Brookings fishing charters Archives - Page 4 of 11

Poke delicious way to enjoy albacore tuna

By Capt. Andy Martin – Bursting with flavor, healthy, and easy to make, poke bowls are a delicious and refreshing way to enjoy albacore tuna. Poke has endless possibilities – there are countless ways to marinate the fish, and there are just as many options for toppings.

Poke originated in Hawaii, where it is often simply served as an appetizer. Served in a bowl of rice, poke becomes a full meal.

**Capt. Andy holds an albacore tuna caught aboard the Nauti-Lady.**

One of captains I used to work with in Alaska, Capt. Mark, spent years working at a lodge owned by a family from Hawaii. They made a simple marinade with Mama Kay’s Hawaiian Seasoning, a little sesame oil, and thinly sliced green onions.

On the Mainland, marinades often include a few more ingredients, with plenty of options for toppings. Served with sushi-style rice, poke bowls are a delicious, and filling meal. Red chili paste, or wasabi can be added to add heat and spice.

While poke can be made with freshly caught albacore tuna, or ahi tuna, frozen fish is easier to work with. Partially thawed tuna is firmer, and holds together while it is thinly sliced. While raw tuna, or salmon, is most popular, seared tuna also can be used in poke.

**A poke bowl is a flavorful way to enjoy albacore tuna.**

Toppings for poke include avocado, carrots, green or sweet white onions, mango, pineapple, cilantro, radishes, macadamia nuts, mandarin oranges, shallots, pickled ginger, cabbage, edamame, and fried wonton strips.

Quality rice is a vital part of poke bowls. Don’t just use steamed white rice. Sushi rice is more flavorful, and perfectly complements poke. A spicy mayonnaise and rice seasoning complete the meal. Nori Komi Furikake Rice Seasoning, which includes sesame seeds and dried seaweed, is the perfect poke bowl seasoning.

Sushi Rice

1 cup sushi rice or jasmine rice

1 1/4 cup water

1 tbs sugar

1/4 cup rice vinegar

Rinse the rice several times, until the water runs clear as it is drained.

Bring rice and water to a boil, cover, and simmer 20 minutes.

Remove from heat, and allow to sit, covered, for 10 minutes.

In a small pot, heat rice vinegar, sugar and salt. Bring to a boil, constantly stirring, to dissolve sugar.

Fluff the rice with a fork, and slowly stir in the vinegar, sugar and salt mixture. Allow the rice to cool for 20 minutes.

**Partially thawed tuna can easily be sliced into thin pieces.**

Poke marinade

1 lb. albacore tuna loin, or ahi tuna

2 tbs soy sauce

1 tbs rice vinegar

1 tbs sesame oil

1 tsp honey

Cut the tuna into small pieces with sharp knife on a cutting board.

In a large bowl, combine tuna, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar and honey. Gently stir, and allow to marinate for at least 15 minutes.

Dressing

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 tsp sriracha

salt and pepper to taste

Mix the mayonnaise and sriracha in a bowl, and salt and pepper to taste. Place the dressing in a zipper bag, and cut the corner to drizzle over the poke bowl before serving.

Toppings

1 cup sliced cucmber

1/4 cup sliced mango

1/2 cup sliced radish

1/4 cup finley chopped green onion, or sweet white onion

2 large avocado, peeled and sliced

**Place a serving of albacore in each bowl of rice, then add toppings and drizzle with spicy mayonnaise**.

Making the Poke Bowls

Divide the rice into three or four bowls

Add a scoop of marinated tuna to each bowl, and add toppings.

Sprinkle with sesame seeds and dried seaweed, or Nori Komi Furikake Rice Seasoning. (There are many alternatives available at larger grocery stores).

