Fishing for lingcod and rockfish was very good off the coast of Brookings in recent weeks until the first major storm of the fall season arrived and forced boats to stay in port. Brookings Fishing Charters reported limits of rockfish and lingcod during its Point St. George Reef Lighthouse trips, and a good rockfish bite at the inshore reefs in early November before the storms hit. Rough weather is expected through November.
Some of the nice lingcod from the end of October at the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse aboard the Miss Brooke of Brookings Fishing Charters.
After relatively calm seas, large waves and winds to 50 mph hit the coast during the Friday the 13th storm. The Coast Guard closed the bar crossing to all recreational vessels.
Big swells and strong winds made the Chetco River bar too dangerous to cross on Nov. 13, 2020.
The first major storm arrived overnight on Nov. 13, with winds to 50 mph and waves over 15 feet high. Heavy rain also fell. A series of storms is expected over the next week.
At the Point St. George Reef lighthouse, fishing was wide open before the storms, with limits daily of large rockfish, including lunker canary and vermilion rockfish, and lingcod to 25 pounds. Lots of blue and black rockfish also were being caught.
Phil of Grass Valley holds a pair of lunker vermillion rockfish caught as part of a double hookup at the Point St. George Reef lighthouse.
Halibut season ended Oct. 31 on the Southern Oregon Coast. The Nauti-Lady and The Dash each ran successful trips at the end of the season, with halibut to 30 pounds.
A nice Pacific halibut caught aboard the Nauti-Lady on Oct. 30.
The variety and grade of rockfish out of Brookings has been good in recent weeks. There are also plenty of smaller rockfish that have been released in the shallow water. The Brookings Fishing Charters fleet uses light spinning rods to catch rockfish in shallow water.
A nice grade a variety of rockfish and lingcod aboard the Miss Brooke.Limits of lingcod for Phil and Vince aboard the Miss Brooke.Bruce with a trophy Point St. George Reef Lighthouse lingcod.The Nauti-Lady fishing for halibut off of Brookings.Limits of lingcod and rockfish caught aboard The Dash at the Point St. George Reef lighthouse.A limit of Mack Arch lingcod aboard the Miss Brooke.A big jig tricked this big lingcod at the lighthouse.
With stormy weather, the Smith and Chetco rivers are on the rise, kicking off the drift boat salmon season for the Brookings Fishing Charters crew. Capt. Andy, Travis, Rye, Mick, Shane, Rich and Michael are also drift boat guides during the fall and winter months.
Ocean charters will resume as weather conditions allow. Lingcod and rockfish season is open year round out of Brookings, and May 1-Dec. 31 at the lighthouse and out of Crescent City.
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.
September is off to a great start for the Brookings Fishing Charters crew, with a nice variety of fish being caught aboard our six-pack boats. Big lingcod have moved in, giving anglers a chance at a trophy ling, while the Pacific halibut bite remains good, and there have been some opportunities to chase albacore tuna. Salmon also have arrived in the Chetco River estuary, while our half-day bottom fishing trips are producing limits of nice rockfish.
Limits of Pacific halibut caught aboard the Miss Brooke in September 2020 off the coast of Brookings.
The biggest surprise of the season has been the great fishing for Pacific halibut off of Brookings. We have been getting limits on most charters of these prized fish. There are still plenty of fish remaining on the quota for the area south of Humbug Mountain, meaning the season could last through Oct. 31. Anglers may keep one Pacific halibut a day. They run 10 to 30 pounds, on average, with fish to 100 pounds caught. We have seen two fish in the upper 90-pound range caught by our friends in private boats this month.
Average-size Pacific halibut caught on our charters. These were caught on the Miss Brooke in September 2020.
Our charters are equipped with anchored and our captains are accustomed to fishing on anchor, having run charters in Alaska for several years. This gives us a big advantage when targeting halibut in 200-300 feet of water.
Nice albacore tuna caught with Capt. Rye on The Dash.
The tuna fishing has been fair this season, with albacore 20 to 50 miles off the coast of Brookings. Capt. Rye ran several trips for tuna aboard The Dash earlier this month, slamming the fish some days and scratching out just a few fish on others. We may have another window to target albacore in late September or early October before the weather turns and they head offshore and south.
Capt, Rye with some hefty albacore.
