BROOKINGS, Ore. (Jan. 14, 2023) – During the winter months, between storms, charter boats are able to venture out of the Port of Brookings for some of the best lingcod fishing of the entire year. From November through April, lingcod move into shallow water to spawn. The trophy-size females, which retreat to deep water during the summer, are briefly inshore, giving anglers a rare opportunity to catch them in shallow water.
Nice lingcod caught early last year aboard the Miss Brooke at Mack Arch. Some of the best lingcod fishing of the season takes place during the winter months.
Ocean conditions have been rough the past month. Gale warnings, swells to 20 feet, and huge breakers have kept the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet, and other boats, at the docks. But in late January and early February, there often is a window to get out and fish. Typically, the action is very good when boats can get out.
Stormy weather has kept charter boats at the docks the last few weeks.
Lingcod average 4 to 6 pounds. Fish to 10 pounds are common. But those really big fish, over 20 pounds, are most common during the winter months. In the summer, the large females hunker down in 200 to 400 feet of water, out of range of most sport boats. During spawning season, they make a quick trip to the shallow reefs, from 20 to 40 feet of water, to spawn and then return back to deep water. Smaller males stay behind to guard the nests. Often, half a dozen or more males will remain with each nest.
Capt. Andy holds a limit of lingcod for a customer aboard the Nauti-Lady.
State and federal biologists have determined lingcod populations are healthy and sustainable, so fishing them in the winter does not hurt the overall health of the fishery. Some anglers choose to release the large fish, but others want to take them home to eat. Lingcod are prized for their tasty fillets.
The Brookings Fishing Charters captains are among the most experienced lingcod fishermen in Brookings. Capt. Andy and Travis grew up in Brookings and have decades of experience fishing for them. Rye, Mick, Sam and Mike also have considerable experience fishing year round out of Brookings.
Mack Arch is a favorite winter lingcod spot. House Rock also is productive. The Point St. George Reef lighthouse is off limits during the winter, however, as California waters are closed until May 15.
Limits of lingcod are common during the winter.
Rockfish also are caught during winter time lingcod trips. Black, blue, canary, vermilion and yellowtail rockfish are all common out of Brookings. Limits of lingcod and rockfish are common during the winter months.
(BROOKINGS, Ore. – Dec. 23, 2022) — Rough weather has kept charter boats at the docks for most of November and December, but between storm, fishing has been very good for lingcod and rockfish off the coast of Brookings and at the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse.
The Brookings Fishing Charters crew has been running ocean charters as weather conditions allow this fall and winter, and also taking customers down the Chetco and Smith rivers for salmon and steelhead. Salmon fishing was well above average this year, with big returns to the coastal rivers, while steelhead fishing also is off to a good start.
Just before Christmas, the six-pack charter boats working out of the Brookings Fishing Charters office enjoyed good fishing for lingcod and rockfish on our local half-day trips, and on the long-range trips to the lighthouse. Rough weather, with big swells and strong winds, returned Christmas weekend.
Customers hold limits of lingcod from a fall trip to the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse aboard the Miss Brooke.
The lighthouse area, along with all California coastal waters, close to fishing Dec. 31, and reopens May 15. Based at the Port of Brookings year round, the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet will continue to run half-day and long-range targeted lingcod trips all year. During the winter months, lingcod come close to shore to spawn, putting them within easier range of the sport fleet. Lingcod fishing often is good during the winter, especially at Mack Arch and near House Rock out of Brookings.
A nice lingcod caught aboard the Miss Brooke this fall out of Brookings.
Unlike other six-pack charters that occasionally fish out of Brookings, our captains are local, full-time charter boat captains based out of the Port of Brookings, and our boats fish here year round. The knowledge and experience of our crew is unmatched for six-pack charters in Brookings. That experience pays off during the winter, when local knowledge often leads to bigger lingcod and a better grade of rockfish.
The Nauti-Lady fishing off of Brookings in the fall of 2022.
