Tag: Brookings Charter boats

Lemon Pepper Salmon or Rockfish Sticks

By Capt. Andy Martin – Surprisingly easy to prepare, delicious for even the most picky eater, and great with salmon or rockfish, Lemon Pepper Salmon Sticks and Lemon Pepper Rockfish Sticks are a tasty way to enjoy the bounty of the Oregon Coast, and sure to become a favorite way to serve up the catch of the day from our charter boats.

Served with a delicious Old Bay Blue Cheese sauce, these homemade fish sticks taste great with fresh rockfish or salmon, or fillets from the freezer. I first made these Lemon Pepper Salmon Sticks when the grandkids were visiting. Insisting they didn’t like fish, the grandkids couldn’t get enough of the homemade salmon fish sticks once we served up a platter for them. Also excellent with rockfish, these fish sticks cook up quickly, and are a great alternative to traditional deep fried fish.

Lemon Pepper Rockfish Sticks served with Old Bay Blue Cheese sauce.

By slicing the fillets into smaller strips, the fish cooks quickly without a soggy, oily mess sometimes associated with fried fish. Just enough oil to cover the bottom of a skillet is needed.

The Old Bay Blue Cheese sauce is a tasty alternative to tarter sauce, and may become your go-to topping for fried or baked fish. The sauce is a simple combination of crumbled blue cheese, mayonnaise, lemon juice and black pepper.

Cutting salmon into thin strips allows it to quickly fry without an oily, soggy mess.

The fish sticks are coated with a simple mixture of flour, lemon pepper and salt, similar to the traditional fried whole trout that was a staple for our grandparents. Egg wash is used to bind the lemon pepper flour to the fish.

Rockfish can flake apart easily when cut into smaller pieces, so it’s key to slice the fillets lengthwise, along the natural part that divides the side of a rockfish into four distinct portions.

Rockfish have a natural part lengthwise along their fillet. Use that as a template for slicing the fish sticks. If the fillets are cut from top to bottom instead of lengthwise, they can flake apart while frying.
The fish are coated with a simple mixture of flour, lemon pepper and salt
Old Bay seasoning, crumbled blue cheese, mayonnaise and lemon juice combine to make a delicious sauce for fried or baked fish.

Lemon Pepper Fish Sticks

1 lb. salmon or rockfish fillets, bones and skin removed

1 cup all purpose flour

2 Tbs lemon pepper seasoning

1 tsp salt

2-3 eggs, beaten

Peanut, cottonseed or canola oil

Old Bay Blue Cheese sauce

1 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup crumbled blue cheese

1 Tbs lemon juice

1 tsp Old Bay seasoning

1/4 tsp black pepper

Frying the fish

Cut the salmon or rockfish fillets into long, thin strips, similar to fish sticks.

Heat oil to medium high. Use enough oil to cover the bottom of the skillet, but not more than an inch high.

In a large bowl or shallow baking dish, combine the lemon pepper, flour and salt.

Dip the rockfish strips or salmon strips, one at a time, into the beaten eggs, making sure all sides are coated.

Once the fish has been dipped in the egg wash, roll each stick in the lemon pepper and flour mixture.

Fry the fish sticks, in batches, for 2 minutes and then carefully flip and fry to 2 more minutes.

Allow the fish sticks to drain on a plate covered with a paper towel.

For the sauce, combine the mayonnaise, blue cheese, pepper and lemon juice. Add a little more Old Bay and blue cheese if you prefer a bolder sauce.

Salmon Sticks cooked to perfection and served with homemade coleslaw.
Lemon Pepper Rockfish Sticks are delicious and easy to make.
The fillets from just are couple of rockfish are all that’s needed to prepare a delicious meal of Lemon Pepper Rockfish Sticks.

To catch a limit or rockfish or an ocean-bright king or coho salmon to enjoy this recipe, contact Brookings Fishing Charters at (541) 813-1082 or visit www.brookingsfishing.com.

