Tag: Brookings lingcod fishing

Oregon Coast Crab Roll delicious, easy to make

By Capt. Andy Martin – Full of anticipation, a dozen anglers on the Nauti-Lady peered over the side and eagerly watched as deckhand Eric pulled a crab pot from the depths of the coastal waters off of Brookings, Oregon. Hoisted from 100 feet below, the crab pot slowly came into view, with a blurry, tan-colored mass inside. The pot was stuffed full of Dungeness crab, and as Eric lifted the trap into the boat, the customers erupted into cheers. “Wow! What are we going to do with all that crab?”

The late summer and fall produce the best sport crabbing of the year on the Oregon Coast. With the commercial season closed, catch rates skyrocket, as the tasty crustaceans become easy pickings for charter boats and private boats setting pots in sandy areas off the coast. With an abundance of crab this time of year, our customers are often looking for more creative ways to enjoy their catch. Cracked crab with butter, crab cocktails and crab melts are delicious, but there are countless other ways to enjoy fresh, or previously frozen Dungeness crab.

Customers hold a few of the Dungeness crab caught during a fishing charter on the Nauti-Lady.

One of our favorite ways to enjoy freshly caught Dungeness is an Oregon Coast Crab Roll, a delicious, simple knockoff of the famed New Englund or Maine Lobster Rolls, with a true Oregon Coast twist. Many will argue Dungeness is the best-tasting crab, and even better than lobster. They are both great, but we obviously are partial to Dungeness from the Pacific Northwest.

Eric Howard, a deckhand on the Nauti-Lady, shows off a few crab from a recent charter.

The cold, creamy, rich taste of chilled crab with a little crunch from chopped celery, and freshness from a little lemon and dillweed make this an irresistible treat. Perfect for a summer lunch or unique meal for visiting guests or family, Oregon Coast Crab Rolls are a year-round favorite, made fresh when in season, and enjoyed later with frozen picked crab meat from the peak harvest in late summer.

The results of a bottom fishing and crab combo on the charter boat Kraken.

Lobster rolls originated in New Englund, with two variations – the original Connecticut version with warm butter and lemon juice, and another version, where mayonnaise replaces the butter and the roll is served cold. The first lobster rolls were a staple at Perry’s, a restaurant in Milford, Conn., beginning in 1929. Red’s Eats, a roadside seafood stand in Maine, sold lobster rolls in the 1970s, with lobster meat drenched in warm butter served on a hotdog bun. Today, most lobster rolls served in Maine, where they are readily available at many restaurants, are served cold.

Lobster rolls likely predate restaurants in New England. Commercial fishermen and sailors from Portugal and England often ate lobster with a bread roll, and ate the sandwiches at sea.

We’ve made Oregon Coast Crab Rolls hot and cold, and prefer the chilled alternative.

Most lobster rolls are served on a hotdog style bun, with the top cut out. We instead use croissants from a local bakery. The buttery flavor of a classic croissant complements the rich, delicious taste of crab!

The filling of the Oregon Coast Crab Roll is essentially a classic crab salad, with just a few ingredients: crab, celery, red onion, lemon juice, mayo, fresh dill and a pinch of Old Bay seasoning.

The crab salad is served on a croissant. It also is delicious with crackers, or served atop a green garden salad.

The basic ingredients for an Oregon Coast Crab Roll.
Mix the ingredients together and served over a croissant roll.
The chilled taste of Dungeness crab with a little crunch from red onion and celery is hard to beat.
A finished Oregon Coast Crab Roll.

Oregon Coast Crab Roll

1-2 pounds cooked, chilled Dungeness crab meat, removed from shell

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup finely chopped celery

2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

1-2 tablespoons fresh dill, chopped

salt and pepper to taste

Croissant rolls, cut lengthwise for sandwiches

Instructions

Add crab, red onion, celery, mayo, lemon juice, Old Bay, dill, salt and pepper to a large bowl. Stir to combine.

Serve with a sliced croissant or other bread roll.

Refrigerate leftovers, serve with crackers or over salad.

Spectacular lingcod action, spring salmon await anglers on Oregon Coast

BROOKINGS, Ore. (April 7, 2025) – A wide-open lingcod bite, with full limits over the weekend on our charter boats, has anglers anxiously awaiting the next nice-weather days on the Oregon Coast. The lingcod fishing is as good as it has been all year, with every customer on the Nauti-Lady, Miss Brooke and Papa B returning to port with their limit of lingcod on Saturday. The quality of the fish has been excellent, and the light-tackle, shallow-water action has been nothing short of epic.