Aside from our six-pack boats, the Nauti-Lady also operates out of the Brookings Fishing Charters office. The Nauti-Lady can accommodate larger groups, and its spacious deck allows customers to fish with lots of room and plenty of space to spread out. The Nauti-Lady operates year round out of Brookings, weather permitting.
The Brookings Fishing Charters captains are also full-time fishing guides who operate drift boats trips on the Chetco and Smith rivers. To learn more about river fishing, visit www.wildriversfishing.com
Below are some of the winter steelhead caught on the Chetco River in December 2022 with Capt. Mick, Michael and Sam.
Halibut season opens May 1 out of Brookings. Ocean salmon seasons are set in April, although we will have a general idea of the season dates in March. Typically, ocean salmon opens in June and runs into August. Albacore tuna arrive in late July.
To book an ocean charter, visit www.brookingsfishing.com, or call (541) 813-1082.
(BROOKINGS, Ore. – Aug. 15, 2022) – Albacore tuna moved within 40 miles of the coast of Brookings in late July and early August, giving charter boats an opportunity to make the long run offshore and target the prized gamefish. The Brookings Fishing Charters fleet ran several tuna charters in early August, returning with coolers full of albacore.
In late July, the Miss Brooke with Capt. Michael was the first boat to successfully find tuna out of Brookings. Fishing was slow however, with just a single tuna, caught 45 miles from the harbor. It was the first confirmed tuna brought back to the dock.
In early August, the water temperature warmed above 60 degrees offshore, and bigger numbers of tuna moved in. The Miss Brooke, Kraken and Dash returned to the tuna grounds, and ran successful charters, with upwards of 40 tuna caught on some of the trips.
Capt. Michael holds the first albacore tuna of the season caught out of Brookings. It was reeled in by Dave Kuen aboard the Miss Brooke in late July.
Charter boats out of Brookings wait for calm ocean conditions with no wind to make the 30- to 50-mile run to the tuna grounds. They look for water temperatures between 59 and 62 degrees. The tuna are caught by trolling feather jigs or PLine Tuna Rippers at a high speed, sometimes in excess of 8 mph.
Anglers hold some of the tuna they caught in August aboard the Kraken with Capt. Sam.Some of the tuna caught aboard the Dash with Capt. Mick in early August.A nice haul of tuna aboard the Miss Brooke with Capt. Michael.
Brookings Fishing Charters maintains a call list for its tuna trips. When weather conditions line up, and water temperatures reach 60 degrees offshore, trips are put together at short notice. The window to target tuna out of Brookings is usually fairly small.
Board a six-pack charter under the light of the moon for a 4 a.m. departure is a special experience.An amazing sunrise while headed to the tuna grounds out of Brookings.Deckhand Eric with a pair of nice albacore tuna.Capt. Mick holds an albacore tuna caught aboard the Dash.Frequent Brookings Fishing Charters customer Mike C. with a tuna from the Miss Brooke.More tuna from the Miss Brooke in early August 2022.The real work begins once the boats return to the dock.
BROOKINGS, Ore. (June 30, 2022) – After a fairly slow start to the ocean salmon season offshore from Brookings, the action heated up the second week of the season, with good catches of coho and kings. The Brookings Fishing Charters boats have been the top-producers among the sport fleet, bringing in limits or near-limits of salmon, while also releasing big numbers of shaker kings and wild coho.
Salmon season began June 18, but only hatchery coho could be kept. Starting June 25, wild or hatchery kings, along with hatchery coho, can be harvested. Fishing started out slow, in part because of windy weather, dirty water conditions, and the bulk of the fish holding well offshore. But early this week, the salmon moved a little closer to shore, and massive schools of bait arrived. The salmon fishing has been wide open at times.