Lengthy ocean salmon season approved for Brookings, 2-fish day limits May 16-Aug. 31

BROOKINGS, Ore. (April 10, 2024) – Sport anglers fishing out of the Port of Brookings will enjoy one of the longest ocean salmon seasons in recent memory, with a 108-day fishery for kings, along with a lengthy opportunity for hatchery coho. The May 16-Aug. 31 season includes a two-fish-per day limit, with wild or hatchery king salmon allowed. Hatchery coho salmon, also known as silvers, can be included in the daily salmon limit from June 15-Aug. 4.

An angler holds a hefty king salmon caught in the ocean off of Brookings during a previous season aboard the Miss Brooke of Brookings Fishing Charters.

Federal fishery managers gave final approval to the season today during the Pacific Fishery Management Council meeting in Seattle. Representatives from Oregon, California, and Washington met to set West Coast ocean salmon seasons for sport and commercial fishermen. Brookings and the rest of the Oregon Coast fared well in the season-setting process, following last year’s ocean king salmon closure in Oregon and California. Ocean fishing for salmon will once again be closed in California this year. Capt. Andy of Brookings Fishing Charters was among the sport fishing representatives who attended the PFMC meetings in Seattle to advocate for the ocean seasons. Port of Brookings commissioner Richard Heap also attended, along with Capt. Mike of the charter boat Miss Raven in Newport.

Anglers fishing out of Brookings can keep hatchery coho beginning June 15. Mid June is prime time, as illustrated in this photo from a few seasons ago on the Miss Brooke.

While the ocean salmon seasons open in May, the best fishing out of Brookings is generally mid-June through July. Anglers fishing out of Brookings generally catch king salmon headed back to the Sacramento, Klamath, Rogue, Trinity, American, Feather, Chetco and Smith rivers. This year’s ocean abundance estimates include 215,000 adult salmon from the Sacramento River, 180,00 from the Klamath River and 200,000 from the Rogue River swimming off the Southern Oregon and Northern California coasts. That is in addition to 1 million coho salmon, including an estimated 400,000 hatchery coho bound for the Columbia River. That abundant mix of salmon usually leads to good fishing out of Brookings in June and July.

June and July are the best times to catch king salmon out of Brookings. These salmon were caught during a previous June aboard the Miss Brooke.

The Brookings Fishing Charters captains have a well-earned reputation for producing the best ocean salmon catch rates out of Brookings. Each captain is a year-round fishing guide, running ocean charters in the spring and summer, and drift boat salmon and steelhead trips during the fall and winter on the Chetco, Rogue and Smith rivers. Anglers catch kings trolling herring or anchovies with the use of downriggers or divers on our fast, comfortable six-pack charter boats, which were designed with ocean salmon fishing in mind. Salmon charters are offered aboard the Miss Brooke, Kraken, Papa B and Dash.

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

Lingcod, rockfish biting between storms

BROOKINGS, Ore. (Feb. 17, 2024) – While 2024 has been off to a rainy, stormy start, when the ocean settles down and swells subside, fishing has been good for rockfish and lingcod. The Brookings Fishing Charters crew ran several bottom fishing charters last week, and returned with limits of rockfish and several lingcod. Some trips have resulted in limits of lingcod, although the lingcod bite is slower when swells and choppy seas prevent the boats from fishing near the inshore rocky reefs. However, the Miss Brooke has returned with lingcod every trip so far this year, along with full limits of rockfish.

A nice lingcod caught aboard the Miss Brooke with Capt. Andy in February 2024.

When the weather has been calm, with minimal swell, lingcod fishing has been very good, with limits or near limits for each angler. The House Rock and Mack Arch area have fished best, as high water in the Chetco has made fishing tough closer to the harbor because of the muddy flows from the river.

A happy angler holds a limit of lingcod from a February trip aboard the Miss Brooke.

A break in the weather is expected the second half of this week, which should allow charter boats to get out this coming weekend. So far this year, Brookings Fishing Charters is the only charter company in Brookings to run ocean trips. The Miss Brooke has been out several times, along with the Papa B.

Some of the nice rockfish caught in early February aboard the Miss Brooke.
A customer with a nice lingcod from late January 2024 aboard the Miss Brooke.