Drizzle with the spicy mayonnaise

**Some of the albacore tuna caught last summer on the Miss Brooke.**

**Tuna caught aboard the Nauti-Lady in 2023.**

To learn more about albacore tuna charters, visit www.brookingsfishing.com.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Capt. Mike’s Coleslaw

2 1/2 cups shredded cabbage

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

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

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

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

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

Traditional Coleslaw

4 cups finely chopped cabbage

2 tablespoons finely chopped carrot

1 tablespoon finely chopped yellow onion

1/4 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons milk

2 tablespoons buttermilk

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar

1/4 teaspoon salt

ground pepper, to taste

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

**Traditional creamy coleslaw is a staple with fish and chips.**

**Homemade tarter and cocktail sauce are much better than any store-bought sauces.**

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

Tarter Sauce

3/4 cup mayonnaise

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

1/4 cup finely chopped white or yellow onion

2 teaspoons chopped capers

2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons lemon juice

salt and pepper to taste

Combine the ingredients in a bowl and stir well.

**The simple ingredients for delicious homemade tarter sauce.**

Cocktail Sauce

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

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

First ocean charter of year yields limits of lings, rockfish

BROOKINGS, Ore, (Jan. 23, 2024) – After weeks of rough, windy conditions on the Oregon Coast, conditions improved enough this week to allow Brookings Fishing Charters to run its first ocean charter of the year out of Brookings, which ended with limits of nice lingcod and rockfish. High flows from the Chetco River have made fishing slow closer to the harbor, but north, from Bird Island to House Rock, water conditions are better, and there are plenty of hungry rockfish and lingcod.

**An angler holds a nice limit of lingcod caught aboard the Miss Brooke Jan. 23, 2024.**

January and February are productive times to catch lingcod out of Brookings, as long as the weather cooperates. Windy weather with big swells and rough bar conditions have limited the opportunity to fish on the Oregon Coast so far this year. But between storms, as the ocean settles down, rockfish and lingcod tend to be very aggressive and willing biters.

Lingcod move into shallow water to spawn during the late winter. Smaller males, from 18 to 24 inches, arrive first, staging in areas where larger females will soon migrate in to spawn. Often, there are large numbers of males for every female, and the males are extremely aggressive. They often attack anything near them that resembles another fish. With decades of experience fishing the Oregon Coast, the Brookings Fishing Charters crew has dialed-in techniques to catch lingcod during the winter months in shallow water with light tackle. It is often some of the most exciting, action-packed lingcod fishing of the year!

**Capt. Andy with a pair of nice lingcod caught aboard the Miss Brooke.**

**Doubles of nice rockfish were common during the first charter of the year, as the fish were aggressively feeding.**

Big schools of rockfish are feeding in shallow water, along rocky reefs and kelp beds. Many of the rockfish caught during the first charter of the year were full of surf smelt. Lots of feed in the water has resulted in healthy fish, with fat black, blue and canary rockfish quickly attacking shrimp flies and grubs lowered from the Miss Brooke. Anglers reeled in doubles and triples of nice rockfish once the schools of rockfish were located in shallow water.

**Capt. Mike with a pair of big lingcod from the first charter of the season out of Brookings.**

**Longtime customer Dave of Brookings organized the first charter of the season with a group of local friends. They all caught limits of rockfish and lingcod.**

Brookings Fishing Charters will run trips during the winter as the weather allows. Conditions often improve by late February to allow fishing several days a week, but instead of booking a specific date well in advance, anglers are encouraged to call our charter office, (541) 813-1082, to get on the winter fishing call list. As conditions allow, we will put together trips with a day or two notice when the forecast looks promising. Open seat alerts also are posted on our Facebook page.

With fast six-pack boats operating during the winter months, Brookings Fishing Charters can take smaller groups, and run trips at short notice since fewer anglers are needed to put a charter together. The six-pack boats are the fastest boats in the fleet, and can get to the fishing grounds quickly and fish in shallow water, where lingcod fishing is best during the winter.