Capt. Sam gaffs a lingcod aboard the Nauti-Lady in early April.

Lingcod remain in shallow water this time of year after the winter spawn. They are aggressive and hungry, attacking lures dropped onto the rocky crevices where they hide, waiting to ambush prey. Most of the fish are being caught in 20 to 40 feet of water, close to shore over rocky reefs. The lingcod are averaging 8 to 10 pounds, with fish up to 20 pounds being caught.

Deckhand Eric holds a nice lingcod caught in April 2025 aboard the Miss Brooke.
Another nice lingcod caught aboard the Nauti-Lady in April 2025.

Lingcod fishing remains good in April and May, before some of the fish migrate back to deeper water. Until then, fast and furious action is common over the shallow reefs near Brookings. Our charter boats have been doing well from Twin Rocks and House Rock to Mack Arch, Arch Rock and Mack Reef.

In May, fishing for trophy lingcod will get even better, as the Point St. George Reef next to the historic Point St. George Lighthouse opens to fishing. It provides some of the best lingcod and rockfish action outside of Alaska. Halibut season also opens May 1 out of Brookings.

Capt. Sam with a lingcod caught aboard the Nauti-Lady.

Spring salmon also are being caught on the Rogue River near Gold Beach, Oregon. Capt. Rye has been focusing on Rogue springers, and finding some beautiful ocean-bright fish. Springer season runs April through June, and April and early May are prime time.

Capt. Rye holds a chrome-bright Rogue River spring king salmon caught in early April 2025.

Springers are caught from boats anchored in the slower water, using the current to spin anchovies. The bite is the hardest pull down a salmon angler will ever see. The springers hit, and then turn into the current, charging full speed downstream. It’s similar to the massive strikes made famous on Wicked Tuna. To book a Rogue River spring salmon trip, call our office at (541) 813-1082.

Another nice springer caught in early April with Capt. Rye on the Rogue River, fishing from the comfort of a covered jet boat.

Ocean lingcod and rockfish trips will run daily through the spring and summer as the weather allows. Trips are available on the Nauti-Lady, Miss Brooke, Kraken, Papa B and Dash. To book an ocean charter boat out of Brookings, call (541) 813-1082 or visit www.brookingsfishing.com.

Capt. Andy helps a customer hold a 19-pound lingcod caught aboard the Nauti-Lady.

Here are some of the great catches from the past week with the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet.

Lingcod, rockfish biting as Spring arrives

BROOKINGS, Ore. (March 31, 2025) – The Oregon Coast has experienced a stormy, very wet and rainy winter and early spring, limiting the number of days boats can get offshore for lingcod and rockfish. But on calmer weather days between storms, fishing has been good, with limits of rockfish and lots of nice lingcod. Now that Spring has officially arrived, better weather is in the forecast. The second half of this coming week has the best weather forecast so far this year, with light winds, small swells, sunny weather – the making of what should be great fishing off the coast of Brookings.

A pair of nice lingcod from the Nauti-Lady in mid-March.

Our charter boats have seized the weather openings between storms to run trips, returning to port with nice limits of rockfish and plenty of lingcod. On calmer weather days, the lingcod fishing has been excellent. During big swells, rockfish are still eagerly biting, but lingcod have been tougher to come by.

Another limit of lingcod from the Nauti-Lady in March 2025.

Fishing on rocky reefs in shallow water, using light tackle, the rockfish action is often wide open this time of year. We are finding a mix of large black rockfish, blue and deacon rockfish, canaries, vermillion, China and an occasional copper rockfish. Lots of smaller rockfish are mixed in, but with the lighter tackle and shallower water, they are easy to release unharmed. April and May usually signals the start of the surface bite, where rockfish are caught just under the surface as they feed on freshly spawned baitfish and crab spawn.

Deckhand Eric holds a lingcod caught aboard the Nauti-Lady.

Lingcod also are still in shallow water after the winter spawn. Most of the lingcod caught on recent trips have been in 20 to 40 feet of water. Our boats have done best at House Rock and Mack Arch for lingcod, the typical destination of our six-hour long-range charters.

Pacific halibut season opens May 1, along with our trophy lingcod and rockfish season at the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse. This season, the Nauti-Lady, Miss Brooke and Kraken will be running trips to the lighthouse. While halibut is open May 1, the best fishing is from late June through September.

We will learn our 2025 ocean salmon dates for the Oregon Coast next week, after the Pacific Fishery Management Council sets ocean seasons for Oregon, California and Washington. Early indications show a mid-May through early June king salmon season, and early June through August hatchery coho season. The best coho action off of Brookings is mid to late June, when action is often wide open.