Lingcod fishing is often good during the winter months, between storms, as the fish move into shallow water to spawn. Large numbers of male lingcod, between 20 and 26 inches, move shallow to stage for spawning, followed by the larger females, which can top 20 or even 30 pounds. Smaller males outnumber of females by a large margin, and are extremely aggressive during the spawning season. They eagerly bite jigs or baits. Calm weather produces better fishing, as the lingcod are in 20 to 50 feet of water. Large swells can make fishing shallower water, near wash rocks, more difficult, so the best success occurs when the ocean is flat.

A nice lingcod aboard the Miss Brooke.

Lingcod and rockfish seasons are open year round in Oregon. Salmon seasons are set by the federal government and will be announced in April. Halibut season opens May 1 and runs through October. The Point St. George Reef Lighthouse usually opens to fishing in May. California ocean seasons will be announced in April, although a general season option will be revealed in March.

The Brookings Fishing Charters crew fishes year round out of the Port of Brookings. The Nauti-Lady, Miss Brooke, Kraken, Dash and Papa B comprise the fleet. Each captain also is a river guide, and the crew runs drift boat salmon and steelhead trips in the fall and winter when the ocean is too rough to fish.

Happy anglers with a nice steelhead caught with Capt. Andy in February on the Chetco River.

Spring Break is approaching and is generally a good time to fish for lingcod and rockfish. To book an ocean charter, visit www.brookingsfishing.com, or call (541) 813-1082. For information on river trips, visit www.wildriversfishing.com.

Charter boat captain publishes Oregon Coast seafood recipe book

BROOKINGS, Ore, (Feb. 16, 2024) – Drawing from two decades experience as a full-time ocean charter boat captain and river guide, Capt. Andy Martin has published a recipe book featuring his favorite ways to prepare Oregon Coast seafood.

Order Online Now! $12.50 includes free shipping.

Captain’s Choice: Recipes from Brookings Fishing Charters is now available for purchase online or at Brookings Bait and Tackle at the Port of Brookings.

Captain’s Choice: Recipes From Brookings Fishing Charters is now available for purchase online and at the Brookings Fishing Charters office at the port of Brookings. The spiral-bound, full color recipe book features two dozen of Capt. Andy’s favorite seafood dishes, including Rockfish Chowder, Parmesan Rockfish, Rockfish Puttanesca, Teriyaki Grilled Albacore, Creamy Lingcod and Shrimp Pasta, Brown Sugar Cured Smoked Salmon, Salmon Chowder and Beer Battered Lingcod.

Capt. Andy Martin, owner of Brookings Fishing Charters, is the author of the new Oregon Coast seafood recipe book.

Almost daily on his fishing charters, customers would ask Capt. Andy about the best way to prepare their catch of the day. He’d email recipes from the Brookings Fishing Charters web site, or jot down basic chowder and fish taco recipes. The cookbook is a collection of several of his favorite rockfish, lingcod, salmon and halibut recipes.

The recipe book is spiral bound and includes nearly two dozen Oregon Coast seafood recipes.
Each recipe includes color photos, ingredients, and cooking instructions.

Early in his Alaska river guide career, Capt. Andy would use the first salmon of the day to prepare salmon chowder with a propane stove on the bow of his boat. He and other charter boat captains often spent evenings after trips creating dishes with halibut or salmon. Capt. Andy also spent the early part of his career working at world-class fishing lodges in Alaska, and had the chance to sample some of the best seafood dishes, and add his own twist to them.

Each recipe includes color photos, ingredients, cooking instructions, and description of the recipe. Most recipes can be made with the fillets of just a couple of rockfish, or a single lingcod fillet. With tighter catch limits in Alaska, Oregon and California, the recipe book allows anglers to make several meals from a daily limit of rockfish, lingcod or halibut. All of the recipes can be cooked up using fresh or frozen fish fillets.

The contents of Captain’s Choice: Recipes from Brookings Fishing Charters.

To order a recipe book online, visit Home | Brookings Fishing Charters LLC (square.site). The cost includes free shipping. Recipes books can also be purchased at the Brookings Fishing Charters and Brookings Bait and Tackle office at 16399 Lower Harbor Road at the Port of Brookings.

