Tag: Brookings Charter boats

Oregon Coast Crab Roll delicious, easy to make

By Capt. Andy Martin – Full of anticipation, a dozen anglers on the Nauti-Lady peered over the side and eagerly watched as deckhand Eric pulled a crab pot from the depths of the coastal waters off of Brookings, Oregon. Hoisted from 100 feet below, the crab pot slowly came into view, with a blurry, tan-colored mass inside. The pot was stuffed full of Dungeness crab, and as Eric lifted the trap into the boat, the customers erupted into cheers. “Wow! What are we going to do with all that crab?”

The late summer and fall produce the best sport crabbing of the year on the Oregon Coast. With the commercial season closed, catch rates skyrocket, as the tasty crustaceans become easy pickings for charter boats and private boats setting pots in sandy areas off the coast. With an abundance of crab this time of year, our customers are often looking for more creative ways to enjoy their catch. Cracked crab with butter, crab cocktails and crab melts are delicious, but there are countless other ways to enjoy fresh, or previously frozen Dungeness crab.

Customers hold a few of the Dungeness crab caught during a fishing charter on the Nauti-Lady.

One of our favorite ways to enjoy freshly caught Dungeness is an Oregon Coast Crab Roll, a delicious, simple knockoff of the famed New Englund or Maine Lobster Rolls, with a true Oregon Coast twist. Many will argue Dungeness is the best-tasting crab, and even better than lobster. They are both great, but we obviously are partial to Dungeness from the Pacific Northwest.

Eric Howard, a deckhand on the Nauti-Lady, shows off a few crab from a recent charter.

The cold, creamy, rich taste of chilled crab with a little crunch from chopped celery, and freshness from a little lemon and dillweed make this an irresistible treat. Perfect for a summer lunch or unique meal for visiting guests or family, Oregon Coast Crab Rolls are a year-round favorite, made fresh when in season, and enjoyed later with frozen picked crab meat from the peak harvest in late summer.

The results of a bottom fishing and crab combo on the charter boat Kraken.

Lobster rolls originated in New Englund, with two variations – the original Connecticut version with warm butter and lemon juice, and another version, where mayonnaise replaces the butter and the roll is served cold. The first lobster rolls were a staple at Perry’s, a restaurant in Milford, Conn., beginning in 1929. Red’s Eats, a roadside seafood stand in Maine, sold lobster rolls in the 1970s, with lobster meat drenched in warm butter served on a hotdog bun. Today, most lobster rolls served in Maine, where they are readily available at many restaurants, are served cold.

Lobster rolls likely predate restaurants in New England. Commercial fishermen and sailors from Portugal and England often ate lobster with a bread roll, and ate the sandwiches at sea.

We’ve made Oregon Coast Crab Rolls hot and cold, and prefer the chilled alternative.

Most lobster rolls are served on a hotdog style bun, with the top cut out. We instead use croissants from a local bakery. The buttery flavor of a classic croissant complements the rich, delicious taste of crab!

The filling of the Oregon Coast Crab Roll is essentially a classic crab salad, with just a few ingredients: crab, celery, red onion, lemon juice, mayo, fresh dill and a pinch of Old Bay seasoning.

The crab salad is served on a croissant. It also is delicious with crackers, or served atop a green garden salad.

The basic ingredients for an Oregon Coast Crab Roll.
Mix the ingredients together and served over a croissant roll.
The chilled taste of Dungeness crab with a little crunch from red onion and celery is hard to beat.
A finished Oregon Coast Crab Roll.

Oregon Coast Crab Roll

1-2 pounds cooked, chilled Dungeness crab meat, removed from shell

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup finely chopped celery

2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

1-2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Croissant rolls, cut lengthwise for sandwiches

Instructions

Add crab, red onion, celery, mayo, lemon juice, Old Bay, dill, salt and pepper to a large bowl. Stir to combine.

Serve with a sliced croissant or other bread roll.

Refrigerate leftovers, serve with crackers or over salad.

