BROOKINGS, Ore. (May 5, 2024) – Big lingcod, lunker rockfish, and fast action has been the result of the first few trips of the season to the famed Point St. George Reef Lighthouse, which re-opened to anglers on May 1 after being closed since last August.
Located 11 miles straight out from the Port of Brookings jetties, the lighthouse area is home to some of the best lingcod and rockfish action outside of Alaska. Fishing is open inside the 20 fathom (120 feet) curve all summer. Thriving rockfish and lingcod populations, and the chance at halibut and a colorful variety of fish, make the lighthouse area a favorite destination.
An angler holds a trophy vermillion rockfish caught on opening day at Point St. George Reef aboard the Miss Brooke.
The Miss Brooke ran the first trip of the season to the lighthouse area, and despite rough weather, got easy limits of rockfish and a bunch of lingcod. Windy, stormy weather kept boats away the second day of the season, while fishing was absolutely light’s out the next day, with limits of jumbo rockfish and full limits of quality lingcod. Trophy vermillion and copper rockfish were included in the catch.
A nice lingcod from Point St. George Reef aboard the Miss Brooke.
The lighthouse area is located halfway between Brookings and Crescent City, with excellent lingcod fishing on the section of reef closest to Brookings. Each year, lingcod over 40 pounds are caught at the reef, with numerous 20-plus pounders. The average size is between 8 and 10 pounds. The rockfish variety is unmatched, with abundant black, blue, copper, vermillion, tiger, yellowtail, widow and canary rockfish. Quillback and yelloweye rockfish also are plentiful at Point St. George Reef, but must be released.
A quick limit of lingcod near the lighthouse aboard the Miss Brooke.
The reef is a world-class light-tackle fishery, and the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet uses light spinning rods to target the big rockfish in shallow water, with heavier gear on board if needed, to switch over to lingcod-specific baits and lures.
Closer to Brookings, the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet has been getting limits of quality rockfish on its local half-day trips, with lots of lingcod mixed in. Rockfish action has been very good, with jumbo black and blue rockfish making up the majority of the catch.
A big lingcod caught close to Brookings on a half-day fishing charter.A nice lingcod aboard the Papa B on a local half-day charter out of Brookings.
Pacific halibut season also is open, with the best fishing out of Brookings in late June, July and August. Halibut migrate in from deep water to feed, and return to depths of 2,000 feet or more in the late fall and winter to spawn in the Gulf of Alaska.
Ocean salmon season opens May 16 out of Brookings. The season runs through August, with a two-king-salmon-per-day limit. Wild or hatchery kings may be kept. Coho salmon may be kept starting in mid-June. The Brookings Fishing Charters fleet has been encountering salmon during its bottom fishing trips, while pelicans have already arrived in Brookings to feed on anchovies and other baitfish. All are good signs for the approaching ocean salmon season.
Many of the Brookings Fishing Charters customers spend the afternoon before their charter, or the following morning targeting surfperch from the beaches around Brookings. Surfperch action has been very good. Anglers use small hooks, light weights, and shrimp or sandworms to catch surfperch with light spinning rods. The mouth of the Winchuck, Crissy Field State Park, Lone Ranch, Chetco Point, and Chetco River jetties are all good surfperch locations. The crew at the Brookings Fishing Charters booking office, the same location as Brookings Bait and Tackle, will help anglers rig up for surfperch and point them in the right direction.
Capt. Mick holds a chrome-bright spring king salmon from the Lower Rogue River.
Spring king salmon continue to be caught on the lower Rogue River. Capt. Mick and Capt. Rye have been running trips, anchoring and fishing anchovies in the slower water as the prized springers move upstream. Spring salmon fishing continues into early June, while the busy Rogue Bay salmon fishery is best in July and August.
Here are some of the great catches from the first few trips to Point St. George Reef.
Nice limits of lingcod caught aboard the Miss Brooke at Point St. George Reef.
Here are some great catches from our local half-day fishing charters this past week.
To book an ocean charter or Rogue River salmon trip, call (541) 813-1082, or visit www.brookingsfishing.com.
BROOKINGS, Ore, (April 21, 2024) – Lingcod fishing is the best it has been so far this year out of the Port of Brookings, while anglers will have several more options for exciting ocean charter fishing in May, as the Pacific halibut and king salmon seasons open, along with the extremely productive Point St. George Reef Lighthouse.