**A nice steelhead caught on the Smith River Jan. 23 with Capt. Sam.**

The Brookings Fishing Charters crew also runs drift boat trips for steelhead on the Chetco and Smith rivers during the winter months. High water has limited the opportunity to fish so far this season, but when conditions are good, the fishing also has been decent. Capt. Rye, Andy, Travis, Mick and Sam are licensed river guides and ocean charter boat captains, and take customers down the rivers in custom drift boats, using light spinning tackle to catch steelhead in the scenic Smith along Redwood National Park, and the Upper Chetco deep inside the Siskiyou National Forest. To learn more about river trips, visit www.wildriversfishing.com.

We have also updated our recipe section, with dozens of tasty ways to prepare rockfish, lingcod, halibut, salmon and steelhead. Check out the recipes here.

**Creamy Lingcod and Shrimp Pasta is just one of the delicious recipes in our recipe section.**

We will learn the season dates for salmon, halibut and the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse in April. Halibut season is expected to run its normal May 1-Oct. 31 season out of Brookings. The lighthouse and other California waters closed early last year, and tighter bag limits are expected this year, similar to Oregon limits that have been in place to ensure the fishery is sustainable. Typically, the lighthouse opens in May, with good fishing the entire summer. California waters are expected to have a depth restriction of 120 feet or shallower this year, but that will have minimal impact on the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet, since our crew specializes in fishing shallow water with light tackle for big fish.

The Oregon lingcod and rockfish season is open year round, with a five-fish limit for rockfish and two additional lingcod. The minimum size for lingcod is 22 inches.

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

Here are a few more photos from the first charter of the season out of Brookings.

Stormy weather, high water limits ocean, river fishing opportunities

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

**Water reaches the parking lot of Loeb State Park on the Chetco River in January when flows crested at 40,000 cfs.**

**A flooded Chetco River, as seen from Second Bridge, or Ice Box, in mid January 2024.**

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

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

**Anglers admire a steelhead on the Smith River in January.**

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

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

**Capt. Mick on the Smith River in January 2024.**

Easy, delicious rockfish chowder recipe

By far, our most requested recipe has been rockfish chowder. Our customers love it, and almost everyone who tries it says it one of their favorite ways to prepare their catch. Perfect for rockfish, lingcod or halibut, this recipe will have you coming back for seconds. Here’s a look back at Capt. Andy’s rockfish chowder recipe. This is our best Rockfish Chowder Recipe.

(Originally published March 26, 2020) Rockfish chowder is great way to enjoy fresh or frozen Oregon Coast rockfish, especially on a cold, rainy or foggy day. The fillets from a couple of rockfish will yield enough chowder for your entire family, or for a feast to enjoy with friends and neighbors, double the recipe.

Here is Capt. Andy’s favorite rockfish chowder recipe, which yields 8 servings or 2 quarts. Halibut, lingcod or even salmon can be substituted for rockfish. This dish is quick and easy to prepare.

Rockfish Chowder

4 strips bacon (reserve a small portion of the bacon grease)

1 cup finely sliced carrots
1 bunch green onions, sliced (1/2 cup yellow onion may be substituted)

1 cup diced potatoes (optional)
2 tablespoons butter
1 minced garlic clove
1 package cream cheese (8 oz.), cut into small cubes
2 cans (10.5 oz. cans) cream of potato soup, condensed
1 can (10.5 oz.) cream of mushroom soup, condensed
2 cups 2% milk, half-and-half or heavy cream
1 to 2 pounds rockfish, cut into small pieces
1 cup frozen corn, or 1 can corn (drained)
Salt, pepper and lemon pepper to taste

Parsley to garnish

**In a large pot, sauté the thinly chopped carrots, onion and potatoes in butter. Cook until the onion and carrots are tender.**

Add the soup (undiluted), milk and cream cheese. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until the cream cheese is melted. (Cutting the cream cheese into small cubes will allow it to melt much faster than a whole block). Add crumbled cooked bacon and small amount of bacon grease.