Limits of lingcod highlight long-range trips

BROOKINGS, Ore. (June 13, 2025) – Long-range trips to Point St. George Reef and Mack Arch have resulted in impressive catches of lingcod and lunker rockfish, while limits of rockfish are also being caught on local half-day charters, and a few hatchery coho salmon are providing variety for anglers off the coast of Brookings.

Happy anglers hold a pair of lingcod caught aboard the Miss Brooke at Point St. George Reef in early June.

Nearly every charter to the Point St. George Reef, often called the lighthouse, have returned with limits so far this season, with plenty of the lingcod worth bragging about. The lingcod fishing often has been wide open, with numerous fish over 20 pounds, including a few in the upper 20s and one fish over 30 pounds. Lots of colorful rockfish also are showing up in the catch, with big vermillion, canary and copper rockfish included with typical catches of big black rockfish.

An angler holds a large vermilion rockfish from a June trip to Point St. George Reef.

Coho salmon season opened June 7, with a few hatchery silvers caught. Windy weather kept the fleet in close, but boats venturing 5 to 10 miles offshore are reporting big numbers of salmon. Good weather this coming week should give salmon catches a major boost.

A nice opening day hatchery coho salmon aboard the Dash.

During windy weather days, boats fishing closer to the harbor are still getting limits of rockfish, with a few lingcod mixed in. Calmer weather and smaller swells are forecasted for the upcoming week, which will allows boats to get back to Point St. George Reef and Mack Arch. The calmer weather also will give boaters a better shot at Pacific halibut, which typically arrive in greater numbers off the coast of Brookings in late June.

Capt. Sam holds a limit of lingcod caught by an angler aboard the Nauti-Lady.
Hatchery coho salmon and big rockfish from a salmon and bottom fish combo in early June.

Brookings Fishing Charters offers trips daily for lingcod and rockfish, and also runs halibut and salmon charters during calmer weather conditions. To book a trip, call (541) 813-1082, or book online at www.brookingsfishing.com.

Here are some more catches from the past week.

Big lingcod biting at lighthouse, ocean salmon and halibut seasons begin

BROOKINGS, Ore. (June 4, 2025) – Lingcod fishing at Point St. George Reef Lighthouse has lived up to its billing, with limits of big fish during the first month of the season for the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet embarking on the long-range trip to the trophy grounds. Nearly every trip this season aboard the Nauti-Lady and Miss Brooke has resulted in full limits of lingcod and large rockfish at the lighthouse. The Alaska-style fishing already has many customers who fished in May scheduled for another charter later this summer to once again experience the world-class fishing at the prolific offshore reef.

A 32-pound lingcod caught aboard the Nauti-Lady in mid-May at Point St. George Reef.

Closer to the Port of Brookings, rockfish action has been very good, while lingcod fishing is fair. Ocean salmon season is open, and beginning June 7, anglers can keep hatchery coho salmon, which are already staging off the coast of Brookings. Pacific halibut season also is open. So far, the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet are the only charters to return to port with halibut and salmon. Catch rates improve considerably in June and July for both ocean salmon and Pacific halibut.

Frequent lighthouse customer Rod Allec of Happy Camp with a pair of nice lingcod caught aboard the Nauti-Lady.

The highlight of May was the wide-open action at Point St. George Reef, located between Brookings and Crescent City. The rugged reef, with an extremely jagged bottom, strong currents, and frequent depth changes is home to some of the best lingcod and rockfish habitat on the planet. It’s remote location makes it a top lingcod destination, with perhaps the best fishing outside of Alaska and British Columbia for trophy lingcod, and a wide variety of rockfish. Giant vermilion, canary, tiger, copper, black, China, blue, yellowtail and widow rockfish are often caught during the same trip, along with quillback and yelloweye rockfish, which are protected and must be released. The Brookings Fishing Charters fleet fishes shallow reefs for the rockfish so rockfish can be safely released without damage to the fish. The biggest lingcod also tend to be located in the rugged, jagged pinnacles of the shallow reefs, where they hide in crevices and ambush their main prey, rockfish, octopus and small flatfish.