A nice lingcod caught aboard the Papa B in mid-April.
The past week, the Miss Brooke, Kraken, Papa B and Dash, all six-pack charter boats with Brookings Fishing Charters, have been getting limits of nice lingcod as well as non-stop action for rockfish. The lingcod bite hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down, as the winter and early spring spawn is in full swing.
During calm weather days, limits of lingcod have been common, with fish over 20 pounds being caught. The rockfish action has been fast and furious, with limits of quality fish. The best fishing has been from Bird Island north. During the long-range six-hour trips, the Brookings Fishing Charters boats have been cruising to Mack Arch, for the best lingcod fishing on the Southern Oregon Coast.
Limits of lingcod caught near Mack Arch aboard the Miss Brooke.
Pacific halibut season opens May 1, with a two-fish-per-day limit. Normally, fishing is still fairly slow in May before catch rates accelerate in late June, July and August, as halibut migrate closer to shore to feed. For the past decade, the Brookings Fishing Charters crew has produced the best catch rates for halibut out of Brookings. Several of the local captains spent years running charter boats in Alaska, and are experts and finding halibut, and fishing for them out of Brookings.
A lunker lingcod caught in mid-April with Brookings Fishing Charters.
Ocean salmon season opens May 16. For a preview of the 2024 ocean salmon season out of Brookings, click here. Anglers will be allowed two king salmon, hatchery or wild, a day. The Brookings Fishing Charters crew has a well-earned reputation for producing limits of coho and king salmon. The peak season is mid-June through July.
The Point St. George Reef Lighthouse, with fishing rivaling that of Alaska, opens May 1. This is the best area to target trophy lingcod, and a colorful variety of rockfish. It is a customer favorite. For a preview of the lighthouse season, click here. Capt. Andy of Brookings Fishing Charters attended Pacific Fishery Management Council meetings in Fresno in March, and Seattle in April to advocate for a re-opening of the lighthouse season, as well as the Oregon ocean salmon seasons.
Capt. Andy and Dave Marciano from Wicked Tuna after a charter aboard the Miss Brooke.Deckhand Eric with a black rockfish caught by Dave Marciano of Wicked Tuna.
In March, Capt. Andy and deckhands Eric and Chris enjoyed the opportunity to fish with Dave Marciano from Wicked Tuna. Dave runs the Hard Merchandise, and was visiting the Oregon Coast after attending a sports show in California. He chose Brookings Fishing Charters for his first Oregon Coast fishing adventure.
Here are some of the lingcod caught in recent weeks with the Brookings Fishing Charters crew. Lingcod and rockfish is open year round out of Brookings.
The Brookings Fishing Charters captains also have been running spring salmon trips on the Rogue River. Here are a few catches with Capt. Rye and Capt. Mick in recent weeks.
BROOKINGS, Ore. (Feb. 17, 2024) – While 2024 has been off to a rainy, stormy start, when the ocean settles down and swells subside, fishing has been good for rockfish and lingcod. The Brookings Fishing Charters crew ran several bottom fishing charters last week, and returned with limits of rockfish and several lingcod. Some trips have resulted in limits of lingcod, although the lingcod bite is slower when swells and choppy seas prevent the boats from fishing near the inshore rocky reefs. However, the Miss Brooke has returned with lingcod every trip so far this year, along with full limits of rockfish.
A nice lingcod caught aboard the Miss Brooke with Capt. Andy in February 2024.
When the weather has been calm, with minimal swell, lingcod fishing has been very good, with limits or near limits for each angler. The House Rock and Mack Arch area have fished best, as high water in the Chetco has made fishing tough closer to the harbor because of the muddy flows from the river.
A happy angler holds a limit of lingcod from a February trip aboard the Miss Brooke.
A break in the weather is expected the second half of this week, which should allow charter boats to get out this coming weekend. So far this year, Brookings Fishing Charters is the only charter company in Brookings to run ocean trips. The Miss Brooke has been out several times, along with the Papa B.
Some of the nice rockfish caught in early February aboard the Miss Brooke.A customer with a nice lingcod from late January 2024 aboard the Miss Brooke.