**Add the raw rockfish fillets, cut into small pieces. Bring to a boil, constantly stirring, and then simmer for 10 minutes. The rockfish will quickly cook.**

**Add crumbled bacon and some of the reserved bacon grease.**

**Add the corn, stir, and prepare to serve.**

Serve with a dash of Tabasco, or cayenne pepper, and a dab of butter.

To make a seafood chowder, add cooked crab meat and/or cooked shrimp.

Rockfish chowder makes a hearty meal. Serve with warm break, and a dab of butter and few drops of Tabasco sauce or cayenne pepper.

**Rockfish chowder made by Brookings Fishing Charters customer Neil Anderson.**

To catch a limit of rockfish and lingcod to enjoy with this recipe, check out www.brookingsfishing.com. Capt. Andy learned about this recipe while working on halibut charter boats in remote Southeast Alaska, where charter operators living in the bush ate fish several times a weeks.

**A few rockfish yield enough fillets for a large pot of rockfish chowder.**

Steelhead action improves on rivers near Brookings

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

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

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

**A beautiful steelhead caught in the Wild and Scenic Upper Chetco with Capt. Andy in January 2024.**

**Longtime customer Craig with a Chetco River steelhead caught with Capt. Rye in January 2024.**

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Grilled Rockfish and Shrimp

By Capt. Andy Martin – The mild flavor of Oregon Coast rockfish makes it a favorite for fish and chips and fish tacos, but it’s also amazing when combined with large shrimp or prawns, marinated and grilled. This is the perfect recipe when you want to enjoy rockfish or lingcod without frying it, and want to impress your dinner guests. Grilled Rockfish and Shrimp is flavorful and healthy, and sure to become a favorite way to enjoy freshly caught rockfish, or when clearing the freezer to prepare room for a future fishing trip.

Some remote Alaskan and British Columbia fishing lodges use this recipe to prepare rockfish, lingcod or halibut for their guests. It is easier than it may appear, and uses a simple mixture of ingredients. The fish is marinated by itself for an hour, and then another 15 minutes with the shrimp. On the grill, the fish is cooked for 10 minutes or less.

Grilled Rockfish and Shrimp

Ingredients

2 to 3 rockfish fillets, cut in half

6 to 8 large shrimp, shell on

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/4 cup cranberry juice (orange juice may be subsitited)

1/4 cup olive oil

Juice from one lime

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flake

1 tsp sugar

2 stalks green onion, chopped, for garnish

Mix the soy sauce, cranberry juice, lime juice, olive oil, garlic, sugar, and red pepper flake and place in a baking dish to marinate. Marinate the rockfish for one hour, then add the shrimp and marinate another 10-15 minutes.

Place the rockfish on a hot grill and cook for 5 minutes, allowing the fillets to get grill marks.

After turning over the rockfish, add shrimp to the grill and cook another 5 minutes.

Garnish with green onion, serve with rice or pasta.

**Marinate the rockfish fillets, first, for an hour and no longer than 2 hours.**

**After marinating the fish for an hour, add the shrimp and marinate another 10 to 15 minutes. Don’t marinate the shrimp too long, as the lime juice will cook them, similar to ceviche.**

**Grill the rockfish first, for around 5 minutes, allowing them to get deep grill marks. Turn the fillets over and add the shrimp, cooking the rockfish and shrimp for another 5 minutes.**

**Grilled Rockfish and Shrimp is delicious, and healthy.**

To catch a limit of rockfish on the Oregon Coast, check out our half-day fishing charters. Customers keep the fish they catch, and our crew fillets them back at the dock. For information, visit www.brookingsfishing.com.