The grade of the tuna has been excellent, with albacore to 30 pounds. We are seeing a bigger overall size this season compared to the “peanuts” last year.
Capt. Michael holds a trophy 30-plus-pound lingcod caught aboard the Miss Brooke in mid-September 2020.
September and October are prime time for finding trophy lingcod off of Brookings. We’ve gotten customers into several fish over 20 pounds this month, and a few in the 30-pound range. We target these bigger lings with large jigs or bait. They also will hit the light tackle we use for rockfish. The big lings move into shallow water this time of year ahead of spawning. The lingcod population is healthy, and ODFW has assured us targeting some of these bigger fish won’t hurt the fishery.
Nice lingcod caught aboard the Miss Brooke with Capt. Travis in mid-September 2020.
We are running trips to Mack Arch and the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse, and both are producing big numbers of lingcod and limits of rockfish. Lots of quality lingcod are being caught during these long-range trips.
Limits of rockfish caught aboard The Dash.
Our popular 4-5 hour bottom fishing trip is yielding limits of rockfish, with an assortment of blacks, blues and canaries. Some lingcod also are being caught during the short trip. We also are getting into Dungeness crab, a nice end-of-the-day bonus.
Capt. Michael shows a pot full of crab.
The fall salmon season is underway. We have been fishing the Coos River, with fair results. The kings are nice, but the catch rates are lower than normal. The bright spot is the early action on the Chetco River estuary. We are already seeing a lot of jacks and some nice adults. A 35-pounder was caught over the weekend. Fishing in the Chetco estuary will improve in the next few weeks, with the bigger Chetco hawgs. Capt. Andy got a customer into a 58-pounder in 2008 in the Chetco estuary and has guided anglers to several fish over 50 pounds there.
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.
Brookings Fishing Charters is pleased to announce it is now offering long-range fishing trips to the Point St. George Reef and Point St. George Lighthouse, where the average size of rockfish and lingcod is often much larger than waters closer to the harbor, the action is usually fast and furious, and the experience of fishing in the historic area is something anglers won’t soon forget.
Customers hold lingcod and rockfish caught in early August aboard the Miss Brooke near the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse between Brookings and Crescent City.
Capt. Andy Martin, owner of Brookings Fishing Charters LLC, said he decided to begin offering the lighthouse trips as part of his company’s commitment to provide the best fishing opportunities possible out of Brookings. “The Point St. George Reef has some of the most prolific rockfish and lingcod populations in our region,” Martin said. “It offers the best chance at a trophy lingcod, trophy vermilion or canary, and trophy yelloweyes. The reef is full of life, and such an amazing place to fish.” The ability to fish near the lighthouse required a substantial investment by the Brookings Fishing Charters vessel owners for permits and licenses. The reef is located across the state line in Northern California, requiring out-of-state commercial fishing vessel licenses and commercial passengers fishing vessel permits for charter boat operators.
Anglers aboard the Miss Brooke enjoy a triple hookup of lingcod and rockfish a short distance from the Point St. George Lighthouse.
The lighthouse is approximately 11 miles from Brookings, almost straight out from the harbor. The reef and best fishing is a little further, in what is known locally as the “Dragon Channel,” a lingcod and trophy rockfish infested area of the reef. Swift currents, sudden depth changes, and an extremely rugged undersea terrain provide ideal habitat for big rockfish and lingcod. Oldtimers tell stories of lingcod between 50 and 70 pounds, and each season plenty of trophy lings are caught.
Lingcod are abundant near the Point St. George Reef lighthouse.
To fish the lighthouse area from Brookings, anglers must possess Oregon and California fishing licenses. The fish are caught in California, but landed in Oregon. Only a limit legal in Oregon can be landed in Brookings, so the limit is seven rockfish and two lingcod. Because they are caught in California, only four black rockfish and three canaries can be part of each limit. “Fortunately there are a lot of large vermilion in the area,” Martin said. “The canaries also are huge compared to what or normally caught closer to Brookings.” Boat operators must use caution to keep their vessels outside of marine protected areas, or “reserves” while fishing. Skilled navigation also is required for fishing in the minefield of wash rocks and other dangers near the reef and lighthouse.
Lunker yelloweye rockfish are common near the lighthouse. These fish must be released. This angler caught two at a time on a two-hook rig. The fish were safely released with a descending device.