Nice limits of lingcod from a long-range trip aboard the Nauti-Lady.

So far this season, the biggest lingcod landed on the Nauti-Lady was a 32-pounder. Lots of fish in the upper 20s have been caught on both the Nauti-Lady and Miss Brooke. During the wide-open bite near the lighthouse, up to a dozen legal-size lingcod have been released during a trip as the customers finish up their rockfish limits.

A nice king caught aboard the Miss Brooke in May. Ocean coho season opens June 7!

Ocean salmon season started out slow in May, which is typically the case. Mid-June through mid-July is the peak season for salmon out of Brookings. A number of coho salmon were released in May while the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet fished for king salmon. Coho season opens June 7. The ocean abundance forecast for coho salmon is more than half a million hatchery fish, which return to hatcheries on the Columbia and Snake rivers. Those fish spend the ocean portion of their life off the Southern Oregon Coast, and slowly migrate back to the rivers during the summer. Peak numbers of coho, also known as silver salmon, are feeding near Brookings early in the season, in June and the first half of July.

Capt. Chris holds a 65-pound halibut caught aboard the Miss Brooke in May 2025.

Halibut season opened May 1, with a few fish caught out of Brookings. The best fishing is later in June, July and August, as more halibut migrate in from deeper water. Halibut spawn in the Gulf of Alaska during the winter months, and then migrate closer to shore during the summer to feed on baitfish. Catch rates increase throughout the summer, as this fish move in from 1,000 feet of water during the spring to depths as shallow as 150 feet in mid summer.

A nice variety of rockfish are being caught this season near the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse.

With decades of Alaska fishing experience, the Brookings Fishing Charters crew is best chance for success for halibut out of Brookings, as the captains have developed custom rigs while fishing at anchor to maximize the odds of catch halibut off the Southern Oregon Coast.

Sport crabbing has been slow out of Brookings, which is normally the case in late spring and the start of summer. By mid-summer, crabbing improves, and remains an option during fishing charters.

To book an trip to the lighthouse, or a local rockfish, halibut or salmon charters, visit www.brookingsfishing.com, or call (541) 813-1082.

Here are some more catches from May with the Brookings Fishing Charters crew.

Point St. George Reef Lighthouse, Pacific halibut open May 1

BROOKINGS, Ore. (April 27, 2025) – The giant lingcod and rockfish inhabiting Point St. George Reef along the California-Oregon border have been off limits to sport anglers since last fall. When fishing re-opens near the lighthouse May 1, wide-open fishing is expected, as is typical for the fertile fishing grounds on what may be the best saltwater fishing outside of Alaska. The Brookings Fishing Charters fleet begins long-range trips to the reef on the May 1 opener, and will continue through September.

Three big lingcod caught as part of a triple hookup at Point St. George Reef a few seasons ago. The prolific reef re-opens to fishing May 1.

Pacific halibut season also opens May 1. While fish are caught from the beginning of the season until the Oct. 31 closure, the best fishing out of Brookings usually takes place in late June, July and August, as Pacific halibut mover closer to the shoreline to feed. During the peak season, the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet enjoys the well-earned reputation for the highest halibut catch rates out of Brookings.

Deckhand Eric holds a pair of halibut caught aboard the Miss Brooke last summer. Halibut season opens May 1 out of Brookings and runs through Oct. 31.

Another highly anticipated opener arrives May 16, when ocean salmon season begins. Anglers will be allowed to keep wild or hatchery king salmon until June 6, followed by a summer-long coho salmon season open through Aug. 24. The limit is two hatchery coho a day, and expectations are high, as the ocean abundance forecast for Columbia River hatchery coho is more than half a million fish. Those salmon, known as silver salmon, swim by the Brookings area as they migrate up the coast each summer on their way back to the Columbia, Willamette, Clackamas, Sandy and other rivers.