**Rockfish are fun to catch, and taste great on the grill. Pictured are a canary rockfish and vermillion rockfish caught during the summer of 2023 on the Dash of Brookings Fishing Charters.**

Tuna Time: Raw power, thrilling takedowns makes albacore tuna fishing addictive

The following story appeared in the Roseburg News-Review in August 2023, after the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet ran its first tuna trips of the season. The author fished aboard the Nauti-Lady, while the Miss Brooke, Kraken, Dash and Papa B also ventured 50 miles offshore, each returning with five to six dozen albacore on each boat.

**Tuna caught aboard the Papa B in August 2023.**

(By CRAIG REED) BROOKINGS, Ore. – Schools of Pacific albacore tuna have arrived in the waters off the Oregon Coast. Anglers on chartered and private boats are in pursuit of the fish that is known for its wonderful flavor. The chase started in July and usually runs into September.
Fishing for tuna is legal year-round, but their presence in warm water currents within a reasonable distance of Oregon’s shoreline limits recreational fishing to about three months. Ocean conditions are also a key factor in getting out to the fish.

**Customers fishing aboard the Nauti-Lady of Brookings Fishing Charters hold some of the albacore tuna they caught in early August 2023 nearly 50 miles offshore of Brookings.**

The best fishing, and hopefully catching, is in clear, dark blue water with a temperature of 60 degrees or higher. When those warm waters and the schools of tuna that inhabit them are 15 to 50 miles offshore, boats from the Oregon ports of Bandon, Brookings, Charleston, Coos Bay, Newport and Winchester Bay head out. Depending on the boat size, its power and the distance offshore, anglers should be prepared for a two- to four-hour boat ride to the hot spots before dropping lines and jigs.

Barb Hunt of White City holds tight as a tuna on the end of her line darts under the Nauti Lady. Hunt reeled the fish to the surface and put it on the boat, marking her first tuna of the day. Photo by CRAIG REED.

**Barb Hunt holds here first ever albacore tuna, caught in August 2023 aboard the Nauti-Lady.**

The charter companies run 12-hour trips, but anglers should be aware half of that time or more could be spent traveling out to warm water and then finding a school of fish.
Andy Martin, owner of Brookings Fishing Charters (www.brookingsfishing.com) in Brookings, and Wayne Butler, owner of Prowler Charters in Bandon, gave similar descriptions of the tuna fishing experience — it’s like trying to reel in a car going the other direction.
“When you hook up and you’ve got one fish thrashing around, the other fish go into frenzy and then you’ve got multiple hookups,” Martin said. “They have raw power and then sudden bursts of speed. There’s never a harder strike than when you’re holding the rod. Periods of chaos with multiple hookups is what makes tuna fishing so exciting.”
“It’s an absolute ball when you get into the tuna good,” Butler said. “It’s a frenzy. Getting several fish on at a time is absolute crazy fun.”

**Triple Hookup! Barb Hunt, Craig Reed and Rudy Jaquez hold tuna all hooked and landed simultaneously.**

Boats troll at about 8 mph with lines and jigs at different distances off the boat so lines don’t get tangled. When a line goes “zing, zing, zing,” a tuna is on. Then several seconds of patience is needed because the jigs are passing through a school of tuna and if one fish hits, by continuing to troll, others are likely to hit the other jigs.
The boat is then put in neutral, anglers grab the rods and start cranking on the reels. When hooked, the tuna go down. When reeling, the fish don’t rise to the surface and jump out of the water or zip left and right. It’s usually just a hard pull up until the fish are near the boat and then they might zip one way or the other.

The Kraken, Miss Brooke and Papa B depart the Port of Brookings, while customers board the Nauti-Lady for an August tuna trip. Tuna trips often depart at 4 am to arrive on the fishing grounds just after daylight.