Lighthouse trips are offered on the Miss Brooke with Capt. Travis, Capt. Andy and Capt. Michael, and The Dash with Capt. Mick and Capt. Rye. All are local captains with substantial time fishing local waters. Capt. Andy and Capt. Travis grew up fishing the local area, while Capt. Mick for years operated his own commercial fishing vessel fishing for lingcod and rockfish near the lighthouse out of the Crescent City Harbor. The captains also fish the Smith River and Chetco River during the fall and winters for salmon and steelhead, and are intimately familiar with the history and heritage of the lighthouse and local waterways.
The historic Point St. George Reef lighthouse, as seen from the Miss Brooke.
The Point St. George Reef and lighthouse are a fascinating part of local history. The lighthouse was built in 1892 after several tragic shipwrecks in the Point St. George Reef. Towering 146 feet above the ocean, the lighthouse can be seen from Brookings and Crescent City. The reef is part of what was named “Dragon Rocks” by Sir Francis Drake. On July 30, 1865, during a gale, the 220-foot Brother Jonathan, carrying 244 passengers, struck the reef and sank. Only 19 people survived. A fortune in gold went down with the ship. Most of the gold is said to still be at the bottom of the ocean near the lighthouse, although a fisherman claimed to have caught 22 pounds of gold bars in his net in the 1930s. The sinking of the Brother Jonathan played a key role in the decision to build the lighthouse on Northwest Seal Rock.
The lighthouse cost $752,000 to construct in 1892, equivalent to $22 million today, making it the most expensive lighthouse ever built in the United States. The lighthouse was major construction feat. Several people died during construction and more were killed while serving at lightkeepers.
A nice lingcod caught at the Point St. George Reef.
Trips to the lighthouse are limited to calm days because of the lengthy open-water crossing. Because of the distance, the trips are eight hours. Cost for the exclusive trips are $200. Few charter boats make the trips to the lighthouse. Previously, tourists would pay $200 just for a boat ride to see the lighthouse. The Brookings Fishing Charters long-range trip combines a scenic voyage to the lighthouse and an incredible fishing adventure.
“Fishing near the lighthouse is comparable to the trips I used to take customers to in the Gulf of Alaska and Prince William Sound when I used to run charter in Seward, Alaska, and Glacier Bay, Alaska,” Martin said. “It is a world-class fishery, and Brookings is the ideal harbor to visit it from.”
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife has increased the bag limit for rockfish out of Brookings and other Oregon Coast harbors to seven a day, up from five. Anglers also can keep two lingcod per day. The increased limit has been a hit with charter customers, who can now bring home more fish.
The limit is any combination of black, blue, canary, yellowtail and vermilion rockfish. As part of the regulation change, China, copper and quillback rockfish must be released.
Rockfish, also known as Pacific snapper, rockcod, sea bass and black bass, are among the most abundant fish on the Oregon Coast, and prized for their excellent table fare, especially for fish and chips for fish tacos.
A customer holds a tiger rockfish caught in early August 2020 with Capt. Andy of Brookings Fishing Charters. The limit for rockfish is now seven a person per day.
Fishing for rockfish and lingcod has been good out of Brookings in recent weeks, especially during calmer weather days. There have been some days that it has been too windy to fish. Most of the rockfish being caught are blacks, but plenty of blues and canaries also are being caught, with an occasional vermilion. Capt. Andy got a customer into a seldom-caught tiger rockfish in early August out of Gold Beach.
A nice lingcod caught at Mack Arch.
Now that salmon season has closed out of Brookings (the season ran June 21-Aug. 7), the Brookings Fishing Charters crew is focusing on rockfish and lingcod, California and Pacific halibut, and keeping an eye on the tuna catches offshore. So far, the albacore tuna have been too far out of Brookings to effectively target.
Nice lingcod caught on the Miss Brooke.
Lingcod fishing has improved in shallow water, as fish begin to move in from deeper areas to feed and eventually spawn this winter. August and September generally produce good lingcod fishing out of Brookings.
