Lingcod fishing has busted wide open out of Brookings, with limits or near limits during calm weather days. Limits of rockfish also are being caught.
With nice weather to begin the month of March, the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet was able to run trips several days, getting limits of rockfish on each trip, and nice catches of lingcod. On trips to Mack Arch, limits of lingcod have been the norm.
A nice limit of lingcod caught in March aboard the Miss Brooke.A pair of big canary rockfish caught aboard the Miss Brooke.A young angler with a big lingcod caught on the Kraken.More Miss Brooke lingcod.
The biggest storm in nearly two months hit the coast the second week of March, keeping boats at the docks. Better weather days are already showing up in the forecast.
During most trips, there has been an excellent grade of rockfish, with big blue and black rockfish, plus an assortment of canary, vermilion, China and copper rockfish. The lingcod are running 5 to 12 pounds, with a fish on most trips topping 15 pounds and an occasional lingcod to 20 pounds.
A nice halibut caught and released in March aboard the Papa B.
Sport halibut season opens May 1. The first halibut of the year was caught and released over the weekend by a customer aboard the Papa B. They were targeting lingcod near Mack Arch.
A big lingcod caught aboard the Nauti-Lady in March 2022.Another nice Nauti-Lady lingcod.A limit of lingcod from the Kraken in March 2022.
The 2022 ocean salmon season will be set in early April. The season will likely begin in late June and continue through July. Anglers are expected to be able to keep hatchery coho and wild or hatchery king salmon.
A lingcod double header aboard the Miss Brooke.A nice Miss Brooke lingcod from March 2022.Limits of lingcod caught in March at Mack Arch on the Miss Brooke.A double hookup of black and canary rockfish.The Kraken in action in March near Chetco Point.
Unseasonably nice weather, with calm winds and small swells, has allowed charter boats to venture out of the Port of Brookings Harbor throughout February, resulting in great catches of rockfish and lingcod. On nice weather days, limits of rockfish, and limits or near limits of lingcod are being caught.
The Brookings Fishing Charters fleet ran several trips in February, with the Miss Brooke, Kraken, Nauti-Lady, Papa B, Dash and Bout Time getting in on the action. The local charter fleet has been running two to three trips a week.
A nice catch of lingcod aboard the Miss Brooke in February 2020.
Lingcod are in shallow water spawning during the winter and early spring. With large numbers of fish staging on shallow pinnacles this time of year, they are in close range of anglers hoping to catch them with light tackle.
Lingcod caught aboard the Nauti-Lady in February 2020.A nice catch of lingcod caught aboard the Dash in February 2020.More lingcod caught on the Miss Brooke.A double hookup of rockfish from the Nauti-Lady.One of many lingcod caught aboard the Nauti-Lady in February.Nice first lingcod for a young angler aboard the Nauti-Lady.Cabezon must be released until July. We have been seeing good numbers of them.A limit of lingcod from the Nauti-Lady.A happy angler with a lingcod from the Miss Brooke.A large canary rockfish caught aboard the Kraken.Capt. Andy holds a limit of lingcod caught by regular customer Dennis aboard the Nauti-Lady.
March began with rough weather, with the first major storm since early January. Charters will run throughout March as conditions allow.
Unusually calm weather has allowed the Brookings Fishing Charters to run numerous ocean charters in January and February. So far this year, fishing has been great for lingcod and rockfish. Big schools of rockfish are being found in the close-in reefs near the harbor, and to the north from Chetco Point to Bird Island, Twin Rocks, House Rock and Mack Arch.
Each of the Brookings Fishing Charters boats – the Miss Brooke, Nauti-Lady, Kraken, Papa B, Dash and Bout Time – have run numerous trips. Limits of rockfish have been the norm, and lingcod fishing appears to be above average so far this season. A 25-pound lingcod caught aboard the Miss Brooke with Capt. Travis in early February is the largest so far this season.
Nice limits of lingcod caught aboard the Miss Brooke near Mack Arch.A nice lingcod caught aboard the Nauti-Lady near Bird Island.Happy customers aboard the Nauti-Lady.
