basin. Seafood boils are a regular feast at our house during Spring Break, on Memorial Day, the Fourth of July, and the day before Thanksgiving and Christmas, as our visiting family likes to enjoy local seafood when they come to the coast.
Seafood boils are a great way to enjoy crab from our charter boats.
After making countless variations of seafood boils, my favorite recipe includes Tony Chachere’s Cajun seasoning, fresh lemon juice, Dungeness crab, and different varieties of shrimp and prawns available at Oregon Coast seafood markets, or at most grocery stores. Crab is a delicious addition to the boil, but not completely necessary. Fresh Dungeness can also be substituted with snow crab from the grocery store.
Some seafood boil recipes call for chicken broth or white wine. I simply use water, with a generous amount of freshly squeezed lemon juice (our neighbor has a lemon true and a frequent surplus of fresh lemon), and a few tablespoons of Cajun seasoning. If you prefer a less-spicy version, substitute the Cajun seasoning with salt, pepper and a generous amount of Old Bay.
A mouth-watering combination of shrimp, crab, sausage, corn and potatoes with Cajun seasoning.
For the shrimp, I’ll peel a pound of smaller shrimp, and then use some jumbo shrimp of prawns with the shell intact. Part of the fun of a seafood boil is peeling the shells and cracking the crab as you feast on the delicious potatoes, onions and corn packed with flavor from the buttery Cajun seasonings and fresh lemon juice. I add raw shrimp to the boil, but usually cook the crab ahead of time and add it to the boil just before it is finished.
A combination of small red and gold potatoes adds color to the seafood boil, and complements the red and orange hue of the shellfish, bright yellow of the corn and dark green of fresh Italian parsley. Small russet potatoes or larger red or gold potatoes can be used, but should be sliced to smaller pieces to thoroughly cook.
A spicy andouille sausage is perfect for seafood boils, but a milder kielbasa also can be used.
For most boils, you will cook the onion and potatoes first, then add the sausage and corn on the cob. When the vegetables are just about done, add the raw shrimp and cooked crab. Adding shrimp too early will make them rubbery and overcooked. They taste best when just cooked.
I start by adding halved potatoes, sliced or quartered onions, quartered lemons, and Cajun seasoning to a large pot, then fill the pot with water until 1/2 to 3/4 full. Bring to a boil for 10 minutes. Add the sausage and corn, cook for another 5 minutes. Add the crab legs and bodies (back and guts removed), and boil for 5 more minutes, then add shrimp and boil for a few more minutes until they are done. Check potatoes, and if done, use a large slotted serving spoon to scoop the vegtables and seafood from the pot and onto a large baking sheet or foil turkey pan lined with newspaper. Add the butter sauce over the seafood, add a couple of quartered lemon on the side of the platter. Season the entire platter with a small amount of black pepper and serve up.
Add potatoes, onion, lemon, garlic and seasonings to pot.After boiling for 10 minutes, add corn and sausage and boil for five more minutes.Add cooked crab and raw shrimp to the boil just before potatoes are done.While the seafood is boiling, prepare the butter sauce in another smaller pot. Use 1/4 cup of the broth from the seafood boil for the sauce.Remove the vegtables and seafood from the pot and place on a newspaper-lined large baking sheet or foil turkey pan.Pour the butter mixture over the vegetables and seafood, and place several quarters of fresh lemon on the platter as garnish.The finished product, a delicious Oregon Coast seafood boil.Deckhand Eric and Capt. Sam with Dungeness crab from the charter boat Miss Brooke.
1 large yellow or red onion, cut into slices or quarters
1-2 pounds baby red and gold potatoes, cut in half (larger red or gold potatoes cut into quarters may be substituted)
2-3 tablespoons Tony Chachere’s Cajun Seasoning
1-2 Dungeness crab, boiled, back and guts removed
1 pound large prawns or shrimp, deveined
1 pound smaller shrimp (30-40 per pound) shells removed
12 ounces andouille sausage, sliced into smaller pieces
4-6 corn on the cob, cut into smaller sections
Cajun Butter
2 cubes (16 oz. total) salted butter
4 cloves garlic, pressed
1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons Tony Chachere’s Cajun Seasoning
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon lemon zest
juice from 2 lemons
1/4 cup broth from seafood boil
Instructions
In a large pot, add Cajun seasonings, 2 quartered lemons, potatoes, onions, garlic. Fill pot to 1/2 or 3/4 full with water. Bring to a boil, and boil for 10 minutes.
Add the sausage and corn, boil for 5 more minutes.
Add the cooked crab legs and bodies (back shell and guts removed), and boil for 5 more minutes.
(While the seafood begins to cook, begin making the Cajun butter)
Add the the raw shrimp, turn off heat, cover, and allow to sit for 5 minutes, or until the potatoes are completely done.