The torpedo-shaped Pacific albacore tuna generally range in weight from 10 to 35 pounds.
Barb Hunt of White City and Deb Richardson of Las Vegas both recently experienced their first tuna fishing trips on the Nauti-Lady, Brookings Fishing Charters’ 42-foot boat. They each caught their first tuna and several more on the 12-hour trip that took them 45 miles out to sea.
“It was amazing, it was more than I anticipated,” Hunt said. “I didn’t know much about tuna fishing, but it was exciting to have so many fish on at a time. They fight, they pull line, yes, they’re hard to reel in.”
Hunt and Richardson each caught their first tuna on the boat’s first hookup. Of the seven lines out, five went down in a matter of seconds and then five of the seven anglers on board grabbed a rod and started reeling.
“I thought it was fantastic,” Richardson said. “I’ll definitely go back.”

**Capt. Andy holds a tuna landed by Rudy Jaquez aboard the Nauti-Lady.**

**Capt. Kirby holds a double-hookup of tuna caught by Barb Hunt and Deb Richardson.**

Rachel Craven, co-owner of Yaquina Bay Charters in Newport, said her company’s two large boats have been catching tuna averaging 16 pounds a fish on their trips over the last three weeks.
“Realistically on our tuna trips, we would expect anywhere from three to eight fish per person,” Craven said. “It’s an extremely popular fishery and tuna is a fish people enjoy eating.”

“They have raw power and then sudden bursts of speed. There’s never a harder strike than when you’re holding the rod. Periods of chaos with multiple hookups is what makes tuna fishing so exciting.”

Mike Van Camp of Merlin has made several tuna fishing trips. His advice is to plan on a 30-mile trip out when told the tuna are 20 miles out.
“That water moves and changes with wind currents and tides,” he said. “There’s a lot of water out there and 90% of what you see is just water. The other 5 to 10% holds the fish so it might take a while to find the tuna.”
“It’s addictive,” he added of tuna fishing. “The action when you find them is absolutely non-stop.”
Tuna are warm blooded so it’s important after getting a fish on board to quickly bleed it and get it on ice to get its body temperature down.

**A pile of tuna caught on the Nauti-Lady, ready for the fillet table back at the harbor.**

**Author Craig Reed with a wheelbarrow of tuna caught on his trip aboard the Nauti-Lady.** **He landed five fish during the charter.**

Keeping the fish on ice for the duration of the trip maintains its quality.
An additional thrill for the tuna anglers is to see pods of dolphins or porpoises and possibly humpback whales on the long trips. The dolphins and porpoises love to race alongside boats for short distances.
Depending on the charter company, the size of the boat and the number of anglers per boat, the 12-hour tuna fishing trips range in price from $300 to $500. Charters have smaller boats that can take four to six anglers or larger boats that aren’t as fast in getting to fishing spots, but can take up to 12 anglers and provide them with more space and comfort and a little smoother ride over the ocean’s swells.
“The tuna fishing has been good and it’s shaping up to be very good,” Butler said of this year’s tuna season.

The Brookings Fishing Charters fleet runs tuna trips as early as late June, but most often in July and August. The best way to get on a tuna trip is to call the office, (541) 813-1082, to get on the call list. Tuna trips are put together when weather conditions flatten out and there are reports of tuna in reasonably close to shore. Ideally, tuna are 20 to 30 miles offshore, but charters will run up to 50 miles offshore. The closer the tuna, the more time spent fishing for them instead of running further out.

**Capt. Kirby lifts a tuna aboard the Nauti-Lady caught by Craig Reed of Roseburg.**

For more on tuna fishing on the Oregon Coast, visit this page. During tuna trips, charter boats out of Brookings will often venture north to Gold Beach or south to Crescent City, finding the perfect water with the best action. Brookings is centrally located near some of the best albacore tuna water off the West Coast in early to mid-summer.

Here are some more tuna photos from the first trips of the season in 2023 aboard the Nauti-Lady, Miss Brooke, Kraken, Papa B and Dash.