The Brookings Fishing Charters crew is working on a second recipe book, featuring favorite smoked fish recipes from each captain, and favorite wild game jerky recipes.

How to make Rockfish Jerky

Several years ago, a frequent customer on the Miss Brooke pulled out a bag of jerky and started handing out pieces to everyone on the charter boat. Delicious. Dried to perfection, nice salty and smoky taste, a texture almost identical to beef jerky. The rockfish jerky was a hit, and has become a favorite way to enjoy rockfish long after a fishing trip.

Ralph Trigo, on the right, shared his Rock Cod Jerky recipe with us. Ralph has been a frequent customer of Brookings Fishing Charters.

Ralph Trigo, a longtime member of the Middle Rogue Steelheaders in Grants Pass, Oregon, shared his tasty rockfish jerky recipe with us. It can be made from fresh or frozen rockfish. While a Little Chief or Big Chief electric smoker with wood chips is ideal for making rockfish jerky, it also can be made in a food dehydrator with a few teaspoons of liquid smoke added to the brine.

One of the keys to perfect rockfish jerky is making the long, horizontal slices of the fillets. Each fillet should yield four to eight strips, depending how thin you are able to slice them. The brine is simple and similar to other meat brines. For best results, smoke with just a couple of full pans of chips, and then leave in smoker for several more hours without additional smoke.

Rockfish Jerky

4 to 8 rockfish fillets, cut into thin strips

1 1/2 cups soy sauce

1 1/2 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup salt

pinch of garlic powder

(for added flavor, add paprika, red pepper flake, onion powder to taste)

Cut the rockfish into long, thin strips and place in a large bowl.

Add brine, place in refrigerator for 12 hours, stirring occasionally.

Rinse lightly, pat dry with paper towels.

Smoke for 8 hours, using two pan fulls of chips and then continue drying in smoker for remaining 8 hours. Check often.

Rockfish Jerky can be made from fresh or frozen rockfish fillets.
Cut rockfish fillets into thin, long strips.
After brining for 12 hours, rinse lightly and pat dry.
Smoke for up to 8 hours.
The rockfish jerky midway through the smoking process.
The finished product – smoky, salty and delicious.

To catch a limit of rockfish to make delicious rockfish jerky, visit www.brookingsfishing.com or call our charter boat office, (541) 813-1082.

Coleslaw, tarter sauce and cocktail sauce: Fish and chips essentials

While quality fish fillets and fresh potatoes are the key ingredients to “fish and chips,” a good side of coleslaw and generous amounts of homemade tarter and cocktail sauce are essential to completing a fish dinner.

Coleslaw, a popular dish with early American settlers in New England, is a staple at fish and chip restaurants. There are two common recipes for coleslaw when served with fish, and both are delicious.

Coleslaw, cocktail sauce and tarter sauce are fish and chips essentials.

Capt. Mike Brouillette, who owns and operates the Papa B, has a tasty vinegar and oil-based coleslaw he perfected when he ran a barbecue catering business before he jumped full-time into the charter boat industry. Mike combines shredded cabbage with red wine vinegar, olive oil, garlic salt, oregano and black pepper. Delicious with fish and chips, Mike’s recipe also goes great with barbecued chicken and tri-tip.

Capt. Mike Brouillette’s coleslaw recipe is simple and delicious.

Capt. Mike’s Coleslaw

2 1/2 cups shredded cabbage

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Simply mix the ingredients and serve immediately. While some coleslaw recipes taste even better when prepared well in advance, the vinegar-based recipe is best served within minutes after it is prepared.

Capt. Mike’s Coleslaw goes as well with fish and chips as it does with chicken or tri-tip.

Another popular coleslaw recipe includes a combination of cabbage, carrots, onion, mayonnaise and buttermilk. The favorite coleslaw recipe of Capt. Andy’s wife, Sarah, tastes best when prepared several hours before dinner so it has time to soak up the flavors of its numerous ingredients.