Lingcod fishing is often good during the winter months, between storms, as the fish move into shallow water to spawn. Large numbers of male lingcod, between 20 and 26 inches, move shallow to stage for spawning, followed by the larger females, which can top 20 or even 30 pounds. Smaller males outnumber of females by a large margin, and are extremely aggressive during the spawning season. They eagerly bite jigs or baits. Calm weather produces better fishing, as the lingcod are in 20 to 50 feet of water. Large swells can make fishing shallower water, near wash rocks, more difficult, so the best success occurs when the ocean is flat.
A nice lingcod aboard the Miss Brooke.
Lingcod and rockfish seasons are open year round in Oregon. Salmon seasons are set by the federal government and will be announced in April. Halibut season opens May 1 and runs through October. The Point St. George Reef Lighthouse usually opens to fishing in May. California ocean seasons will be announced in April, although a general season option will be revealed in March.
The Brookings Fishing Charters crew fishes year round out of the Port of Brookings. The Nauti-Lady, Miss Brooke, Kraken, Dash and Papa B comprise the fleet. Each captain also is a river guide, and the crew runs drift boat salmon and steelhead trips in the fall and winter when the ocean is too rough to fish.
Happy anglers with a nice steelhead caught with Capt. Andy in February on the Chetco River.
Spring Break is approaching and is generally a good time to fish for lingcod and rockfish. To book an ocean charter, visit www.brookingsfishing.com, or call (541) 813-1082. For information on river trips, visit www.wildriversfishing.com.
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.
BROOKINGS, Ore. (Oct. 10, 2023) – Big numbers of bright king salmon have arrived in the Chetco River estuary, while halibut, lingcod and rockfish continue to be caught during ocean charters out of Brookings. The transition from summer to fall often produces some of the best fishing opportunities of the year, and that continues to be the case as anglers have plenty of options on the Southern Oregon Coast.
Some of the nice salmon caught the first weekend of October with Capt. Sam.
The Brookings Fishing Charters crew has been running ocean charters daily, as the weather allows, and also guided salmon trips on the Chetco River estuary. All of our captains are also licensed river guides, and have been enjoying great catches of big king salmon at the mouth of the river. With heavy rains this week, and rough ocean conditions, ocean charters will be running less frequently, while the crew switches to drift boats to target salmon upriver. Flows are expected to increase next week, and we plan to run our first drift boat salmon trips of the season.
An ocean-fresh salmon caught in the Chetco estuary with Capt. Shane.
Offshore, halibut fishing has been fair to good. The halibut season in Oregon runs through Oct. 31. Lingcod and rockfish season is open year round, and we will continue ocean charters as weather allows. During recent trips, limits of nice rockfish have been common, with hot action in shallow water using light tackle. Lingcod fishing is fair, but soon bigger numbers of fish will move close to shore to stage before spawning. Winter lingcod fishing can be fast and furious out of Brookings, and our six-pack charter boats are well equipped for fishing the shallow reefs where lingcod spawn.
Some nice halibut caught on the Dash with Capt. Rye.
Larger halibut are showing up in the catch, with fish to 60 pounds. Our crew has been targeting halibut in 180 to 240 feet of water. On anchor, lighter weights can be used, to make halibut fishing more enjoyable.
Salmon fishing was hot over the weekend at the mouth of the Chetco. Anglers must stay withing the jetties, but big numbers of salmon, both hatchery and wild, are holding up in the estuary before heading upriver. With the rains, drift boat fishing will be productive. Our crew will be fishing the Chetco, Elk and Sixes rivers for salmon, and the Smith River for steelhead. Capt. Andy, Mick, Sam, Rye, Travis and Shane will be running our drift boat trips this fall.
Here are just a few of the salmon catches from the last two weeks at the mouth of the Chetco.
Here is a sampling of the catches from recent ocean charters. We will continue to run our six-pack charter boats into the winter as the weather allows.
By Capt. Andy Martin – We get to enjoy Taco Night a few times a week at my house, and typically we try a different version of rockfish tacos. Running a charter boat business, we get plenty of fresh rockfish and lingcod fillets to take home and try new variations of tacos. Recently we tried a spicier fish taco recipe, that was not only loaded with flavor and surprisingly easy to make, but was also unique to any other fish taco recipe we have tried. Chipotle Rockfish, Shrimp and Bacon tacos are insanely delicious, and sure to become a favorite way to prepare rockfish, halibut, cod or surfperch.
Rockfish, shrimp and bacon, ready to serve with your favorite taco ingredients.