With the calm weather, boats have been able to get up to Mack Arch, where there are plenty of large lingcod. Limits have been likely near Mack Arch.
Frequent customer John with a nice lingcod from the Miss Brooke.More lingcod from the Mack Arch area.
The rockfish population has been thriving near Brookings. We are seeing large schools of black, blue and canary rockfish. The grade has been excellent. Anglers have been able to release smaller rockfish and focus on larger fish for their limits. Since our boats specialize in shallow water with light tackle, the fish are not injured as they are reeled up from the bottom. It is more difficult to release rockfish caught in 80 feet of water or more, but our charters often fish in 40 to 60 feet of water, or shallower.
A nice lingcod and very nice canary rockfish from the Miss Brooke.A black rockfish and a blue rockfish caught aboard the Papa B.Another double hookup on the Nauti-Lady.It’s a triple! the rockfish action has been fast and furious so far this season.
On recent charters, our customers have caught a release numerous king salmon. The ocean salmon season won’t open until May or early June, but the abundance of salmon in the ocean right now near Brookings is a great sign. These are likely feeder kings that will return to the Klamath or Sacramento rivers. When they stack up near Brookings during the winter, they are usually still around by the time opening day arrives.
One of many salmon caught and released this winter during bottom fishing charters.Frequent customer Vince with a nice lingcod aboard the Miss Brooke.You’d be smiling too if you just caught a nice vermilion rockfish.Deckhand Brent with a copper and quillback rockfish. The quillback was released, while coppers may be retained.Nice lingcod from the Miss Brooke near Mack Arch.Great catches from our first charter of the season on the Miss Brooke.Capt. Mike filletsrockfish after a successful charter on the Papa B.A big ling and a lunker rockfish make for a very happy young customer.Rockfish are a blast on the light spinning tackle we use on all of our charter boats.The Miss Brooke has been successful at finding nice lingcod on each charter so far this season.
The Brookings Fishing Charters fleets runs charters daily, weather permitting. Our six-pack boats are fast and perfect for smaller groups. Families and larger groups love the comfortable ride of the spacious Nauti-Lady, our 42-foot party boat.
To book a trip, visit www.brookingsfishing.com, or call our booking office at (541) 813-1082.
The super-fast, heavy-duty Kraken, a 27-foot six-pack offshore boat built by Armstrong Marine, is the latest addition to the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet. The Kaken began running trips out of Brookings this month, and joins the Miss Brooke, Nauti-Lady, Papa B, Dash and Bout Time as a premier Oregon Coast charter boat.
The Kraken joined the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet in February 2022.
Capt. Andy Martin purchased the Kraken and repowered the boat with twin Mercury outboards, and a new kicker trolling motor. Previously, the Kraken was a charter boat in Newport, Oregon, and specialized in ocean salmon and albacore tuna. It is one of the fastest charter boats on the coast, and its super duty hull is built to specifications of six-pack charter boats used in Alaska. It is capable of handling rough water, and cuts through chop while staying on plane. The Kraken will be used for all of the charter offerings by Brookings Fishing Charters, with an emphasis on Point St. George Reef Lighthouse trips, halibut charters, albacore tuna and ocean salmon.
Capt. Michael lifts a rockfish into the Kraken during a hot bite near Bird Island.
After its repower, the Kraken was able to reach speeds in the mid-40 mph range, with a cruising speed close to 30 knots in moderate chop. It is designed to get to and from the fishing grounds quickly to maximize the fishing time for the customers on board.
The Kraken has the most advanced electronics in the fleet, with high-end sonar, radar and charter plotters from RayMarine. It is equipped with auto pilot, auto trim tabs, and multiple sonars to easily locate schools of fish.
The first lingcod caught aboard the Kraken after it joined the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet.
The Kraken can comfortably seat six customers, plus crew. It is captained by Capt. Michael, Capt. Sam and Capt. Andy, depending on the trip. With insulated fish holds, under-deck storage for ice, and rails and outriggers, it is designed for long-range tuna trips. The spacious under-deck fish holds will allow anglers to load up on albacore.
