Tag: Brookings fishing charters

New lighthouse fishing trips offered

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.”

To book a trip, call (541) 813-1082.

Rockfish limit increases to 7!

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.

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

Panko breaded fish easy and delicious

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.

Here are some of our other favorite fish recipes:

Easy, delicious rockfish chowder recipe
Oregon Coast fish taco recipe

http://brookingsfishing.blogspot.com/2016/03/easydelicious-beer-battered-fish-and.html

Nice weather improves lingcod, rockfish action

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.

Brookings salmon opener best in years

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.

Rockfish bite good out of Brookings

Despite windy weather for much of the past two weeks, fishing for rockfish has been very good out of Brookings, with limits of snapper to 5 pounds. Fishing for lingcod also has been good on the nice weather days.

A nice vermilion rockfish caught in late May 2020 by Jamie of Grants Pass.

Fishing has been good in the bay, off of Chetco Point and in the Bird Island area. On calmer days, the boats have been running to House Rock and Mack Arch.

Nice limits of lingcod caught in May 2020 near Mack Arch aboard the Miss Brooke of Brookings Fishing Charters.

Salmon season opens June 20 out of Brookings. With a strong forecast for the Sacramento River and Rogue River, and decent forecast for the Klamath River, there are expected to be big numbers of feeder kings off of Brookings this summer. The baitfish and pelicans have already arrived, a good sign for the salmon opener.

A nice grade of rockfish caught aboard the Miss Brooke.

A few Pacific halibut are being caught off of Brookings. So far, fishing for California halibut has been slow, but schools of these prized fish usually don’t show up until late June or early July.

Lingcod and rockfish from a recent trip aboard the ‘Bout Time.

We are now adding names to our call list for albacore tuna. These trips usually take place in July and August, as the albacore move close to shore. We fish for these fish with rod and reel, and handlines, depending on how customers want to fish.

Fast action for rockfish aboard The Dash.

Salmon fishing in the Rogue Bay will get going in late June, with July and August the peak season. Capt. Andy and Capt. Shane will be running trips out of Jot’s Resort this summer, and will be offering lingcod, rockfish and salmon combos. This is a premier trip and best chance to really load the freezer with fish.

A nice lingcod caught with Capt. Mick aboard The Dash.

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

Nice limits of rockfish and lingcod caught aboard the Papa B.
A nice vermilion caught aboard the Miss Brooke.

Back on the water, back on the bite

Our charters are back in operation after the temporary shut down caused by the stay-home orders, and when the weather cooperates, fishing has been very good. We have five six-pack boats running daily, as the weather allows, and they have been finding a very good grade of rockfish and lingcod up to 18 pounds. Recent trips have produced a variety of rockfish, with large canaries, quillbacks, coppers, Chinas, blacks, blues and vermillions. Lots of color!

Anglers hold lingcod and rockfish caught in mid-May 2020 aboard the Miss Brooke of Brookings Fishing Charters.
Michael, a deckhand on the Miss Brooke, holds a large copper rockfish caught in May 2020.
Nice lingcod and rockfish caught in May 2020 aboard the Miss Brooke of Brookings Fishing Charters.

May has been fairly stormy, so the boats have only gone out a handful of times since social distancing measures were eased. We are glad to report the motels and RV parks in the Brookings area have re-opened, and customers can once again dine inside of restaurants.

The size of the black rockfish has been excellent this month.
The schools of rockfish have been thick this season, with a very nice grade. We are catching them three at a time!
The crab spawn began in early May, sending rockfish to the surface to gorge on the small crustaceans. We’ve enjoyed wide-open surface action at times.

In early May, the crab spawn began. Tiny crabs float toward the surface, drawing up rockfish from deeper water. The rockfish can be seen splashing at the surface, giving us an opportunity to cast small jigheads and grubs for a wide-open topwater bite. This surface action, which is a unique thrill with light tackle, should last into early June. We are using ultra-light spinning rods to get in on the surface action.

A nice lingcod caught aboard the Miss Brooke on a jig.
The grade of rockfish has been excellent in May 2020.
Anglers of all ages enjoy light-tackle rockfish action,
Young anglers are always welcome aboard our charters.

The ocean salmon season opens June 20. The forecast for the Sacramento and Rogue rivers is strong, which should lead to good numbers of kings feeding on anchovies off the coast of Brookings this summer. We troll for the salmon with anchovies or herring. Late June and July are peak season.

The Dash off the coast of Brookings. We operate six-pack charters, meaning we have small groups, and are able to get to the fishing grounds very quickly.

We are now up to full crew, with five six-pack boats in the water. Capt. Travis and Michael are on the Miss Brooke, Capt. Andy has his 26-foot guide sled in the water, with comfortable seating for six anglers, Capt. Mike is on the Papa B, Capt. Rye and Capt. Mick are running The Dash, and Capt. Rich is on the Bout Time. Capt. Sam also is helping out this season. Michael, who has been a great deckhand, will be finishing his captain’s license course in July. The class was delayed because of the stay-home orders. We look forward to having him run a boat as well.