A nice lingcod caught aboard the Miss Brooke.King salmon was very good at times this season out of Brookings for the charter boat Miss Brooke of Brookings Fishing Charters
The salmon season is over until next year. This year, the Miss Brooke of Brookings Fishing Charters was by far the highliner boat in the local charter fleet, catching hundred of kings for customers. Capt. Travis and Capt. Michael had the kings dialed in, and often caught fish when most other boats failed to get bit. The size of the salmon was great this season, with lots of fish over 20 pounds.
The increased rockfish limit has led to lots of happy customers, like these anglers who fished on the Papa B in early August.
One of the easier and quicker ways to prepare rockfish or lingcod fillets is coating them with panko bread crumbs and frying with a small amount of oil. Delicious, with a crunchy coating, this is a standby recipe for many Oregon Coast anglers.
Panko breaded fish fillets make delicious fish and chips.
Pour enough oil into a skillet to completely cover the bottom. Heat over medium heat to 300 to 350 degrees. Panko can burn at hjgher temperatures, or when deep fried. Cut the rockfish or lingcod fillets into small pieces. One rockfish fillet will yield two to four pieces. Combine a cup of flour, salt, pepper and other seasonings (Johnny’s, Old Bay, creole, lemon pepper, etc.) in a gallon-size bag.
For best results, cut rockfish fillets into smaller pieces.
In a bowl, beat two or three eggs. Add panko bread crumbs to another bowl. Completely cover the small pieces of fish by shaking them in the bag of flour, then dip the fish into the egg wash. Coat both sides of the fish in the panko bread crumbs.
Coat the fish fillets in seasoned flour by placing them in a plastic bag and shaking.After dipping the flour-coated fish in egg wash, cover both sides in Panko bread crumbs.
The fish will cook quickly in the hot oil. Cook one side of the fish for 1 to 2 minutes, then turn. Cook until golden brown.
A small amount of oil is used to cook each side of the fish until it turns golden brown.
The small pieces of fish will cook quickly. Place on a paper towel to drain excess oil.
Drain fish pieces on a paper towel and salt to taste.
Panko-breaded fish is especially tasty with a squeeze of lemon juice, and dipped in cocktail or tarter sauce.
Make tarter sauce by combining chopped onion, chopped dill pickle, mayonnaise, a small amount of lemon juice, salt, pepper and dill weed.Cocktail sauce is a simple combination of ketchup, lemon juice and horseradish.
To catch a limit of rockfish or lingcod to make your own panko-breaded fish, book a charter with www.brookingsfishing.com.
After two weeks of extremely windy weather, the ocean calmed down this week, giving anglers a better shot at lingcod and rockfish. Salmon fishing, meanwhile, slowed after very good fishing the first two weeks of the season.
Nice salmon caught aboard the Miss Brooke in late June. After two weeks of hot fishing, the salmon action slowed over the long Fourth of July holiday in Brookings.
With the calm weather, our charters made it back to Mack Arch for the first time in a few weeks. The rockfish action has been wide open, with rockfish feeding on crab spawn near the surface, while some nice lingcod also have been caught. One of our customers, Julie from Shady Cove, Ore., caught an impressive 27-pound lingcod on July 6.
Julie Jackson holds a 27-pound lingcod caught July 6 aboard the Miss Brooke of Brookings Fishing Charters.
The lingcod and rockfish charters also are yielding lots of color. We are catching vermilion and canary rockfish, along with lunker-size black and blue rockfish. The rockfish action has been some of the best we’ve seen so far this season.
A beautiful vermilion rockfish caught on the guide sled with Capt. Andy.
Brookings had really good salmon fishing from the June 20 opener through the end of the month. But cooler water from strong winds and upwelling offshore pushed the schools of salmon away from the harbor. The water temperature dropped to 46 degrees. It is slowly warming this week, and bait is still thick, so we expect an improved salmon bite this weekend.
Anglers hold the results of a July 4 double-hookup on the Miss Brooke.
Salmon season runs through Aug. 7. The limit is two king salmon, hatchery or wild, a day, with a 24-inch minimum length. The kings are running large this year, with fish to 25 pounds or biggers.
Nice kings from July 3 on the Miss Brooke.
There are reports of albacore tuna off the Oregon Coast. Several boats plan to scout the tuna grounds this weekend. If they find them within 30 miles, we will soon offer tuna trips. A few Pacific halibut also were caught this week out of Brookings.
The average size of the salmon off of Brookings this year has been excellent.