This recipe took quite a bit of tinkering to perfect. It is best prepared broiled in the oven. Everyone who has tried it agrees it is their new favorite fish taco recipe.
Served with homemade salsa and crema sauce, and garnished with avocado, cucumber, cabbage and mango, these tacos are sure to make Taco Night a hit.
It’s hard to beat rockfish, shrimp and bacon broiled with chipotle peppers.Key ingredients include chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, and jalapeno peppers.Fish, shrimp and slightly cooked bacon.Mix the fish with mayonnaise, chipotle peppers, Jugo sauce, softened butter and onions and peppers. Place ingredients on a screen over a baking sheet.Broil on screen over a baking dish.Ready to make insanely delicious rockfish, shrimp and bacon tacos.Chipotle Rockfish, Shrimp and Bacon Tacos.
Chipotle Rockfish, Shrimp and Bacon Tacos
1-2 pounds rockfish (or surfperch, lingcod, halibut or surfperch), cut into smaller chunks
1 pound peeled medium or large shrimp
1 can (7 oz.) Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
4-6 slices bacon
1 cube butter
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup Maggi Jugo sauce (can be substituted with 3 tbs soy sauce and 3 tbs Worcestershire sauce)
Slightly crisp bacon, and set aside to cool. (Don’t overcook bacon, as it will finish cooking under broiler).
Combine pieces of fish, raw shrimp and pieces of bacon in a bowl. Add mayonnaise, Jugo (or soy/Worcestershire sauce), softened butter, chipotle peppers (break into smaller pieces) and adobo sauce, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Mix together (easier done with your hands than a spoon). Add green onions and sliced jalapeno and Anaheim peppers, and mix together.
Place fish mixture on an elevated baking screen over a baking sheet. The liquid from the mixture will settle below screen (browning bacon first reduces the amount of liquid that ends up on baking dish).
Broil for 5-10 minutes, or until fish is done.
Serve on warm tortillas (we like flour tortillas, but also is great with corn tortillas) with cabbage, salsa, crema sauce, avocado and cucumber. For an extra treat, try adding sliced mango.
To catch a limit of rockfish to make your own Chipotle Rockfish, Shrimp and Bacon tacos, visit www.brookingsfishing.com.
BROOKINGS, Ore. (July 11, 2023) – Long-range trips to the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse and Mack Arch are living up to their billing, with limits of jumbo rockfish and plenty of lunker lingcod. Halibut action also has improved off the coast of Brookings, with some of our charter customers getting their two-fish limits.
A nice halibut catch aboard the Dash in early July, with seven keeper halibut and one of several petrale sole also caught on the charter.
Nice ocean conditions have allowed the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet to get back to the lighthouse area, where anglers get a chance to enjoy some of the best lingcod and rockfish action outside of Alaska. Lingcod to 25 pounds have been caught on our charter boats in the past week, along with a nice variety of rockfish, including vermilion, tiger, canary, copper, China, black and blue rockfish, and whopper-size cabezon. The lighthouse is halfway between Brookings and Crescent City, California. Because of its distance from the harbors, as well as being situated on an extremely productive reef, the size and quantity of fish is unmatched in the region.
Nice double-hookup of lingcod at the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse aboard the Nauti-Lady.
The local charter fleet also has been heading to Mack Arch and Mack Reef, 15 miles north of Brookings, another lingcod hotspot. The variety of rockfish at Mack Arch is similar to that at the lighthouse.
Halibut season opened May 1 out of Brookings and remains open through Oct. 31. The first month and a half of the season was slow, as is typical. In the past week, catch rates have accelerated, with most customers getting at least one Pacific halibut and many getting their two-fish limits. Most of the halibut are around 20 pounds, but fish to 50 pounds are being caught.
Lingcod action aboard the Miss Brooke in early July at the lighthouse.
All of the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet – including the Miss Brooke, Kraken, Nauti-Lady, Papa B and Dash – have made trips in the past week to the lighthouse and Mack Arch. The rockfish action is typically fast and furious, with easy limits and a chance to release smaller rockfish to focus on a nice grade. Several spectacular tiger rockfish were caught over the weekend at the lighthouse, along with trophy-size vermilion rockfish. Large black and blue rockfish round out the limits.
A daily jackpot winner aboard the Nauti-Lady at Mack Arch in early July.