A nice lingcod caught aboard the Miss Brooke.

To book a trip, visit www.brookingsfishing.com for online bookings 24/7. You also can call our office at (541) 813-1082.

Lingcod and rockfish caught aboard the ‘Bout Time in mid-May 2020.

Sweet Chili Smoked Rockfish

A few weeks ago, frequent customer Glenn Thill brought some smoked rockfish on the boat that was great: sweet, not too dry, good flavor. You wanted another piece after trying it. Glenn shared the ingredients with Capt. Andy, who tried a few versions before settling on this recipe.

Smoked rockfish is easy to make and delicious. This recipe yields a moist, sweet treat, and can also be used for salmon and other fish.

1 cup Yoshida’s original sweet teriyaki sauce
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

For those who like a more salty flavor, increasing the soy sauce to half a cup, or adding 1/3 cup salt is optional.

The main ingredients are brown sugar, Yoshida’s original teriyaki sauce, soy sauce and Worcestershire sauce.

Cut the rockfish into small pieces, roughly three or four pieces per fillet.

Cut the rockfish fillets into small pieces. Each fillet will yield four pieces.

Brine in the Yoshida’s, brown sugar, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce mixture for at least 12 hours.

Add the fish to the brine, and leave in the refrigerator overnight. The fish can be brined for two to three days

Without rinsing place on a drying screen for one hour.

Allow the fish to air dry in the smoke with the lid off for at least an hour before turning on heat and adding chips.
Use thee pans of chips to smoke, then leave in smoke several more hours to finish.

Smoke, with three pans of chips, for 4 to 8 hours. Brush with sweet chili sauce and continue smoking until fish is done. You will know when fish is done when it easily breaks apart and turns from a translucent color to white inside.

After three pans of chips have been used, apply the first coast of sweet chili sauce. This will help keep the fish moist, and add a delicious sweet flavor.
After smoking for three or four hours, brush the fish with sweet chili sauce again.

We’ve tried lots of smoked rockfish recipes. Rockfish tends to dry out quickly, and also can easily by too salty. This brine yields a moist piece of rockfish with a firm texture without being stringy.

The finished product, sweet chili smoked rockfish.
Glenn Thill of Shady Cove, Ore., shared the ingredients for sweet chili smoked rockfish with us. Glenn is a frequent customer on our charter boats.

To catch a limit of rockfish to make your own smoked rockfish, visit our web site, www.brookingsfishing.com, or call our booking office, (541) 813-1082.

Lingcod biting, charters on idle

Just as the lingcod and rockfish action accelerated out of Brookings, and our charters were getting nice limits of both, new measures from the state of Oregon to combat the coronavirus pandemic have sidelined our charter boats for right now.

Brookings Fishing Charters has suspended ocean charters at this time, in accordance with the governor’s executive order regarding coronavirus. Happening during the busy Spring Break period, with many of the reservations made months ago, this is an especially difficult decision. We will be contacting customers booked during the upcoming two-week period to reschedule or process refunds of deposits. We hope to be fishing again sometime in April or early May.
Our thoughts are with the countless families and small businesses here on the Oregon Coast financially impacted by this, the medical workers dealing with the pandemic, and our customers who will have to fish with us some other time.
No cases of coronavirus have been confirmed on the Southern Oregon Coast, and obviously we hope that remains the case. We sincerely hope the spread of COVID-19 is quickly contained, and wish a positive outcome for anyone who comes in contact with it.

Limits of lingcod aboard the Miss Brooke in early March 2020.

Before we temporarily shut down, lingcod fishing was very good. We were seeing a nice grade of fish, with limits most trips, and limits of nice rockfish as well.

6 limits of lingcod caught aboard the Miss Brooke of Brookings Fishing Charters in March 2020.
Nice limits of rockfish caught aboard the Papa B in March 2020.
Glenn, a longtime customer, with a nice lingcod caught in March 2020 aboard the Miss Brooke of Brookings Fishing Charters.
More lingcod limits caught aboard the Miss Brooke in March 2020 near Mack Arch.

Brookings Fishing featured on KTVL Channel 10

The crew of Brookings Fishing Charters was recently featured during a three-part series about winter lingcod fishing on the Oregon Coast that aired on KTVL Channel 10 in Medford.

The segment, part of Oregon Outdoors with Mark Freeman, can be viewed at https://youtu.be/NwqAZNWL7Cw

To film the series, Capt. Andy Martin took the Miss Brooke to Mack Arch and Arch Rock, about 17 miles north of Brookings. Thd TV crew, along with customers that day, enjoyed fast action for rockfish and caught several lingcod.

The Mail Tribune in Medford published an accompanying article. http://mailtribune.com/oregon-outdoors/ling-on