A nice king salmon caught aboard the Dash in June 2022.Salmon caught in late June aboard the Miss Brooke.Limits of hatchery coho and king salmon caught in late June aboard the Kraken.Salmon from the Dash.Capt. Michael with a nice limit.Fish on aboard the Kraken.Capt. Rich with a limit.Capt. Sam with a nice king.Another nice salmon for the Kraken.More salmon caught aboard the Kraken in June 2022.
Fishing also has been very good at the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse, where the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet heads during its long-range trips. The lighthouse area has been producing an excellent grade of big black, canary, vermilion, copper and other rockfish, and lingcod close to 30 pounds. A few large lingcod also have been caught recently at Mack Arch north of Brookings.
A nice limit of lingcod from the Nauti-Lady in June 2022.
For the salmon, Capt. Travis, Sam, Michael, Mick, and Rich also have reported their best fishing trolling anchovies close to the surface, but in deep water, sometimes 4 or 5 miles offshore. Some trips are yielding more than three dozen hookups, with lots of fish lost because of barbless hooks. The hatchery-to-wild ratio for coho salmon is nearly 50-50, meaning half the silvers landed can be kept. There are big numbers of shaker kings less than 24 inches, and then keepers from 5 to 15 pounds. Each day, fish in the upper teens also are being caught.
Salmon season runs through mid-August out of Brookings. The best fishing is generally the last week of June and first few weeks of July, meaning peak season is right now!
Big ling on the Dash.Whopper lighthouse ling for the Kraken.Nice lingcod limin on the Kraken.Nauti-Lady lingcod.More Nauti-Lady lings.Capt. Andy with a lingcod aboard the Nauti-Lady.Another Nauti-Lady ling.Nice limit aboard the Nauti-Lady.Miss Brooke lingcod.Kirby holds a nice ling from the Nauti-Lady.Nice lingcod!Canary from Mack Arch.Kirby holds a nice canary caught aboard the Miss Brooke.
Lingcod and rockfish can be kept year round out of Brookings, but the summer months often lead to high catch rates, as the calmer weather this time of year results in better fishing. The Brookings Fishing Charters boats, including the Miss Brooke, Kraken, Nauti-Lady, Dash, Papa B and Bout Time, use light spinning tackle to target rockfish and lingcod. The light tackle adds to the thrill of catching these tasty fish.
Albacore tuna season begins in the summer, with late July or early August generally the most productive time to target tuna, as they move closer to shore.
To learn more about fishing charters out of Brookings, visit www.brookingsfishing.com or call (541) 813-1082.
BROOKINGS, Ore. (May 29, 2022) – Long-range trips to the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse are producing limits of nice lingcod and rockfish, while fishing charters on our local half-day trips also are yielding nice rockfish with lingcod mixed in.
Some of the nice lingcod caught Memorial Day Weekend aboard The Dash with Capt. Mick.
So far this season, trips to the lighthouse, located halfway between Brookings and Crescent City, just across the border in California, have been a major draw. Aside from quality limits, a few Pacific halibut also have been caught on our charters to the lighthouse, along with a 5-foot wolf eel. Trips to Mack Arch also are resulting in limits of nice lingcod and rockfish, with some fish pushing 20 pounds.
Capt. Michael holds a nice halibut caught aboard the Kraken at the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse.
Salmon season opens June 18 out of the Port of Brookings Harbor, and expectations are high. More than 1.2 million hatchery coho salmon are projected to be off the Oregon Coast this summer, most headed back to the Columbia River. Those salmon begin their northerly migration up the coast near Brookings, where they move closer to the beach after wintering in deep water, and follow the coastline back to the Columbia River. Along with the abundant forecast of silver salmon, the Sacramento River, which fuels ocean fisheries in Oregon and California, also has a strong forecast for fall king salmon, along with the Rogue River. Salmon from those two river account for the majority of the kings caught each summer off of Brookings.
A tiger rockfish caught at the lighthouse aboard the Kraken.