Sarah Martin’s favorite coleslaw recipe pairs perfectly with fish and chips.

Traditional Coleslaw

4 cups finely chopped cabbage

2 tablespoons finely chopped carrot

1 tablespoon finely chopped yellow onion

1/4 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons milk

2 tablespoons buttermilk

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1/4 teaspoon salt

ground pepper, to taste

Mix the ingredients in a large bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 6 hours. Tastes even better when refrigerated overnight. Stir a few times, if possible.

Traditional creamy coleslaw is a staple with fish and chips.
Homemade tarter and cocktail sauce are much better than any store-bought sauces.

Capt. Andy’s homemade tarter sauce is much more delicious than any store-bought sauce, and is quick and easy to make.

Tarter Sauce

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup finely chopped dill pickle, or dill pickle relish

1/4 cup finely chopped white or yellow onion

2 teaspoons chopped capers

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

Combine the ingredients in a bowl and stir well.

The simple ingredients for delicious homemade tarter sauce.

Cocktail Sauce

Mix 1/2 cup ketchup with 1 teaspoon extra hot horseradish (ground horseradish, not creamy horseradish sauce). Add salt, pepper and several squeezes of lemon juice. Mix well. For hotter cocktail sauce, add a little more horseradish.

To catch a limit of rockfish, lingcod or halibut to go with these great coleslaw and tarter and cocktail sauce recipes, visit www.brookingsfishing.com for fishing charter information.

Stormy weather, high water limits ocean, river fishing opportunities

BROOKINGS, Ore. (Jan. 21, 2024) – Stormy weather, with big swells, strong winds and rough bar conditions have kept the Southern Oregon ocean charter fleets at the docks, while steelhead fishing also has been hampered by near-flood conditions.

Lingcod and rockfish action is usually good during the winter months, when boats can get out, but ocean conditions have been rough and unfishable for most of January. More stormy weather is expected this week.

An angler holds a steelhead on the Smith River, caught last week with Capt. Andy.

Steelhead fishing on the Smith and Chetco rivers, meanwhile, also has been impacted by the stormy weather. January and February are peak season, but high, muddy water has limited the number of days fishing guides have been on the water. The Brookings Fishing Charters team of charter boat captains also are river guides, taking customers down the Smith and Chetco in drift boats. Light tackle is used to catch these prized, hard-fighting fish.

When conditions have been good, with dropping flows, and green water, steelhead fishing has been good. There have only been a few good days on the river so far this year. Better conditions are forecasted for next week. Catch rates generally improve quickly after high flows, as the rivers drop.

Capt. Rye navigates his drift boat through a fishy looking spot on the Smith River.

The Chetco reached 40,000 cubic feet per second (cfs) last week, the highest flows in four years. Minor flooding occurred on the Chetco and Smith, but flows were still well below the flood event of 2012, when flows hit 65,000 cfs. The Smith was near 100,000 cfs, or 30 feet, at the Highway 101 bridge. It rose 20 feet in 24 hours.

Water reaches the parking lot of Loeb State Park on the Chetco River in January when flows crested at 40,000 cfs.
The Chetco River at flood stage.
A flooded Chetco River, as seen from Second Bridge, or Ice Box, in mid January 2024.

Flows dropped to 5,000 cfs on Saturday on the Chetco before spiking again at 10,000 cfs on Sunday. Ideal conditions are below 4,000 cfs.

Steelhead fishing continues through March on the Chetco and April on the Smith.

Anglers admire a steelhead on the Smith River in January.

The Brookings Fishing Charters crew will run steelhead trips through the end of the season, but will be focusing on ocean charters for lingcod and rockfish more beginning in February. Lingcod move into shallow water during the winter months, fueling good fishing in shallow water on calmer days. The commercial crab fleet reported big numbers of smaller lingcod showing up in their crab pots, a sign the males are migrating in from deep water to prepare to spawn. March often produces some of the best lingcod fishing of the year, and we will be running trips daily, as the weather allows.

Learn more about steelhead fishing at www.wildriversfishing.com. For ocean charters, book online at www.brookingsfishing.com, or call (541) 813-1082.