Spring king salmon caught on the lower Rogue River with Capt. Rye. April and May are prime time for Rogue springers.

Winter steelhead season closed March 31 on the Chetco and remains open through April on the Smith River. Our river guides are switching gears to the Rogue River for spring king salmon. Capt. Rye, Mick and Sam will be running trips from their jet boats for these hard-fighting, great-eating springer salmon. Call (541) 813-1082 to book a spring king salmon trip.

Ocean charters will run daily now through the early fall, weather permitting. Book online at www.brookingsfishing.com, or call our booking office at (541) 813-1082.

Here are some more recent catches from our ocean charters in March.

Winter charters yielding great catches of lingcod, rockfish and crab

BROOKINGS, Ore. (Jan. 16, 2025) – While the ocean has been choppy and windy, with plenty of big swells, there have been a few windows of nice weather in January, allowing our charter boats to get offshore to target lingcod and rockfish, and check crab pots on the way in. Limits of quality rockfish are being caught, with nice lingcod mixed in, and an exclamation point to the day with fresh crab.

The Nauti-Lady and Miss Brooke have been running ocean charters this month, between storm events, while the rest of the Brookings Fishing Charters crew is focusing on winter steelhead drift boat trips on the Chetco and Smith rivers. As the rivers begin to drop to low, clear conditions as the storm door temporarily closes, the ridge of high pressure in the weather patterns often makes for fishable ocean conditions. We are planning more ocean charters the second half of January.

A pair of nice lingcod from a trip this month on the Nauti-Lady.
Jumbo crab on the Nauti-Lady. We have been setting pots on the way out, and checking them before returning to the docks.

When the weather allows during the winter months, lingcod fishing is often good, as fish move into shallower water to stage to spawn. Large numbers of lingcod, which spend most of their life in deeper water offshore, come to the shallow reefs December through April. We use light tackle to fish for lingcod when they are in shallow water, often catching them at depths less than 40 feet.

Lingcod from a recent trip aboard the Nauti-Lady.
A lingcod that fell for a light jig aboard the Miss Brooke in 30 feet of water.

Big schools of rockfish are in shallow water, producing quick limits. We use light spinning rods to catch the rockfish. Caught in shallow water, smaller fish can safely be released without harm, and anglers can sort through quality limits.’

Nice grade of rockfish during a hot bite aboard the Miss Brooke.

Steelhead fishing has been fair on the local rivers. After weeks of high water, the rivers are dropping to low, clear conditions. Expect big numbers of hatchery fish after the next rain. Here are a few steelhead catches with our guides this past week.

To book an ocean charter, call (541) 813-1082. More information about our trips is available at www.brookingsfishing.com.

Here are some more catches from the past week on our charter boats.

Also check out our web site for dozens of delicious seafood recipes. Click here for our latest recipes.

Lingcod, rockfish biting between winter storms

BROOKINGS, Ore. (Jan. 2, 2025) – A brief weather window on New Year’s Eve, with a lull in the winter storms, allowed the Nauti-Lady to venture offshore for rockfish and lingcod, with steady action, a wide assortment of fish, and family fun to end 2024.

Happy New Year from the Brookings Fishing Charters crew.

Stormy weather kept the charter fleet at the docks most of December, but lighter winds and smaller swells provided an opportunity to get out on Dec. 31. Families from Eastern Washington, Sacramento and Canby, Ore., caught limits of rockfish, with some lingcod and cabezon mixed in. By the time the Nauti-Lady was back at the docks, windy, rainy, stormy weather had returned. Another break in the weather is expected this coming week, which should allow the Brookings Fishing Charters crew to get back on the ocean, while also starting the peak season of winter steelhead drift boat fishing on the Chetco and Smith rivers. The Brookings Fishing Charters team of saltwater charter boat captains are also river guides during the fall and winter months, when the ocean is too rough to fish.

Rockfish season is open year round in Oregon, and a nice variety of fish are available during the winter months. A couple of young anglers are all smiles after landing rockfish and cabezon.
Lingcod move into shallow water to spawn during the winter, making them easier to catch on light tackle.
Customers enjoy a beak in the weather New Year’s Day aboard the Nauti-Lady offshore of Brookings, Oregon.

Some of the best lingcod fishing of the year takes place during the winter months, as fish move into shallow water to spawn. Catch rates are often the highest of the year from January through April, during the peak of the spawning period. Rockfish season is open year round, and limits are common during the winter months.