King salmon season opens June 25, when anglers will be allowed to keep wild or hatchery king salmon, also known as Chinook, along with hatchery coho salmon, which also go by the name of silver salmon.
Below are some of the catches from recent trips aboard the Miss Brooke, Kraken, Nauti-Lady, Papa B, Bout Time and Dash, which make up the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet.
BROOKINGS, Ore. (May 4,2022) – Some of the biggest lingcod of the season have been caught in recent trips aboard the Brookings Fishing Charters boats, including a trophy ling weighing 28.8 pounds hauled in at Mack Arch aboard the Miss Brooke.
Some of the nice lingcod caught aboard the Miss Brooke in late April.
Fishing also has opened for the season at the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse, where anglers often catch some of the biggest lingcod and rockfish outside of Alaska. Big swells and brisk winds made fishing tough on the May 1 opener, but the Nauti-Lady, Miss Brooke, Kraken, Dash and Bout Time still managed limits of nice rockfish and boat loads of lingcod. Trips to the lighthouse are a hit with our customers, who enjoy catching big fish on light spinning tackle. The variety at the lighthouse is unmatched, with vermilion, canary, copper, tiger, black, blue and China rockfish, and lingcod from 5 to 25 pounds, or bigger.
Part of the opening day catch at the lighthouse aboard the Miss Brooke with Capt. Travis and Capt. Sam.
Anglers are anxiously awaiting the June 18 ocean salmon opener out of Brookings, and are encouraged by reports of limits out of Crescent City. Salmon fishing is open May 1-31 out of Crescent City, but closes in June and July. It opens June 18 out of Brookings for coho and June 25 for kings, and remains open through most of August.
Pacific halibut season also opened May 1 out of Brookings, and continues through Oct. 31. The best halibut fishing is generally in late June, July and August.
The Bout Time returned from the lighthouse with limits of lingcod and rockfish.
The best bet in recent weeks out of Brookings has been lingcod on the 6-hour long-range trip by the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet. Trips to Mack Arch have been yielding limits of lingcod, while the fishing also has been good at House Rock and Twin Rocks. Fishing is expected to be excellent at the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse during calm weather days.
Some of the great catches from the lighthouse opener.Mark gaffs a lingcod aboard the Nauti-Lady.A nice lighthouse lingcod aboard the Nauti-Lady.Great catches on our six-hour long-range trips in late April.A lunker lingcod from Mack Arch aboard the Miss Brooke.
A fresh, delicious way to enjoy the Oregon Coast catch of the day, bursting with citrus flavor, easy to make, and a breeze to cleanup is Mediterranean Baked Rockfish, Lingcod and Halibut. This recipe is perfect for anyone seeking a healthy alternative to fish and chips, or those counting carbs. It is especially good after picking up fresh produce at the many farmers’ markets on the coast during the summer, or vegetables from your garden.
Mediterranean Baked Rockfish, Lingcod or Halibut is a great way to enjoy the catch of the day from the Oregon Coast.
Versatile, Mediterranean Baked Fish is equally good with rockfish, lingcod, halibut or even salmon, or a combination of them. The unique taste is worth baking up a few times each season, and may become a favorite way to enjoy the catch from our charter boats. Perfect with a side of rice, pasta salad or green salad.
Fresh vegetables make this a delicious and healthy alternative to fish and chips.
Mediterranean Sauce
Zest of 2 lemons
Juice from 2 lemons
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons dill weed
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon ground coriander
Fish and vegetables
1-2 pounds rockfish, lingcod or halibut fillets, sliced into thin pieces
1 pound cherry tomatoes
1 pound fresh green beans
1 large yellow onion, sliced into half moons
Also works well with sliced zucchini, sliced bell pepper and/or asparagus
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
In a bowl, combine lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, dill weed, oregano, coriander, salt and pepper. Whisk the ingredients together.
In a large bowl, add the vegetables, coat with sauce and stir. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the vegetables to a large baking sheet. Layer half the baking sheet with a thin layer of the vegetables.