Capt. Mick on the Smith River in January 2024.

Steelhead action improves on rivers near Brookings

BROOKINGS, Ore. (Jan. 11, 2024) – Steelhead fishing on the Chetco and Smith rivers dramatically improved early this week before heavy rains returned, blowing both rivers out. Another series of storms is expected this weekend, which could bring numerous local rivers to the verge of flood stage. The rivers are then expected to drop back into fishable shape next week.

A father and son hold a bright Chetco River steelhead caught with Capt. Andy in January 2024.

Just before the rains, steelhead fishing had improved, with catch rates jumping to three to four fish per boat. The action was short-lived, as heavy rains increased flows to 10,000 cfs on the Chetco, and 22 feet on the Smith. Flows are expected to top 30,000 cfs on the Chetco this weekend, and 50,000 cfs, or 26 feet, at the Highway 101 bridge over the Smith River. The Chetco fishes best below 4,000 cfs.

A beautiful steelhead caught in the Wild and Scenic Upper Chetco with Capt. Andy in January 2024.
Longtime customer Craig with a Chetco River steelhead caught with Capt. Rye in January 2024.

The Brookings Fishing Charters team of captains are also licensed river guides in Oregon and California and have decades of experience fishing local rivers. Capt. Andy, Mick, Rye, Sam and Travis run trips from drift boats, navigating down the river with oars as customers use light spinning rods to drift tiny clusters of salmon or steelhead eggs. Pound-for-pound, steelhead are among the hardest fighting game fish, and often leap out of the water when hooked. The Smith and Chetco are among the most scenic rivers on the West Coast.

Fish on! Fighting a steelhead on the Upper Chetco River using light spinning gear.

Steelhead fishing was on the slow side in December and first few days of January before action accelerated late last week, as fresh schools of steelhead moved into the rivers. Fishing is expected to be good as the rivers drop back into shape next week. The peak of the steelhead season is mid-January through February. Steelhead are difficult to catch when rivers are muddy and blown out, but bite well as flows are dropping and river shifts from low visibility to what is known as “steelhead green.”

Capt. Andy and a customer with an Upper Chetco steelhead in January 2024.

Capt. Andy, Mick and Travis have special-use permits from the US Forest Service to fish the Wild and Scenic Upper Chetco. Only a very limited number of guides have these permits, allowing customers to fish in an extremely productive, yet uncrowded section of river. All of the Brookings Fishing Charters guides also have Forest Service permits to fish the Smith River from the confluence of the Middle and South Forks, which allows them to drift through the stunning section of river through Redwood National Park.

To learn more about guided drift boat trips, visit www.wildriversfishing.com or call (541) 813-1082.

A big wild steelhead released after an exciting battle on the Upper Chetco River.

Steelhead arrive, lingcod bite between storms

BROOKINGS, Ore. (Dec. 14, 2023) – Fall salmon season is quickly coming to an end on the Southern Oregon coastal rivers, while the first steelhead of winter have shown up. Offshore fishing for lingcod and rockfish, meanwhile, remains good when weather conditions cooperate. Our saltwater captains have switched gears to steelhead, and will be running drift boat trips on the Chetco, Smith, Elk and Sixes rivers through March, but will also take customers on ocean bottom fishing charters during the winter as conditions allow.

The first winter steelhead of the season caught with Capt. Andy on Dec. 13 on the Chetco by Scott of Denver. We will be running drift boat trips through March.

We fish for steelhead from drift boats, with a guide rowing two customers downriver. Light spinning rods are used to cast small clusters of roe. Steelhead are known for their non-stop fight, and pound-for-pound are one of the most prized gamefish. They also are caught on some of the most beautiful stretches of river in the country. Capt. Andy, Mick and Travis have special use permits to take customers on the Wild and Scenic Upper Chetco, while Rye, Sam and Shane fish the lower end of the river, where hatchery fish are more abundant. All of our charter boat captains are also licensed river guides. For more information on river trips, visit www.wildriversfishing.com.