Creamy Lingcod and Shrimp Pasta

By Capt. Andy Martin – While most people prepare lingcod, rockfish or halibut as fish and chips, or fish tacos, the mild white fillets of these abundant Oregon Coast species also taste great when added to pasta recipes. Creamy Lingcod and Shrimp Pasta with Mushrooms combines the bounty of the Oregon Coast with an easy, creamy pasta sauce made with Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, crushed red pepper flakes, basil, garlic and paprika. A great way to prepare local seafood for date night, or a big family dinner.

This recipe tastes great with lingcod, rockfish or halibut. It is delicious with grocery store-bought mushrooms, or if you get the chance, wild mushrooms, such as chanterelle, black trumpet or hedgehog mushrooms found along timbered areas of the Oregon Coast.

The homemade alfredo sauce is surprisingly simple and easy to prepare, and is sure to become a favorite way to enjoy pasta – with and without seafood!

Creamy Lingcod and Shrimp Pasta

Ingredients

2 to 4 fillets from Rockfish, Lingcod or Halibut, cut into smaller pieces (fillets cut into 3-inch pieces – If fillets are from a larger fish, slice them in half, lengthwise to fully cook).

1 lb. large shrimp, deveined and shells removed

12 oz. pasta (fettuccine works best, spaghetti also could be used)

8 oz. sliced mushrooms

1/2 cup cooked pasta water

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1/2 cup Mozzarella cheese

1 cup half and half, or heavy cream

3 tbs olive oil, or butter

2 garlic cloves, minced

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp basil flakes

Boil pasta as directed on package. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water before draining. Set pasta aside.

**Shrimp and lingcod, a delicious combination.**

**Cut fish into smaller pieces, and cook on one side, then add shrimp after flipping fish.**

Cook fish and shrimp. Heat a large skillet, add 3 tablespoons of olive oil or butter. Add garlic. Add Lingcod or Rockfish fillets (cut into smaller pieces approx. 3 inches long). Cook fish for 3 minutes on medium-high heat, and flip. Add shrimp, sprinkle with salt, pepper, basil, crushed red pepper flake and paprika. Cook for 2 minutes, and flip again. Cook for 1-2 more minutes, and then remove and set aside. Fish may be slightly undercooked, but will finish when added back to sauce.

**The fish and shrimp is removed from the skillet and set aside, then later added back to sauce.**

In the same skillet, add the sliced mushrooms, and more butter/olive oil if needed. Cook on medium high for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook until mushrooms are tender.

**You may need to add a slight amount of olive oil or butter to skillet before adding mushrooms.**

To make the alfredo sauce, add 1 cup of half-and-half or heavy cream to the mushrooms, and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add half of the cheese mixture, bring to boil, and then reduce heat to simmer. Cook until cheese is melted, constantly stirring. Once cheese is melted, gradually add the remaining cheese.

**The shrimp can be added back to mushrooms when making sauce, but since the fish fillets are more fragile, don’t add them until sauce and pasta are already mixed together.**

**The alfredo sauce is a combination of half-and-half or cream, Parmesan cheese and Mozzarella cheese.**

Once all of the cheese is melted, add the drained pasta, and a portion of the held over pasta water, and mix together with sauce. Add shrimp and fish on top of the pasta and sauce, and heat over medium-low until pasta is hot again. (Don’t stir once fish is added, as the fillets will break into smaller pieces.)

**Add the fish and shrimp to the pasta and sauce as the pasta reheats.**

Season to taste with more salt, pepper, crushed red pepper and basil. If fish is still slightly undercooked, cover until fish is fully cooked.

To catch a limit of rockfish, lingcod or halibut to enjoy with your favorite seafood recipes, book a charter at www.brookingsfishing.com.

Steelhead arrive, lingcod bite between storms

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

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

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

**Capt. Sam runs the falls on the Elk River. The coastal rivers of Southern Oregon offer great salmon and steelhead fishing, and are among the most beautiful anywhere.**

**A large king salmon caught on the Chetco this fall with Capt. Rye.**

**Capt. Mick holds a lunker fall king salmon caught by John Curry on the Upper Chetco.**

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

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

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

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

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