BY RICH HOLLAND/Western Outdoor News. BROOKINGS, Ore. – Fires raged both sides of the border, the delta variant was on the move and the wind was blowing a gale along the southern Oregon coast, yet nothing was going stop a group of four anglers from a week of fishing planned six months earlier.
The crew with halibut caught in August 2021 aboard the Nauti-Lady.
The plan? To use the growing fleet of Andy Martin’s Brookings Fishing Charters to maximize whatever opportunities the waterways and coast from Gold Beach to Crescent City could offer the first week of August. The list of possibilities is long: king salmon, silver salmon, Pacific halibut, California halibut, rockfish, lingcod and albacore.
Martin’s cooperation and flexibility were both necessary and outstanding. It was he who suggested that we book Monday, Wednesday and Friday, leaving as much room for adapting to conditions as possible.
As luck would have it, conditions were excellent when we arrived, dead calm under the protection of Chetco Point. A slight change in the forecast noted that while Cape Blanco to Gold Beach was under a gale warning, the area from Brookings south would be variable 5 to 10 knots with fog and overcast.
Patrick Bird fishes aboard the Miss Brooke near the Point St. George Lighthouse.
“It’s looking good for the Lighthouse tomorrow morning, so make sure you have both your California and Oregon licenses,” said Martin when we called to check in Sunday. “Since we are leaving from and returning to Oregon, we will be under Oregon regulations as far as our catch.”
Brookings Fishing Charters is right across from the launch ramp boat lot and is both office and tackle store. After we paid up, it was a short drive to D Dock where the Miss Brooke, a 29-foot Kingfisher aluminum with twin 150 outboards, was tied up and Andy and Michael McGahan were ready to go at 6 a.m.
Limits of lingcod aboard the Miss Brooke near the lighthouse.
“It’s a little windy and bumpy this morning but it is going to lay down all day,” said Martin as he steered for the St. George Reef Lighthouse. As we neared and the spire came into view, as well as islands and basaltic outcroppings, he also told the story of the hundreds who died in a shipwreck just after the Civil War, resulting in the construction of the costliest lighthouse ever built in US waters.
Wind with current meant a quick drift despite the braking of the kicker motor, so even in the shallow water it was hard to feel the bottom. Some heavier heads induced a steady inpouring of beefy black rockfish to come aboard. Then Steve Holland caught the first lingcod of the morning, followed quickly by Paul Freese. Both sported the blueish tint occasionally seen on lings.
A trophy vermillion rockfish caught by Rich Holland.
The size of the black rockfish increased as the drift improved with the weather, and canary, yellowtail, copper, china and yelloweye rockfish all found the lures. The last three had to be released under Oregon regulations. The yelloweye were huge and at first gave the impression of being a big lingcod.
Except the big lings gave a much better impression when hooked – besides the ones that fought all the way to the top, a couple almost spooled Steve and Patrick Bird before finding it back to the rocks.
With a slot or two left for some big rockfish, it was time to move the drifts to Martin’s best big lingcod spot for the last of the lings needed for the two fish per person limits. While no monsters were landed Patrick scored the biggest ling of the day when it hitchhiked aboard via a small rockfish, while this writer connected with a beauty of a vermilion rockfish.
Patrick and Capt. Michael with a hitchhiking lingcod.
“The weather is going to keep getting better every day,” said Martin, “Wednesday could be the best.”
Tuesday was beautiful and with the opportunity to move farther offshore, and while we hiked and golfed, some boats got into both silver and king salmon. Yet the good conditions had Capt. Martin leaning in a different direction for our Wednesday run.
“Our boats that have been trying have been getting at least one good halibut a day up to 50 pounds, even in the rough water,” he noted. “I think we’ll take the big boat out and I bet we can do better than that. We also catch a lot of big petrale sole, and they are great eating.”
Fresh salmon guts tricked this halibut aboard the Nauti-Lady.
As a result, we were out on the 41-foot Nauti-Lady early Wednesday morning sliding through the smooth windswell and fog out to one of Martin’s favorite spots for Pacific halibut.