Capt. Sam runs the falls on the Elk River. The coastal rivers of Southern Oregon offer great salmon and steelhead fishing, and are among the most beautiful anywhere.
A large king salmon caught on the Chetco this fall with Capt. Rye.
Capt. Mick holds a lunker fall king salmon caught by John Curry on the Upper Chetco.

Salmon season was decent this year on the Chetco, with the best fishing in late October and early November. A few kings will continue to trickle in through the end of December, but the vast majority of the run has already spawned. We saw big numbers of hatchery kings this year, and a lot of jacks, a good indication of what’s in store next year.

Nice limits of lingcod caught on the Dash in early November. Winter fishing for lingcod and rockfish is often good, as big fish move into shallow water to spawn.

While the best weather of the year for ocean charter fishing is April through September, calm weather days in the winter months often lead to wide-open fishing. Lingcod spawn in shallow water, where they can be caught on light tackle in calm, protected coves. We will be running ocean charters as conditions allow this winter. Call (541) 813-1082 to get on our call list for winter fishing.

Gift certificates make great stocking stuffers! We offer gift certificates for ocean and river trips, and our tackle shop. They can be printed and mailed with brochures, or emailed as a PDF. Call (541) 813-1082 for information.

Here are some of the photos from this past salmon season with Capt. Mick, Rye, Sam, Andy and Shane.

A 36-pound lingcod caught with Capt. Rye at Mack Arch in early November.

Here are a few late-season lingcod and rockfish photos from November.

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

River salmon season off to hot start!

BROOKINGS, Ore. (Oct. 10, 2023) – Big numbers of bright king salmon have arrived in the Chetco River estuary, while halibut, lingcod and rockfish continue to be caught during ocean charters out of Brookings. The transition from summer to fall often produces some of the best fishing opportunities of the year, and that continues to be the case as anglers have plenty of options on the Southern Oregon Coast.

Some of the nice salmon caught the first weekend of October with Capt. Sam.

The Brookings Fishing Charters crew has been running ocean charters daily, as the weather allows, and also guided salmon trips on the Chetco River estuary. All of our captains are also licensed river guides, and have been enjoying great catches of big king salmon at the mouth of the river. With heavy rains this week, and rough ocean conditions, ocean charters will be running less frequently, while the crew switches to drift boats to target salmon upriver. Flows are expected to increase next week, and we plan to run our first drift boat salmon trips of the season.

An ocean-fresh salmon caught in the Chetco estuary with Capt. Shane.

Offshore, halibut fishing has been fair to good. The halibut season in Oregon runs through Oct. 31. Lingcod and rockfish season is open year round, and we will continue ocean charters as weather allows. During recent trips, limits of nice rockfish have been common, with hot action in shallow water using light tackle. Lingcod fishing is fair, but soon bigger numbers of fish will move close to shore to stage before spawning. Winter lingcod fishing can be fast and furious out of Brookings, and our six-pack charter boats are well equipped for fishing the shallow reefs where lingcod spawn.

Some nice halibut caught on the Dash with Capt. Rye.

Larger halibut are showing up in the catch, with fish to 60 pounds. Our crew has been targeting halibut in 180 to 240 feet of water. On anchor, lighter weights can be used, to make halibut fishing more enjoyable.

Salmon fishing was hot over the weekend at the mouth of the Chetco. Anglers must stay withing the jetties, but big numbers of salmon, both hatchery and wild, are holding up in the estuary before heading upriver. With the rains, drift boat fishing will be productive. Our crew will be fishing the Chetco, Elk and Sixes rivers for salmon, and the Smith River for steelhead. Capt. Andy, Mick, Sam, Rye, Travis and Shane will be running our drift boat trips this fall.

Here are just a few of the salmon catches from the last two weeks at the mouth of the Chetco.

Here is a sampling of the catches from recent ocean charters. We will continue to run our six-pack charter boats into the winter as the weather allows.

To book an ocean charter or guided river trip, call (541) 813-1082. More in river fishing can be found at www.wildriversfishing.com. For ocean trips, visit www.brookingsfishing.com.

Check out our latest recipe, Chipotle Rockfish, Shrimp and Bacon tacos.