The Brookings Fishing Charters crew uses light tackle to target rockfish and lingcod. Quality spinning combos make for exciting action once fish are hooked up. On a typical trip, anglers will start out with rockfish gear, and as limits are caught, switch over to bigger jigs to target lingcod.

A young angler takes the bat to her first-ever lingcod.
Fish on! a lingcod is brought to the surface with a light spinning rod.
Another lingcod caught New Year’s Eve aboard the Nauti-Lady.
Capt. Sam helps a young angler hold his first-ever lingcod.

To learn more about our year-round ocean charters, visit www.brookingsfishing.com. Learn more about guided river trips on the Chetco and Smith rivers at www.wildriversfishing.com.

Lingcod and rockfish season is open year round. Ocean salmon season generally runs late May through August. Final season dates are approved by federal fishery managers in April. The Point St. George Reef Lighthouse, home of our trophy lingcod and rockfish fishery, is set to open in May. Halibut season runs May 1-Oct. 31.

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

If you haven’t checked out our recipe page, we post new recipes throughout the season. Our latest is Coconut-Crusted Lingcod with Sweet Chili Sauce. Check it out here.

Coconut-Crusted Lingcod and Shrimp with Sweet Chili Sauce.

For more great recipes, visit our recipe section.

Extra crispy beer-battered halibut.

Fall lingcod bite hot, first steelhead arrive, crab opener good!

BROOKINGS, Ore. (Dec. 8, 2024) – It has been a very busy and productive late fall on the Southern Oregon Coast, with hot action for lingcod and rockfish, bonus crab with last week’s ocean sport opener, the first winter steelhead of the season on the local rivers, and some big, bright late fall king salmon still around. The Point St. George Reef Lighthouse season also ended with a bang, with limits of lingcod and jumbo rockfish.

Brookings Fishing Charters is continuing ocean fishing charters for lingcod, rockfish and crab in December as the weather allows. The charter boat captains also are running drift boat trips on the local rivers for salmon and steelhead when ocean conditions are too rough for offshore charters.

Limits of lingcod and a bunch of crab from the Dec. 6 charter aboard the Miss Brooke.
A nice limit of lingcod at Mack Arch in late November aboard the Nauti-Lady.

Dungeness crab season opened Dec. 5 off the coast of Brookings, and the Brookings Fishing Charters quickly set crab pots as a bonus for the lingcod and rockfish charter customers. Aside with limits of rockfish and lots of lingcod, customers also are leaving with bags full of cooked crab. Crab combos will continue as the weather allows, although catch rates could drop with the Dec. 16 commercial crab opener, as thousands of crab pots will carpet the ocean out of Brookings.

Deckhand Eric with a pot full of crab from a recent charter on the Kraken.

At Mack Arch, fishing has been wide-open for lingcod on our long-range 6-hour charters. Lingcod to 20 pounds are being caught, along with limits of nice rockfish. Most of the lings are being caught on light spinning tackle in shallow water.

Closer to the harbor, the local 4-hour half-day charter is producing limits of rockfish, with a few lingcod mixed in. During the winter, lingcod move closer to the shoreline to spawn, and fishing can also be very good close to port for lingcod and rockfish.

Capt. Andy with the first adult winter steelhead of the season on his drift boat last week on the Chetco River. Late December, January and February are peak season for steelhead fishing.

On the Chetco and Smith rivers, Capt. Andy, Rye, Sam, Mick, Chris and Eric have been running salmon trips from their drift boats. Aside from some late-season king salmon, they also are finding the first winter steelhead of the season. Salmon season will wind down in December, although some fresh fish will still be around on the Elk and Sixes, while steelhead season will improve. January and February are peak season for steelhead on the local rivers. The Brookings Fishing Charters and Wild Rivers Fishing team is the most experienced group of local guides on these world-class rivers. Learn more about winter steelhead fishing at www.wildriversfishing.com.

Heavy rain expected this coming weekend will give salmon action a boost on the Elk and Sixes rivers while they begin to drop early next week, while more schools of fresh steelhead are expected on the Chetco and Smith rivers.

Capt. Rye with a 42-pound king salmon from early December on the Chetco River.

The Point St. George Reef lighthouse area closed to fishing Nov. 30. The last few trips of the season to the lighthouse aboard the Miss Brooke and Kraken produced quick limits of lingcod and rockfish, with a nice mix of colorful canary and vermillion rockfish, and lingcod to 20 pounds. The lighthouse area is expected to re-open in May.

Nice limits of lingcod from a late-season trip to Point St. George Reef aboard the Miss Brooke.