During good weather days, we are offering afternoon bottom fishing charters, along with the normal morning charters. The afternoon trips are popular with families, or people traveling from the Rogue Valley who would rather drive over in the morning instead of the day before.
We have been catching a lot of canary rockfish on our 6-hour bottom fishing charters to the north of Brookings. The grade is excellent.
To book an ocean charter, visit www.brookingsfishing.com or call our booking office, 541-813-1082.
The ocean salmon season off the coast of Brookings started with a bang over the weekend, but the hot opener, which produced limits for Brookings Fishing Charters customers, wasn’t a complete surprise.
As the ocean salmon seasons for the West Coast were being developed this spring, the Brookings Fishing Charters crew pointed to forecasts and last year’s catches in predicting a stellar season on the Southern Oregon Coast. Those predictions turned out to be true on Saturday, June 20, as the six passengers on the Miss Brooke of Brookings Fishing Charters landed 12 adult king salmon for full limits. They also hooked and lost more than a dozen more kings.
Many private boaters also enjoyed great success during the opener. The second day, Sunday, June 21, also produced good fishing, but swells, choppy seas and strong winds limited catch rates.
ODFW fish checkers said the opener was outstanding. Most boats had at least one fish, and there were well over 100 boats fishing.
Michael McGahan, a deckhand and fishing guide for Brookings Fishing Charters, holds the first king salmon of the 2020 season landed on the Miss Brooke.
The ocean season out of Brookings runs June 20-Aug. 7. The last few years have resulted in fair to slow fishing for ocean salmon, with the exception of high numbers of shakers, or salmon that are too small to keep, last year. Last year’s shakers are still around, but instead of 20- to 24-inch fish, they have grown to 10- to 20-pounders this season.
Customers hold their limits of king salmon caught June 20 aboard the Miss Brooke of Brookings Fishing Charters.
Federal biologists estimate there are more than 500,000 adult salmon from the Sacramento River, 220,000 salmon from the Rogue River, 180,000 adult kings from the Klamath River, for a total ocean abundance close to 1 million adult Chinook salmon. Unlike the last few years, when those salmon stayed off of the Golden Gate, or offshore of Humboldt Bay, this year some of the bigger schools are off of Brookings. Massive schools of herring and anchovies are keeping the fish close to Brookings.
Capt. Travis Sallander of Brookings Fishing Charters washes down the opening day catch from the Miss Brooke.
The last really good salmon year off of Brookings for sport anglers was 2014, when fishing was wide open all of July. This year’s opener rivals the great fishing of 2014, and most years the salmon fishing gets better later in the summer, in July and early August.
Brookings Fishing Charters trolls for salmon with downriggers, divers and spreaders. Using light tackle, customers get to enjoy the hard fight of these prized fish, which are excellent table fare when caught in the ocean.
Customers of the Miss Brooke hold their catch from Sunday, June 21.
The 2020 limit for salmon is two kings a day. Wild or hatchery king salmon may be kept. Coho salmon, including hatchery silvers, must be released. The minimum size is 24 inches.
A salmon is netted by the Miss Brooke crew on opening day.
Brookings Fishing Charters runs six-pack charters daily. Aside from salmon, lingcod and rockfish trips also are available. The crew of Brookings Fishing Charters are locally-based captains and deckhands with boats moored year round at the Port of Brookings. These captains have extensive local experience.
Bruce, a regular customer of Brookings Fishing Charters, holds a nice king caught June 21 with Capt. Andy.
Aside from ocean salmon, the Brookings Fishing Charters crew also guides on the famous Rogue River Bay. Here, thousands of king salmon stack up at the mouth of the Rogue River in Gold Beach, Oregon, waiting for fall rains to move upriver. Hot weather inland keeps the Rogue River above tidewater in the 70- to 75-degree range, too warm for salmon. The salmon stack up in the bay until the water cools and they can continue upriver.
Some nice kings caught June 21 aboard the guide sled with Capt. Andy.
To book an ocean salmon fishing charter, visit www.brookingsfishing.com or call the Brookings Fishing Charters booking office at (541) 813-1082.
One of two double hookups landed on opening day aboard the Miss Brooke.A nice lingcod caught on the opening day of the ocean salmon season off of Brookings.We also have been catching limits of nice rockfish on our charters.