Add the fish fillets to the bowl, mix well with the sauce, and transfer the fillets to the other half of the baking sheet. Pour any remaining sauce on the fish fillets and vegetables.
Lightly season the fish and vegetables with salt and pepper, or lemon pepper, or seasoned salt.
Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, then place on top rack of oven and broil for an additional 3 minutes, or until the cherry tomatoes begin to pop under the broiler.
Combine lemon juice and zest, olive oil, seasonings and herbs.Add sliced vegetables to bowl, and stir in Mediterranean sauce.After transferring vegetables to baking sheet, slice fish fillets, coat with sauce and add to baking sheet.Pour remaining sauce over fish and vegetables. Bake for 15 minutes.Finish off by broiling on top rack of oven for 3 minutes.Mediterranean Baked Rockfish, Lingcod or Halibut.
To catch a limit of Oregon Coast rockfish or lingcod, book a charter with Brookings Fishing Charters, www.brookingsfishing.com
BROOKINGS, Ore. (April 22, 2022) – Charter boats fishing out of the Port of Brookings Harbor on the Southern Oregon Coast are continuing to enjoy solid action for lingcod and rockfish, with limits of both on calm weather days. A winter-like storm sidelined the fleet this past week, but conditions have improved for the weekend. Before the storm, fishing was nearly wide-open.
Fishing has been good for lingcod and rockfish, as frequent customer Denise found out last week on the Miss Brooke.
Lingcod are in shallow water, allowing anglers to catch them on light tackle. In recent weeks, the Miss Brooke, Nauti-Lady, Kraken, Papa B, Bout Time and Dash, all working out of the Brookings Fishing Charters office, have been getting customers into limits. Most of the fish are being caught in shallow water, from 30 to 60 feet.
Capt. Mick sorts through limits of rockfish and lingcod aboard the Kraken.
Last weekend, the six-pack charters from Brookings Fishing Charters, got into a surface bite for rockfish at Mack Arch. The rockfish are just under the surface, feeding on small baitfish and crab spawn. They can be seen splashing on the surface, and are being caught by anglers casting small swimbaits or curly tail grubs fished with light jigheads. Since Brookings Fishing Charters boats are equipped with light spinning rods, it’s easy to switch gear and start casting when rockfish are spotted splashing at the surface.
The lingcod are biting large herring, or scampis fished with leadheads. One of the tricks of the Brookings Fishing Charters captains in targeting lingcod is using a paddle tail swimbait combined with a small strip of herring or squid. It has been a deadly combination in recent weeks for big lingcod.
Ocean salmon season opens June 18 for coho and June 25 for kings out of Brookings, and continues most of the summer. Pacific halibut season opens May 1, the same day Brookings Fishing Charters will begin running trips to the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse between Brookings and Crescent City. The lighthouse is known as a hot spot for trophy-size lingcod.
Late June and early July is peak season for salmon out of Brookings. Last summer, the Brookings Fishing Charters crew enjoyed the best catch rates for ocean salmon on the Southern Oregon Coast.
To book an ocean charter out of Brookings, visit www.brookingsfishing.com or call the Brookings Fishing Charters booking office at (541) 813-1082.
A limit of lingcod from the Miss Brooke.Nice limits of lingcod and rockfish from the Papa B.Full limits of lingcod in early April aboard the Miss Brooke.The rockfish action has been fast and furious this month out of Brookings.Frequent customer Barb with a nice lingcod and rockfish from the Miss Brooke.Another nice limit of lingcod, this time from the Kraken.A nice lingcod from the Bout Time.A nice lingcod from the Kraken that fell for a swimbait and squid combination.Lots of large rockfish have been keeping customers happy.John with one of several lingcod he landed aboard the Kraken in April.One of many lingcod caught last week on the Miss Brooke.A lingcod from the Miss Brooke.A nice vermilion rockfish from the Kraken at Mack Arch.This nice lingcod was caught aboard the Miss Brooke.Limits come fast when you double up on rockfish.Capt. Mick with a nice lingcod from the Kraken.A nice lingcod from the Kraken in early April.