“We have to wait for the halibut to pick up our scent and find us,” Martin pointed out as Ron baited double circle hook rigs with squid and herring and Andy set up rods for sand dabs and petrale sole. “Once the sand dabs really start biting, the halibut show up at this spot.”
Brent Foster, who sold his house after surviving the Paradise fire and moved to Brookings, was also aboard and he was the first to hook up with a flattie. Not long after a 24-pound halibut was flopping on the deck.
A long time passed without a bite, then the few that came were light. The sound of nearby humpback whales spouting whooshed through the fog. Every now and then the dense mist would lift and other boats would appear and disappear.
Capt. Andy holds a nice Pacific halibut.
Salmon started to jump around the boat and at times when the fog lifted we would watch a boat net a salmon. Then a call came in from Michael on the Miss Brooke – his group was limited out on king salmon to 35 pounds by 9 a.m.
Believe me, it was getting a little hard to bear!
Andy asked Michael to come by and drop off the salmon guts for bait and we got to see the big king held up by the happy angler. Then when the bait went on the hooks, the halibut started to climb on ours. Patrick broke the ice with a 15 pounder, the Paul landed a 28-pound flattie. We missed a few other bites and decked a handful of big petrale sole to make for plenty of meat to go around.
Big schools of rockfish at the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse.
All of the Brookings Fishing Charter boats and most of the other boats out Wednesday had whacked both kings and silvers. It should be noted lots of wild silvers and shaker (short) kings were released.
When Andy asked if we would like to go salmon fishing the next day (Thursday) it was probably one of the quickest times I ever said yes.
We were back out on the Miss Brooke with Michael and Travis at the wheel and on deck Thursday and a breeze was up and the ceiling of grey was well overhead. It was a chunky ride out to the fishing grounds of the day before.
Limits of salmon aboard the Miss Brooke.
“I’m not marking any bait – the krill was everywhere yesterday – there are hardly any birds and I don’t see any whales, but let’s put the rods out and look around,” Michael said. “Keep an eye out for whales, all of our fish yesterday were on whales.”
Was the day after hex going to take hold?
A handful of bites, two small silvers released and a decent sized hatchery silver boated later, well off the port bow two massive humpbacks twisted back into the water in a massive splash.
“Pull in the gear, we’re going to run for them,” said the skipper. “If we troll to the whales we’ll get there too late.”
Rich Holland with a big king.
We got there in time all right – so close we could smell the stench of the leviathans’ breath, so close we had to pull back the throttle and steer clear of the big fellas while we put out lures and baits in the slime of their feeding frenzy.
Instantaneous action doesn’t describe what followed, it was a scramble for one bent rod after another, with the inevitable misses and the satisfying runs of a solid hookup intertwined.
At first a lot of the kings were small. Travis dropped the Brad’s Lures fished on divers off the stern to 100 feet back and the keeper kings latched on. For whatever reason the anchovy baits fished tight on the inside at 25 feet also started to pick up more quality.
Whenever the bite slowed at all or the size dropped off, we ran towards the next whale. By 7:55 a.m. we had our 2-fish limits each of kings and silvers, mostly kings. We had dodged the “should have been here yesterday” jinx and done even better.
From the beach the next morning we could see the fog lay heavy. Word was only a rare keeper made it in the box. Later the fog gave way to a mid-afternoon gale. The weather had cleared again as of this writing (Aug. 11) and the boats were into the albacore offshore.
Next time.
For more information on fishing out of Brookings, go to Brookings Fishing Charters at brookingsfishing.com or phone (541) 813-1082.
Trip Info
Location and Recreation
Brookings/Brookings Harbor is located just north of the California border on Hwy. 101. There are many motels and vacation rentals available. We stayed Ocean Suites Motel. Accommodations can also be found to the south in Crescent City. The Chetco River bar is the mouth of Brookings Harbor. The Rogue River in Gold Beach is an hour away and the Smith River in California is 20 minutes south. The spectacular redwoods of Jed Smith State Park line the Smith and Harris Ranch and Lone Ranch State Beaches are just north of Brookings. Salmon Run golf course is on the Chetco and Del Norte golf course is adjacent to the Smith.