While we wait for the May 16 ocean salmon opener, the Brookings Fishing Charters crew has been targeting spring chinook salmon on the Rogue River. This nice springer was caught last week with Capt. Rye.

While anglers wait for the lighthouse, halibut and salmon openers, fishing has been good for lingcod on local half-day charters out of Brookings. During calm weather days, limits of rockfish and lingcod have been common. With plenty of lingcod near 20 pounds being caught, the lings are averaging 10 pounds. So far, this season has been better than recent years, with high catch rates for lingcod, and an excellent grade of rockfish.

Deckhand Eric Howard holds a 44-pound lingcod caught at Point St. George Reef by Rod Allec of Happy Camp, Calif.

Lighthouse area best bet for trophy lingcod

Quality lingcod are caught everyday close to Brookings, but the action at Point St. George Reef is unparalleled. Big lingcod inhabit the reef year round, with fish over 40 pounds caught each season.

The reef near the lighthouse also has a huge variety rockfish, with trophy-size canary, vermilion, black, copper, widow, tiger, blue and yellowtail rockfish, which can be kept, and big numbers of yelloweye and quillback rockfish, which are protected and cannot be retained. Limits of lunker rockfish are common.

A triple hookup in the shadow of Point St. George Reef Lighthouse aboard the Miss Brooke.

The big lingcod are the main target at the lighthouse. Fish to 50 pounds have been caught, and 20-pounders are brought over the rails almost every day. The extremely jagged reefs, with drastic depth changes and strong currents, are prime habitat for big lingcod. The Brookings Fishing Charters captains know where to find and how to catch these big lingcod, with large jigs and big baits used to entice them.

The Miss Brooke, Kraken and Nauti-Lady run trips to the lighthouse and Point St. George Reef. Lighthouse fishing trips are generally 8 hours. More about the lighthouse charters can be found here.

Halibut gets better as summer arrives

Although Pacific halibut season opens May 1, and plenty of fish will be caught on the opener, the best fishing is mid-June through September. Halibut spawn in deep water, upwards of 2,000 feet, during the winter in the Gulf of Alaska. The fish then move into shallower water to feed during the spring and summer, before migrating back offshore in the late fall. In May, most fish are in 300 to 500 feet of water. Some are already shallower, in the 180 to 220 feet of water most anglers target them out of Brookings. By early summer, more fish have moved into shallower water as bait arrives, and catch rates improve. The limit is two halibut per day. By July, anglers have a good chance at limits.

Rogue salmon action decent

Spring salmon are currently entering the Rogue River near Gold Beach. These fish, known as springers, arrive during the spring runoff, which historically allowed them to reach the headwaters, where they held all summer and spawned in early fall. Because they are in the river all summer, they are full of fat and oil, and when caught in the lower river are by far the best-tasting salmon of the year.

Capt. Rye has been focusing on the lower Rogue and has been catching nice springers. To book a trip, call (541) 813-1082.

Here are a few recent catches with Capt. Rye.

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

Here are a few recent catches from ocean charters out of Brookings.

2025 ocean salmon season provides lengthy king, coho fishery out of Brookings

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).

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

Spectacular lingcod action, spring salmon await anglers on Oregon Coast

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.

Lingcod, rockfish biting as Spring arrives

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.

Crab Mac and Cheese delicious way to enjoy Oregon Coast Dungeness

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)

2 cups shredded cheese (mixture of cheddar, mozzarella, jack, pepperjack, parmesan)

1/2 cup Velveeta cheese

4 ounces cream cheese (1/2 stick)

2 cups milk

1/2 cup sour cream

2 tbs green onion, sliced

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

Instructions

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.

To book a fishing and crab combo, visit www.brookingsfishing.com.

Surfperch easy to catch, abundant at beaches around Brookings

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.

Winter charter trips bring back lingcod, rockfish and crab, while steelhead arrive in local rivers

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.