The ocean salmon season out of Brookings will run June 18-Aug. 21, with coho-only the first week, and king salmon opening June 25. The season is similar to last year’s ocean salmon fishery out of the Port of Brookings-Harbor.
Limits of coho salmon last summer aboard the Miss Brooke of Brookings Fishing Charters.
The season opens during the period when catches historically are at their peak, as king salmon from the Sacramento, Klamath, Smith, Rogue, Chetco and other rivers all congregate near Brookings to feast on anchovies, herring and other bait fish. Anglers will be allowed to fish seven days a week out of Brookings once the season opens, and keep two salmon per day. Wild or hatchery kings can be kept, along with hatchery coho salmon.
A nice load of king salmon caught aboard the Miss Brooke last summer.
Forecasts are good for this summer’s season, and early indications show there are lots of fish off of Brookings. Charter boats already are encountering big numbers of king salmon while running bottom fish trips out of Brookings. There is an abundance of bait within close range of the harbor, with massive schools of herring, smelt, needlefish and anchovies already here.
Federal biologists estimate there are 1.3 million hatchery coho and nearly 850,000 adult king salmon from the Sacramento, Rogue and Klamath rivers off the Southern Oregon and Northern California coast this year. The coho numbers are above average, while the Sacramento forecast also is high.
Coho salmon caught out of Brookings and headed to the grill.The finished product, delicious coho salmon caught with Brookings Fishing Charters.
Last summer, the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet enjoyed impressive catch rates all salmon season, with lots of limits of coho and kings. Some days when the coho fishing was hot, boats returned early with full limits and released big numbers of wild coho. The kings fishing was good from the opening day into mid-July last summer.
Brookings Fishing Charters captains are the most experienced ocean salmon guides on the Southern Oregon Coast. Using fast, comfortable six-pack boats, they quickly get to the fishing grounds, and use downriggers or divers to get anchovies or herring in front of feeding salmon. All of the captains are year-round fishing guides on both the river and ocean and experts at catching salmon. Many of the Brookings Fishing Charters captains also have extensive Alaska salmon guiding experience.
Limits of kings and coho from the Miss Brooke last summer.More Brookings limits. Our crew enjoys the highest catch rates of any charter on the Southern Oregon Coast. Capt. Michael, left, and Capt. Travis, right, are two of the very best!
Ocean salmon trips are $200 a person and include all bait and tackle. Trips are 6-8 hours. Catch rates are generally highest in June and July. To book a trip, click here.
A hefty king salmon caught aboard the Miss Brooke last summer.
Two of the most anticipated seasons of the year for the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet open May 1, when charter boats can begin fishing for Pacific halibut out of Brookings, and also start running trips to the highly productive Point St. George Reef and lighthouse.
Brookings Fishing Charters operates both trips aboard its fast, comfortable six-pack charter boats, as well as the spacious Nauti-Lady party boat. The lighthouse is known for its fish-after-fish action, with the potential for trophy lingcod and rockfish, while halibut are one of the most prized fish on the West Coast.
Halibut season opens May 1 out of Brookings. These halibut were caught last summer aboard the Nauti-Lady.
Halibut season out of the Port of Brookings-Harbor runs May 1-Oct. 31, or until 8,000 pounds of halibut are landed out of Brookings and Gold Beach. The quota generally lasts the entire season. Anglers may keep one Pacific halibut a day, with no size limit. Sanddabs and petrale sole also may be kept on halibut trips.
In recent years, the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet has been the most successful group of charters on the far Southern Oregon Coast getting customers into halibut. Captains Andy, Travis and Rye have considerable Alaska halibut charter boat experience, and have decades of experience catching halibut out of Brookings. Capt. Michael and Mick also are local halibut experts with a reputation of catching lots of fish each season.