Use a slotted spoon to scoop the seafood and vegetables from the pot and place on a large baking sheet or foil turkey plan lined with a newspaper.
Pour half of the butter sauce on the seafood and vegetables spread over the platter, and save the extra for dipping.
Serve with quartered lemons to squeeze on individual servings.
To make the Cajun Butter, melt butter in a small saucepan, then add lemon zest, garlic, hot sauce, Cajun seasoning, broth and parsley. Let simmer for 10 minutes.
By Capt. Andy Martin – Seared albacore tuna combined with the sweetness of teriyaki sauce, a grilled pineapple ring, and onion sandwich roll is not only a delicious way to enjoy the bounty of a long-range offshore fishing trip, it’s a uniquely mouthwatering meal that has more of a Hawaiin feel than a typical Oregon Coast seafood recipe.
Capt. Andy with an albacore tuna caught aboard the charter boat Nauti-Lady.
My wife has a penchant for teriyaki style cooking. While she enjoys the abundant seafood options of the Oregon Coast, anything marinated or coated with teriyaki sauce gets her attention. We stumbled upon Teriyaki Albacore Burgers, which have become a favorite treat when we run our first albacore trips of the summer. These tasty fish sandwiches are unbelievable with freshly caught albacore, but also are just as hard to resist with tuna loins that have been in the freezer a few months. Albacore is our favorite way to enjoy these burgers, but ahi and other types of tuna fillets also work great.
Kikkoman Teriyaki Baste and Glaze and Kikkoman Wasabi Sauce are key ingredients for Teriyaki Albacore Burgers.
A key ingredient for Teriyaki Albacore Burgers is teriyaki baste and glaze. Kikkoman makes a great teriyaki baste and glaze, which is thicker than traditional teriyaki sauce, and made specifically for baking and grilling. It also helps hold the burger ingredients together.
Kikkoman Wasabi Sauce is another essential ingredient for these delicious sandwiches. A combination of wasabi, horseradish and mayonnaise can be substituted, but the Kikkoman sauce is ready to go, and complements the grilled albacore, pineapple and onion roll perfectly.
Fresh or previously frozen albacore works great for these grilled sandwiches. Cut the tuna into small pieces for best results.Panko bread crumbs, diced bell pepper, green onions, ginger and teriyaki sauce are combined with an egg and tuna to make these delicious burgers.
When preparing the tuna, cut into small pieces. Too big and the burgers won’t hold together very well. Partially frozen tuna slices much easier than completely thawed fish.
After combining the panko bread crumbs, diced red bell pepper, green onions, ginger, dash of teriyaki, pepper, tuna and egg, sear each side with higher heat, then turn down temperature, brush both sides of the burger with teriyaki, and cook until tuna is done, usually 5-10 minutes. I generally cook each side of the burger for a little less than 2 minutes, then gently flip, repeating a few times.
Combine the burger ingredients.Make patties and allow to chill and set for a few minutes.After searing each side on higher heat, turn down temperature to medium, and brush teriyaki sauce over the burgers.Flip the burgers and add more teriyaki sauce.While the burgers are cooking on the skillet, use a grill to warm the buns and pineapple rounds.
Grill the pineapple slices for a few minutes, and serve with a warm onion hamburger roll, lettuce, and the wasabi sauce. My wife also likes a slice of seared Canadian bacon with her albacore burger.
Serve with a side of chips (hard to beat Hawaiin brand Sweet Maui Onion), or for a real Hawaiian treat, shrimp kabobs with bell pepper, onion, squash and zucchini.
To get on our Oregon Coast albacore tuna call list, call (541) 813-1082. Learn more about tuna charters, and other fishing trips, at www.brookingsfishing.com.
A finished Teriyaki Albacore Burger.Customers with albacore tuna caught on the Kraken out of Brookings.
Teriyaki Albacore Burger
1 to 1 1/2 pounds albacore tuna fillet, finely diced
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1/2 cup Kikkoman Teriyaki Baste and Glaze
1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
1/4 cup green onion, finely chopped
1 tbs ginger, grated
1 egg, beaten
salt
pepper
Cooking oil
Kikkoman Wasabi Sauce
Pineapple rings, grilled
Onion hamburger rolls
Green leaf lettuce
Directions
Dice albacore tuna and combine with 2 tablespoons of the teriyaki sauce (reserve the rest of the 1/2 cup), green onion, red bell pepper, ginger, panko bread crumbs and beaten egg. Salt and pepper to taste. Mix well. Shape into patties and refrigerate for 10 to 15 minutes to firm up patties.
Heat skillet to medium high. Add a small amount of oil to skillet and add tuna patties. Brush top side of patty with oil while bottom is searing, flip and sear other side. Reduce heat to medium. Begin brushing the remaining teriyaki sauce on the patties and cook for 5 to 10 minutes, flipping constantly until done.
Serve on a warm onion, with Wasabi Sauce, lettuce and grilled pineapple.