Dining
From seafood to steaks, breakfast to burgers and brew pubs, there are lots of options: Alta’s Burger Bar (Smith River), Hiouchi Café (Smith River) Catalyst Seafood, Slug N Stone Ice Cream, Pacific Sushi, Bean and Whistle Coffee Bar, Zola’s Pizza, Wild River Pizza, SuperFly, O’Hollerans Steaks, Mattie’s Pancake House, Chetco Brewing, Misty Mountain Brewing, and Seaquake Brewing (Crescent City). A Fred Meyer has all your shopping needs.
The Nauti-Lady, the 42-foot party boat usually used for half-day bottom fishing trips for Brookings Fishing Charters, has been getting customers into nice lingcod as of late. In between winter storms, the Nauti-Lady has been venturing offshore for lingcod and rockfish, with an occasional trip to the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse.
Mark, a frequent Brookings Fishing Charters customer, holds a limit of lingcod caught on the Nauti-Lady.
Just before Thanksgiving, the Nauti-Lady took a family out for a half-day bottom fishing trip, and aside from nice limits of rockfish, they hammered the lingcod in shallow water. One of the young anglers excitedly said the charter was one of the “best days of my life.” The lingcod action was fast and furious that day.
A family holds their Thanksgiving week catch of lingcod from the Nauti-Lady.
Another customer fished aboard the Nauti-Lady in November for her birthday. She caught a limit of rockfish and a limit of lingcod. She said the charter fishing experience was a great way to spend her birthday, and she was pleased with the catch and experience.
Earlier this fall, anglers aboard the Nauti-Lady also encountered great rockfish action, and lingcod-after-lingcod near House Rock.
During the late summer, the Nauti-Lady made numerous trips to the lighthouse, where the lingcod action is among the best on the West Coast. Lingcod from 5 to 25 pounds were caught, with a few bigger fish mixed in.
Cathy celebrated her birthday aboard the Nauti-Lady in November, and caught her limit of lingcod.
The Nauti-Lady joined the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet in 2020. Originally from Ilwaco, Wash., the Nauti-Lady is a 42-foot Rawson specifically designed for Northwest charter fishing. It is skippered by Capt. Andy Martin, as well as Capt. Michael McGahan. The charter boat is especially popular with families and large groups, but also runs mixed charters to the lighthouse and the local half-day trips to Bird Island and Twin Rocks.
The Brookings Fishing Charters fleet also includes the Miss Brooke, Kraken, Papa B, Dash and Bout Time. All of the captains are local, full-time, year-round charter boat captains and fishing guides.
Here are some of the great lingcod catches in recent weeks aboard the Nauti-Lady.
The albacore tuna action was fast and furious for a couple of weeks this summer out of Brookings, as the hard-fighting, great-eating fish came within 20 miles of the harbor and produced steady action for the charter and private boat fleet.
Customers hold some of the albacore tuna they caught in August 2021 aboard the Nauti-Lady.
Brookings Fishing Charters ran numerous tuna trips this summer aboard the Miss Brooke, Nauti-Lady, Dash and Papa B. The best action was in mid-August, but fish were caught in early September as well.
Anglers watched satellite images for weeks and waited for a break in the weather. On Aug. 12, Capt. Andy aboard the Nauti-Lady found 59-degree water only 18 miles offshore. He took 12 anglers aboard the Nauti-Lady to the tuna grounds, and they got into the albacore quickly trolling tuna drones behind Okuma big game rods combined with Penn Squall big game reels. A few miles further offshore, Capt. Travis and Capt. Michael aboard the Miss Brooke found another large school of tuna and quickly filled their fish bags and barrels.
A boat full of albacore tuna caught aboard The Dash with Capt. Mick.
The next day, the Miss Brooke, Dash and Papa B returned to the tuna grounds for more hot action. The Brookings Fishing Charters crew ran a few more trips that week before windy weather returned. Later in the month, tuna were still caught, but the fish had moved offshore and scattered.
During the peak of the action in mid-August, the Dash returned to port with 75 tuna for five anglers. The boat ran out of room to hold any more tuna. Most days the charters averaged four to six tuna a person.