On the halibut grounds, our boats have been anchoring in 200 to 250 feet of water. On anchor, we can use lighter weights, from 12 to 20 ounces. Once the scent trail is established, the halibut bite picks up as feeding fish come from far distances and key on the large bait combos used by our experienced halibut captains. The Brookings Fishing Charters crew, with years of experience running charters in Oregon and Alaska, are among the few captains who anchor for halibut on the Oregon Coast.
Some of the action from a local half-day trip aboard the Kraken.
Albacore tuna are still well offshore, but the first fish of the season have been caught by charters in Tillamook Bay and Westport, Wash. We are keeping a close eye on offshore temperatures, and expect to begin tuna charters before the end of July. Call (541) 813-1082 to get on the tuna call list.
Our recipe blog has numerous ways to prepare the fish caught on our charters.
Don’t forget our blog also has a large selection of seafood recipes. Check them out here.
To book a charter to the lighthouse or Mack Arch, or a halibut charter, visit www.brookingsfishing.com or call (541) 813-1082.
Here are some more catches from the past week at the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse and Mack Arch.
When preparing ocean-fresh salmon, or chrome-bright kings from the lower Chetco, Smith or Rogue rivers, simpler is better. There is no reason for fancy marinades or elaborate sauces, as fresh salmon from the ocean, bay or tidewater are already full of flavor. Grilled salmon is healthy, delicious and easy to prepare.
Applying a dash of salt, squeeze of lemon juice and dash of dill weed is the most popular way to prepare salmon fillets or steaks for grilling. There are also numerous other ways to season fresh salmon before setting it on the barbecue. Capt. Andy of Brookings Fishing Charters and Wild Rivers Fishing has a unique twist to grilled salmon to keep the fish moist, and not detract from the great taste ocean-fresh fish have because of their higher fat and oil content.
Aside from being a thrill to catch, ocean-bight salmon, like this beauty caught on the Miss Brooke, are also extremely tasty.
Popular with chefs who prefer to cook salmon over a cedar plank, brushing a mixture of melted butter, brown sugar and white vinegar keeps the fish moist while cooking, and adds just a tiny bit more flavor to an already delicious cut of king or coho.
Grilled Salmon
2 tablespoons brown sugar
3 tablespoons melted butter (unsalted)
1 tablespoon white vinegar
salt, to taste
Cut the salmon into smaller strips, or steaks. Heat grill to 350 degrees (medium-low). A Camp Chef or Traeger works great for this recipe with the added smoke. Stir brown sugar with melted butter, and then add the vinegar, mixing well.
Add a dash of salt to the fillets, and place skin-side down on the grill. Brush the tops and sides of the salmon with the melted butter mixture. Grill for 10 to 12 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the fish reaches 120 degrees (this is another reason a Camp Chef or Treager work so well).
Serve with rice and coleslaw. Tastes great with a little tarter sauce, barbecue sauce, or squeeze of lemon.
Add brown sugar and white vinegar to melted butter.After salting the salmon, brush on the butter mixture.Place on grill, skin-side down.Grill at 350 degrees until internal temperature reaches 120 degrees.Tastes great with rice and coleslaw.
To catch an ocean-bright king, book a fishing charter with Brookings Fishing Charters, www.brookingsfishing.com, or call (541) 813-1082.
Fried fish and chips is a delicious way to enjoy a day’s catch of rockfish, lingcod or halibut, but baked fish is a tasty alternative to deep fried fillets. Aside from being healthier, baked fish, when cooked properly, tastes great, is easy to prepare and clean up, and adds variety for anglers who enjoy weekly servings of their catch. Parmesan Rockfish is also a lower sodium alternative to fish and chips, since it tastes great without adding salt.
Fish with white fillets, such as rockfish, lingcod and cabezon, like these caught last summer aboard the Kraken, taste great baked with a mixture of parmesan cheese and bread crumbs.
Parmesan Rockfish requires just a few ingredients, and since it’s baked, several portions may be cooked at once. Delicious when served with baked potatoes, rice, or pasta, along with coleslaw. This recipe tastes great with rockfish, lingcod, halibut, surfperch (which can sometimes flake apart when fried) or Pacific cod. Serve with lemon and tarter sauce.