During the winter months, lingcod become the prime target of charters aboard the Brookings Fishing Charters boats. Using light tackle, the crew will first take customers to reefs full of rockfish and try to catch quick limits, leaving plenty of time to use large jigs or bigger baits intended to catch lingcod. The best catch rates of the year for lingcod usually happens from December through April as the lingcod are in shallow water.

Capt. Andy with a nice lingcod caught in early December aboard the Miss Brooke.
Limits of lingcod caught aboard the Miss Brooke with Capt. Chris and Sammy.
A nice vermillion rockfish caught aboard the Nauti-Lady in late November.

This coming week, the Brookings Fishing Charters crew will be offering crabbing only charters before the commercial season opens. Cost is $100 a person and includes cleaning and cooking of the crab. Call our office at (541) 813-1082 to book a crabbing trip.

Crabbing also can be added to bottom fishing charters. Contact out office for details.

Eric and Capt. Sam with a few of the many crab caught during the ocean sport opener last week.
The Miss Brooke fishing near House Rock in early December 2024.

To book a river or ocean fishing trip, call (541) 813-1082. For more information on ocean charters, visit www.brookingsfishing.com. For river trips, visit www.wildriversfishing.com.

Here are some recent catches with our river guides on the Chetco and Smith rivers.

Here are some recent catches aboard our ocean charters.

Long-range trips yield fantastic lingcod and rockfish action

BROOKINGS, Ore. (May 12, 2024) – Limits of lingcod, jumbo rockfish, and fish-after-fish action were the result of our long-range ocean charters this past week to the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse and Mack Arch. The action was the best it has been all season, with the fish boxes on our six-pack charter boats stuffed, and customers happy with some of the best ocean fishing to be found on the Oregon and Northern California Coasts.

Frequent customer Carin Sharp of Medford with a trophy lingcod caught this past week aboard the Kraken at Point St. George Reef.

Action at the lighthouse, located 11 miles straight out of Brookings, lived up to its billing, with trophy-size lingcod and colorful limits of rockfish, including whopper vermillion and spectacular-looking tiger rockfish, along with the normal assortment of blacks, blues, canaries, Chinas and coppers. The Miss Brooke and Kraken enjoyed limits outstanding fishing at Point St. George Reef, using light tackle to catch lingcod up to 25 pounds, and limits of jumbo rockfish. Fishing at the lighthouse is comparable to that in Alaska, with abundant lingcod and a diverse variety of rockfish. The average size of the lingcod and rockfish at Point St. George is the highest in the region.

A nice limit of lingcod caught at Mack Arch aboard the Miss Brooke.

The Miss Brooke also traveled to Mack Arch this week, where large rockfish and hungry lingcod kept customers busy. Mack Arch is 17 miles north of Brookings, and with less pressure than the reefs closer to the harbor, often has some of the best ocean fishing on the Southern Oregon Coast. The reef is especially popular with our light-tackle customers, who often catch large lingcod in water as shallow was 20 feet using light spinning rods.

One of several tiger rockfish caught last week at Point St. George Reef.
A nice assortment of lingcod and rockfish caught by a group from Reno, Nevada.

Ocean salmon season opens May 16 out of Brookings. Two king salmon a day may be kept. The best action for salmon out of Brookings is usually mid-June through July. Our six-pack charter boats use downriggers and divers to troll for salmon, and our captains have a well-earned reputation for producing the highest ocean salmon catch rates on the Southern Oregon Coast.

Pacific halibut season is also open, but fishing out of Brookings usually improves in late June, July and August, as the fish migrate into shallower water.

Capt. Kirby holds a lingcod caught on a local half-day charter.

Aside from the long-range trips to Point St. George and Mack Arch, the action also has been good on the local half-day charters. Four-hour and six-hour trips are offered for anglers who don’t want a full day on the ocean. Light tackle is used to fish for lingcod and rockfish, with reefs as close as a mile from the harbor.

Fish on! Carin Sharp fights a large lingcod aboard the Kraken.

To book an ocean charter fishing trip, visit www.brookingsfishing.com, or call our booking office at (541) 813-1082.

A big lingcod and a trophy vermillion rockfish caught aboard the Miss Brooke.

Here are some of the catches from the past week on our charters.

Lingcod, rockfish biting between storms

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.

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.

River salmon season off to hot start!

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.

To book an ocean charter or guided river trip, call (541) 813-1082. More in river fishing can be found at www.wildriversfishing.com. For ocean trips, visit www.brookingsfishing.com.

Check out our latest recipe, Chipotle Rockfish, Shrimp and Bacon tacos.