Capt. Travis shows off an average tuna from the Miss Brooke this past summer.
The Brookings Fishing Charters fleet is equipped with the highest-quality tuna gear in the local charter fleet, with Penn reels and high-end big game rods, plugs a wide selection of tuna lures. The six-pack boats also get to the tuna grounds quickly, while the Nauti-Lady can accommodate larger groups and hold bigger quantities of fish.
To learn more about tuna fishing with Brookings Fishing Charters, visit www.brookingsfishing.com. Most tuna trips are booked through a call list, since the albacore arrive off the coast of Brookings at different times each summer.
A nice load of tuna from the Dash in 2021.Some of the great albacore tuna caught aboard the Papa B with Capt. Mike.Customers hold some of the albacore tuna caught aboard the Miss Brooke during the summer of 2021.One of many double hookups aboard the Nauti-Lady.Family fun catching albacore aboard the Miss Brooke.Another double aboard the Nauti-Lady.Wheel barrels full of albacore tuna after a day of fishing aboard the Nauti-Lady.
A beautiful 41-foot fiberglass charter boat that has been an active part of the fishing scene at the mouth of the Columbia River has been added to the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet. Last week, the Nauti-Lady made the 300-mile voyage from Ilwaco, Wash., to Brookings, where she joins the Miss Brooke, Papa B, The Dash and Bout Time, the charter boats working out of the Brookings Fishing Charters office.
The Nauti-Lady is a 41-foot Rawson charter boat now part of the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet. She is captained by Andy Martin
The Nauti-Lady was operated by the Schenk family, owner of Sea Breeze Charters in Ilwaco. The boat was part of the famed “Charter Row” in Ilwaco, a busy sportfishing charter boat town at the mouth of the Columbia River. Four generations of the Schenks operated charter boats in Ilwaco, but with the recent retirement of one of the owners and skippers, the family had more charter boats than captains. This summer, the family agreed to sell the Nauti-Lady to Brookings Fishing Charters.
In Ilwaco, the Nauti-Lady was a prolific member of the charter fleet, running salmon, halibut, albacore tuna and bottom fishing charters in the ocean, and sturgeon and salmon trips in the lower Columbia River. Most recently, the boat was a workhorse, making frequent trips to Tillamook Head for rockfish and lingcod.
Capt. Andy takes possession of the Nauti-Lady in Newport, Ore., from Capt. Dan, the longtime owner and operator.
Last week, the Nauti-Lady was delivered from Ilwaco to Newport, where Capt. Andy took possession and then made the 200-mile voyage to Brookings, with an overnight stay in Charleston/Coos Bay. Capt. Dan and his sons and few friends made the initial run, giving them a final trip aboard a boat that had been in their family for decades. A brief weather window allowed for the trip after stormy seas and high winds in the weeks leading up to the trip south. Just before the trip south, the boat was hauled out so the bottom could be painted and the Coast Guard could perform its annual inspection.
The Nauti-Lady makes her way south of Newport on her run to Brookings.
As part of the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet, the Nauti-Lady will primarily run half-day bottom fishing trips, but also will be used for Pacific halibut, tuna, salmon and lighthouse trips. With a U.S. Coast Guard Certificate of Inspection (COI) for 28 people, the Nauti-Lady has one of the largest capacities on the Southern Oregon coast. Most days, however, smaller groups, less than 14, will fish during the half-day charters.
The Nauti-Lady, with Capt. Andy on the flybridge, arrives in Brookings.
The Nauti-Lady is equipped with the latest in marine electronics and safety equipment. She has more than 30 life jackets, two 15-person life rafts, an EPIRB (emergency radio beacon), five marine radios, Simard radar, Garmin chartplotters and sonars, and Lowrance chartplotters. The boat also has inside and deck seating, two marine toilets and enclosed restrooms, a freshwater sink, and full-perimeter fishing with 20 rod holders spaced around the charter boat.
Capt. Andy is no stranger to the larger inspected party boats. He spent 10 years running charters in Alaska, including the larger party boats in Seward, where he operated salmon, halibut and bottom fishing charters. Hundreds of trips in the Gulf of Alaska gave Andy experience running in rough water and operating charter boats in almost every condition and scenario possible. Fortunately, Brookings has some of the calmest ocean conditions on the Oregon Coast.