A Pacific halibut caught and released earlier this year aboard the Papa B. The season opens May 1.
Halibut generally run 15 to 25 pounds on the Oregon Coast, with fish over 75 pounds caught each season. Two years ago, Capt. Rye got a client into a halibut just under 100 pounds, one of the largest halibut ever landed by a charter in Brookings.
Anglers wanting to catch halibut out of Brookings will immediately notice the skill level of the Brookings Fishing Charters captains in finding and catching halibut. Using advanced techniques to anchor in deep water, the captains create a potent scent trail to bring halibut to the area they are fishing, using a variety of big baits, scents, and combinations of smaller baits. Through trial and error, and years of halibut fishing experience in local waters, the Brookings Fishing Charters captains have an extensive list of waypoints that produce halibut season after season, and the knowledge of when to fish each spot, depending on tides, ocean conditions and time of the season.
Limits of halibut last summer aboard the Dash.Typical halibut caught out of Brookings.
Most of the halibut fishing out of Brookings takes place in 180 to 250 feet of water, much shallower than the halibut hot spots further north on the Oregon Coast. Because of the shallower water, and the advantage of fishing on anchor, lighter weights may be used. Instead of 3 or 4 pounds of weight, we often catch halibut with just 12 ounces, which makes catching them more enjoyable.
Capt. Rye holds a 58-inch halibut caught during a previous season aboard the Dash.
The Point St. George Reef Lighthouse is located 11 miles straight out of Brookings just across the border in California. The reef is highly productive, with a large variety of rockfish, and some of the largest lingcod caught outside of Alaska. The area opens to fishing May 1.
Limits of lingcod caught aboard the Nauti-Lady at the lighthouse.
Several of the boats in the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet have California Commercial Passenger Fishing Vessel permits, allowing them to fish in Oregon and California waters. Customers need a fishing license for both states to fish the lighthouse area. One-day licenses are available.
A hefty lingcod caught last season aboard the Bout Time at the lighthouse.
Few private boats venture to the remote Point St. George Reef Lighthouse, located between Brookings, Oregon and Crescent City, California, making it one of the most productive fishing destinations on the West Coast. The seldom-fished waters on the edge of the Point St. George Reef marine reserve offer unmatched lingcod and rockfish opportunities, often with much larger fish than the closer-in waters out of Brookings and Crescent City. The area of the reef with the best fishing is known locally as the “Dragon Channel” a lingcod and trophy rockfish infested section of rockpiles, pinnacles and ledges. Swift currents, sudden depth changes, and an extremely rugged undersea terrain provide ideal habitat for big rockfish and lingcod, with an occasional halibut mixed in. Oldtimers tell stories of lingcod between 50 and 70 pounds, and each season plenty of trophy lings are caught.
Another big lighthouse lingcod.
The action is fast-paced at the lighthouse, with black, canary, vermilion, yellowtail, tiger, blue, copper and China rockfish, among others. Lingcod to 50 pounds are caught each year at the lighthouse, with fish over 20 pounds common. Most of the keepers are 10 to 15 pounds, an ideal size to eat.
The Miss Brooke, Kraken, Dash and Bout Time get to the lighthouse quickly, and use light tackle to catch the trophy-size lingcod and rockfish. Customers who have done the trip comment on what a blast it is to catch the variety of quality rockfish with light spinning tackle.
Full limits of lingcod at the lighthouse aboard the Miss Brooke.
For larger groups, the Nauti-Lady allows up to 15 people a chance to experience the lighthouse fishing on a single boat. The comfortable ride to and from the lighthouse on the Nauti-Lady makes the experience even more enjoyable, with plenty of room to spread out on the 42-foot charter boat.
Capt. Andy holds a pair of tiger rockfish caught aboard the Nauti-Lady last summer.A triple hookup in front of the Point St. George Reef lighthouse.