Parmesan Rockfish
1-2 lbs. rockfish (or other white fish) fillets (works great with whole fillets, or fillets cut into smaller pieces)
1/3 cup bread crumbs or panko
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/4 tsp. dried basil
1/4 tsp. onion powder
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 or 3 eggs, beaten
1 lemon, sliced into wedges
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Combine parmesan cheese, bread crumbs or panko, basil, thyme, onion powder and black pepper. Dip fish in egg wash, and then coat with breading. Place on a baking sheet (use a nonstick cooking spray). Bake for 10 minutes, or until fish easily flakes with a fork.
Combine bread crumbs or panko, parmesan cheese, thyme, basil, onion powder and black pepper.Dip fillets in egg wash and then coat with breading.Place on a baking sheet coated with cooking spray. Bake 10 minutes at 400 degrees.Serve with coleslaw, lemon and tarter sauce.
To catch a limit of rockfish or lingcod to enjoy this delicious recipe, contact Brookings Fishing Charters at (541) 813-1082 or visit www.brookingsfishing.com.
BROOKINGS, Ore. (April 30, 2023) – Ocean anglers fishing out of the Port of Brookings are anxiously awaiting a couple of season openers that provide Alaska-style fishing closer to home. Pacific halibut season opens May 1, and although giant barndoor halibut are rare off the Oregon Coast, the average size is similar to Alaska. Oregon halibut seasons are also less restrictive, and charter anglers often return with limits.
Fishing at the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse, meanwhile, opens May 15. The lingcod and rockfish action, with potential for trophy fish, rivals the saltwater action in Alaska and British Columbia. Brookings Fishing Charters will be offering trips for halibut and the lighthouse daily, as the weather allows.
Ocean salmon season opens June 17 off the coast of Brookings. Poor runs expected back to the Sacramento and Klamath rivers have led to an ocean salmon closure in California this year, but the Oregon Coast will be open to hatchery coho salmon, also known as silver salmon. Brookings often has the best coho fishing on the Oregon Coast during the first part of the season, before the bulk of the run migrates north to traditional hot spots closer to the Columbia River, where the silver salmon spawn. Coho salmon are popular with anglers because of their great taste, and hard fight at the end of the line.
Deckhand Eric holds a lingcod that hitchhiked to the surface on a blue rockfish in April.
Since early March, our charter boats have been running half-day and 6-plus-hour longer ranger lingcod trips, with good success. Those popular bottom fishing trips will continue daily on our six-pack boats and the Nauti-Lady, along with the additional opportunities for halibut and trips to the lighthouse.
Fishing for rockfish has been good on most trips, with limits of large black, blue and canary rockfish. Our charters have been using light tackle in shallow water for the rockfish. The Oregon limit for rockfish is five fish a day, with no depth restriction or delayed opener. Rockfish, also known as Pacific snapper, rockcod or sea bass, include black, blue, canary, vermillion, yellowtail, olive, tiger, copper and China rockfish. Two lingcod a day also may be kept out of Brookings, in addition to the rockfish.
Capt. Kirby holds a lingcod caught on a charter aboard the Kraken.
During our half-day charters, we are catching rockfish in the Bird Island, Twin Rock and House Rock areas. Lingcod are biting best a little north of Bird Island, but in shallow water. We also have run longer-range lingcod trips to Mack Arch with good success.
Some of the lingcod caught aboard the Miss Brooke at Mack Arch.A trophy lingcod caught in late April aboard the Miss Brooke.
Pacific halibut opener
Halibut migrate into shallow water during the spring and summer to feed, after spawning at depths close to 2,000 feet during the winter in the Gulf of Alaska. Out of Brookings, halibut are caught in 200 to 300 feet of water early in the season, and a little shallower as summer arrives. Catch rates also improve later in the season, but fish are caught as soon as the season opens. This year, the season out of Brookings runs May 1-Oct. 31, seven days a week, with no depth restriction.
Halibut and lingcod are often caught during our charters to the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse.
The Brookings Fishing Charters crew is the most experienced group of halibut charter captains on the Southern Oregon Coast. Capt. Andy, Capt. Travis and Capt. Rye each spent a decade running halibut charter boats in Alaska. They also have extensive experience on the Oregon Coast. Capt. Michael, Capt. Mick and Capt. Mike also have been very successful at catching halibut off of Brookings, and at the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse.
Some of the halibut caught last summer with Brookings Fishing Charters.