The Nauti-Lady is moored in the sport boat basin at the Port of Brookings.
The Nauti-Lady will compliment the Brookings charter fleet. There were plenty of days this past summer when the six-packs of Brookings Fishing Charters were booked and there wasn’t enough room for anglers wanting to fish. There also were numerous days when most of the seats booked were for half-day bottom fishing trips, and boats weren’t available for salmon, halibut or lighthouse trips.
The Nauti-Lady features the same light tackle that makes the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet a favorite, and provides a larger fishing platform during those days with bigger swells or chop.
Trips aboard the Nauti-Lady will soon be available.
Brookings Fishing Charters’ new long-range trips to the historic Point St. George Lighthouse have been a hit with customers, who have caught trophy-size lingcod and rockfish in recent weeks while fishing at the extremely productive reef between Brookings and Crecent City.
Customers hold limits of lingcod caught aboard the Miss Brooke in mid-August 2020 near the Point St. George Reef lighthouse.
“This was one of my favorite saltwater trips ever!,” said customer Brent Foster. “Amazing fishing on a great boat with super captain and crew. Thanks Capt. Travis and Michael for a memorable day with Brookings Fishing Charters.
Capt. Michael holds a lingcod that hitchhiked to the surface on a smaller lingcod near the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse.
“That was a fabulous trip,” said Cole Tidwell. “Thank you for a great time.”
Cole Tidwell of Grants Pass, Ore., holds a trophy vermilion rockfish caught aboard the Miss Brooke.
The lighthouse is approximately 11 miles offshore of Brookings at the edge of the Point St. George Reef. The fishing there is unmatched compared to other local areas, with larger-than-average lingcod, canary rockfish, vermilion rockfish, cabezon and tiger rockfish. Lingcod to 20 pounds are common, and lings over 30 pounds are caught several times a season.
Miss Brooke customers hold limits of lingcod from the Point St. George Reef.
Brookings Fishing Charters is one of the Brookings-based charter companies licensed by the California Department of Fish and Wildlife to take customers to the reef. A pair of marine reserves border the area, but the open section has world class lingcod and rockfish action, comparable to the best Alaska has to offer. Currently, the Miss Brooke and The Dash have California permits for the lighthouse area.
One of the trophy lingcod caught in August by a Brookings Fishing Charters customer.
Trips to the lighthouse and reef originate in Brookings, but fish in California waters before returning to Oregon. Anglers must have a California and Oregon license for the trip. One-day licenses are available.
Dave Miller of Shady Cove, Ore., with a monster lighthouse lingcod.
The run to the lighthouse is fast and comfortable aboard Brookings Fishing Charters’ six-pack boats. Because only six passengers are fishing, anglers can focus on larger fish, carefully releasing smaller ones with descending devices. Brookings Fishing Charters’ crew also are experts at targeting lingcod, especially larger specimens, and consistently catch large lingcod and limits for the boat. Quality light tackle makes the trip even more exciting.
Don Williams of Brookings with his Point St. George trophy lingcod.Capt. Michael holds a trophy lighthouse lingcod.Big lingcod are common at the lighthouse.Two lingcod caught on the same rod at the lighthouse.
Aside from the lighthouse trips, Brookings Fishing Charters ran several successful halibut charters the past week, with quality fish to 40 pounds. Halibut season remains open through October out of Brookings. It is the longest season for Pacific halibut outside of Alaska.
Capt. Mick and customers from The Dash with limits of Pacific halibut.Capt. Michael holds a 40-pound Pacific halibut caught aboard the Miss Brooke.A couple of Pacific halibut caught with Brookings Fishing Charters in August 2020.Pacific halibut have been making Brookings Fishing Charters customers happy.Capt. Travis with a tiger rockfish from the Point St. George Reef.Capt. Andy with a large vermilion rockfish from the Point St. George Reef.One of many tiger rockfish caught in August aboard the Miss Brooke.Tiger rockfish are rare out of Brookings, but more abundant at the Point St. George Reef.Dave Miller with a limit of dandy lingcod from the lighthouse.The Miss Brooke arrives at the historic Point St. George Reef Lighthouse.Fish on, calm water, in front of the lighthouse. It doesn’t get any better than that!
Anglers fishing out of the Port of Brookings Harbor are being treated to a surprisingly good season for Pacific halibut, while their cousins the California halibut also are making a strong appearance. Brookings Fishing Charters has been at the forefront of getting anglers into these prized fish.
Bruce Beck, a frequent customer of Brookings Fishing Charters, holds a 40-inch Pacific halibut caught with Capt. Andy Martin in early August 2020.
The season for Pacific halibut has been open since May 1. The fishing has generally been good when boats can make it to the deeper water Pacific halibut live in. In recent weeks, however, fishing has been surprisingly good. Bigger numbers of halibut are being caught, and boats are actually returning with limits. “Normally, when someone goes out of Brookings for halibut, catching one fish and especially caching two fish is a good day,” said Capt. Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters LLC. “Catching a boat limit of Pacific halibut has always been a fairly rare feat out of Brookings. We are essentially at the southern end of their range, and the halibut populations are smaller here.” But this year, halibut numbers are up. Some boats are getting two or even three halibut a trip, although most are small between 10 and 20 pounds.
Customers of Brookings Fishing Charters hold their one-fish limit for Pacific halibut in their right hand and a California halibut in their left hand. The fish were caught in August 2020.
In early August, with calm ocean conditions, Capt. Andy ran a pair of halibut trips out of Brookings. The results were very impressive. His customers caught boat limits of Pacific halibut two days in a row, five the first day and seven the next. The biggest fish was nearly 40 pounds. After limits of Pacific halibut in deeper water, Capt. Andy headed to shallow water, where his customers each caught one to three California halibut each. The combined catch of Cali Hali and Pacific halibut in the same day was something even ODFW said was a rare sight. The limits of Pacific halibut also turned heads, catching the attention of other anglers anxious to learn how and where such big numbers of Pacific halibut were being caught out of Brookings.
Capt. Andy with a Pacific halibut caught on one of his charters last week.
Capt. Andy holds a distinct advantage over most charter boat operators on the Oregon Coast when it comes to halibut fishing. He ran offshore charter boats in Alaska for a decade, both larger inspected party boats with more than a dozen passengers, and six-pack charter boats similar to those operated by Brookings Fishing Charters. His customers have landed thousands upon thousands of halibut, and he is an expert at finding and catching them. His biggest catch in Alaska was over 90 inches and weighed over 400 pounds.
Brookings Fishing Charters customers pose with Pacific halibut, front row, California halibut, second row, and petrale sole.
The Pacific halibut season runs through October out of Brookings, or until the quota is filled. Now that salmon season is over, the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet will focus on Pacific halibut and California halibut when the weather allows them to get to the fishing grounds.
Bruce Beck admires a Pacific halibut gaffed by Shane Brooks during a charter last week.
The Brookings Fishing Charters boats have the latest halibut gear, and anglers use advanced techniques perfect by the captains. Capt. Andy, Capt. Travis, Capt. Rye and Capt. Shane all have considerable Alaska and Oregon halibut fishing experience. Each has guided customers to countless halibut. “There are little tricks, special ways to bait hooks, custom rigs, use of scents, selecting locations, judging currents and deciding on what depth to fish that you learn by trial and error, and lots of experience,” Martin said. “Our captains have probably forgotten more about halibut fishing than most people will ever know.”
Bruce Beck holds a beautiful California halibut caught an hour after he landed a Pacific halibut in deeper water.
Pacific halibut are caught in deeper water, using larger baits, waiting patiently for a strike. Sand dabs and petrale sole also are caught while halibut fishing. California halibut are caught in shallow water, by trolling baits. Brookings is perhaps the best area to catch Pacific halibut and California halibut in the same day.
Capt. Shane nets a keeper California halibut.
To learn more about halibut trips, call Brookings Fishing Charters, (541) 813-1082.