Brookings Fishing Charters offers halibut charters, or halibut and rockfish or halibut and salmon combos. Halibut average around 20 pounds off the coast of Oregon, the same size as most of the fish in Alaska (although fish over 100 pounds appear more frequently in Alaska). Each season, customers with Brookings Fishing Charters catch halibut over 30, 40 and 50 pounds. The biggest caught by one of our customers was 60 inches, and nearly 100 pounds.
In Brookings, Oregon, halibut season is open seven days a week. One halibut a day of any size may be kept. Six halibut a year may be kept. In Alaska, several days a week are closed, there is a reverse slot limit (so anglers are often limited to small chicken halibut) and the annual non-resident limit is less.
Point St. George Reef Lighthouse
Halfway between Brookings and Crescent City is the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse, which has some of the best lingcod and rockfish action on the entire Pacific coast. The productive reef is situated near two marine reserves. With seasonal closures, the rockfish and lingcod populations are extremely healthy. Large rockfish, with a great variety of color, are caught near the lighthouse, along with trophy lingcod. Each season, several fish pushing 30 pounds and a few topping 40 pounds are caught near the lighthouse.
Limits of lingcod are common at the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse.Triple hookups of big fish is a common occurrence at the lighthouse.
Brookings Fishing Charters runs trips on all of its boats to the lighthouse with special Commercial Passenger Fishing Vessel permits from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Because the trips originate in Oregon, our boats have the option of fishing for coho salmon, or halibut, on the way back to port. Salmon season is closed in California this year, and the halibut quota often is reached quickly in California, so Brookings is the ideal starting and ending location for Alaska-style combo trips to the lighthouse. Our boats often get their limits of bottom fish at the lighthouse, and then troll for salmon after they reach the border and continue back toward the harbor.
Lingcod like these, caught last summer aboard the Nauti-Lady, are a top draw at the lighthouse.A colorful variety of rockfish and lingcod caught last summer aboard the Kraken.Eric holds a hefty lingcod caught next to the lighthouse aboard the Nauti-Lady last summer.Brent with a pair of trophy vermillion rockfish caught aboard the Nauti-Lady at the 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.
Giant vermilion rockfish, jumbo canary rockfish and trophy copper rockfish are caught on nearly every trip. Our customers also encounter rare tiger rockfish at the lighthouse, and often catch (and release) giant yelloweye rockfish, which are protected and cannot be kept.
A nice variety of lingcod and rockfish from the lighthouse.
Ocean salmon opens June 17
This year’s ocean salmon season runs June 17-Aug. 31. Two hatchery coho, or silver salmon, may be kept each day. While Chinook runs are down this year on the Sacramento and Klamath Rivers, leading to the ocean king salmon closure, coho runs are healthy. This year’s quota in Oregon is 110,000 fish, well above the average quota of 28,000 to 40,000 coho. The ocean abundance of Columbia River and Oregon Coast coho is more than 1 million fish. Those salmon spent the first part of their ocean life in deep water off of California and Southern Oregon, making Brookings the ideal spot to catch them in June and early July, before they migrate back to the Columbia River.
Coho salmon are plentiful off of Brookings in June. These were caught aboard the Miss Brooke.Limits of coho salmon last summer aboard the Miss Brooke.Coho salmon are great for young anglers because the action is often fast and furious.
When coho schools are thick, which is often the case early in the season, double and triple hookups are common, and limits are the norm. The Brookings Fishing Charters captains have a well-earned reputation of being the top-producing ocean salmon skippers out of Brookings.
We catch salmon trolling herring or anchovies behind flashers. Divers are often used for coho, but downriggers are also mounted on the boats in case lines must be fished deeper.
Similar to halibut, several of the Brookings Fishing Charters captains have years of experience running charter boats in Alaska for coho salmon.
Local half-day trips
Our 4-hour local bottom fishing trips are still our most popular ocean charters. These are good for young anglers, or people who don’t want to spend a lot of time on the water, or be very far from shore. Limits of rockfish are common on these trips, and the action is often fast and furious, with anglers catching two fish at a time, and a large variety of fish. All of the fish are great to eat, and customers keep their catch.
The Nauti-Lady returns to port after a half-day trip in April on a beautiful spring day.
To learn more about our ocean charters, visit www.brookingsfishing.com, or book by calling our office, (541) 813-1082.
Here are some of the catches from last week on our charters out of Brookings.
The Miss Brooke fishing off of Brookings in late April.
