By Capt. Andy Martin – Fresh Dungeness crab is one of the most delicious treats of the Oregon Coast, great eaten as quickly as you can crack it, served with a green salad, prepared in Cioppino or made into tacos. One of our favorite ways to enjoy crab, however, is baked with homemade macaroni and cheese. Crab Mac and Cheese is rich and creamy, comfort food at its best. Served as a side with fish and chips, or part of a more elegant meal, we enjoy Crab Mac and Cheese frequently at our home, especially when family or grandkids are visiting.
Crab Mac and Cheese is a delicious way to enjoy fresh Dungeness from the Oregon Coast.
My wife, Sarah, uses a variety of cheeses when preparing Crab Mac and Cheese – sharp cheddar, jack, parmesan, mozzarella, Velveeta, and cream cheese. The variety ads to the flavor. Traditional homemade mac and cheese often excludes the Velveeta and cream cheese, using butter instead, but our family prefers the broad range of cheeses. We also often add bacon or diced ham, making the Crab Mac and Cheese a meal in itself.
Crab Mac and Cheese is versatile and can include different seasonings, such as creole seasoning or Old Bay, or sauteed vegetables, such as bell peppers, zucchini, onion or mushrooms.
Capt. Chris Cooke pulls a pot of Dungeness crab onto the Nauti-Lady.
Start by boiling the crab, and removing meat from the shells and setting aside. Lump crab from the grocery store will work, but freshly caught crab is so much better. In fact, we’ve found preparing a few large batches of Crab Mac and Cheese, dividing into several containers, and then freezing is a good way to preserve crab to enjoy later. We often pull a serving out of the freezer when family visits to serve with fresh fish and chips.
A variety of cheeses, such as cheddar, jack and mozzarella, plus Velveeta and cream cheese, will make Crab Mac and Cheese extra creamy and rich.Combine the cheeses and macaroni in a large pot. Heat over medium heat until well combined.Fresh crab turns homemade macaroni and cheese into gourmet version of a family favorite.Sprinkle with breadcrumbs before baking.Crab Mac and Cheese, one of the best ways to enjoy fresh Oregon Coast Dungeness.Crab Mac and Cheese served with a garden salad.
Homemade Crab Mac and Cheese is simple and easy. Our recipe doesn’t have to be followed precisely. Use whatever variety of cheeses you prefer, and the amount you like. Two cups of cheese is a good starting point for a 16-ounce package of macaroni. If you don’t want to use cream cheese or Velveeta, add a little more milk, and a half cube of melted butter. Season to taste.
Crab Mac and Cheese
16 ounces macaroni or other pasta, cooked to directions, drained, set aside
1 cup cooked, shelled crab meat (or more if desired)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Coat baking dish with cooking spray.
Boil pasta as directed, drain, set aside
In a large pot, combine cheeses, milk, sour cream, Velveeta, cream cheese, seasonings, green onion and crab. Heat over medium heat until well combined, stirring constantly. Add cooked pasta, stir well.
Transfer the pasta, cheese and crab mixture to the baking dish, sprinkle with bread crumbs, bake for 15 minutes.
A customer on the Nauti-Lady with a pot full of crab.Crab caught aboard a charter boat with Brookings Fishing Charters.
BROOKINGS, Ore. (Feb. 22, 2025) – Limits of rockfish, lots of lingcod and a few Dungeness crab to end the day have made for exciting winter charter boat trips out of Brookings so far this winter, with good fishing on the nice weather days between storms. Chrome-bright steelhead, meanwhile, are entering local rivers, giving anglers plenty of options for February and March fishing trips.
Ocean lingcod and rockfish action has been above average so far this winter, with more lingcod than recent years in January and February. Steelhead fishing, on the other hand, has been slower than expected coastwide, with just a couple steelhead per boat on most days.
Customers with limits of lingcod aboard the Miss Brooke in February 2025.
The Miss Brooke, Nauti-Lady and Papa B have been running ocean charters as the weather allows between storms. The rockfish action has been hot, with lots of smaller fish released and a good grade for limits. Lingcod also are biting aggressively, with limits typical on the longer 6-plus-hour trips, and a fish or rod or better on the shorter 4-hour trips. On long-range trips to Mack Arch, the lingcod bite has been wide open, with limits and plenty of smaller lingcod released, as well as some larger breeders let go as well.
A large steelhead caught with Capt. Andy on the Chetco River in February 2025.
Steelhead fishing will remain a solid option well into March. Our ocean charter boat captains are also river guides, and fish out of drift boats during the fall and winter when the ocean is too rough to fish. They use light spinning tackle to drift tiny clusters of roe for steelhead. The scenic floats down the Chetco and Smith rivers are memorable, and the hard-fighting steelhead are among the most prized an angler can catch.
A limit of lingcod from the Miss Brooke in January 2025.
During the winter months, lingcod move into shallow water to spawn. Big numbers of fish congregate over rockpiles in 20 to 50 feet of water. Many of the lingcod are caught on typical rockfish gear, but once limits of rockfish are caught, our captains switch over to larger jigs and bigger baits to specifically target lingcod. The catch rate of the Brookings Fishing Charters crew speaks for itself – our captains have a well-earned reputation for catching quality rockfish and lots of lingcod using light tackle in shallow water.
Capt. Andy with a pair of nice lingcod caught aboard the Nauti-Lady in February 2025.Deckhand Eric with a pair of lingcod caught aboard the Miss Brooke in January 2025.
Ocean fishing is open year round out of the Port of Brookings, which also has the safest bar crossing on the Oregon Coast. Our crew is ready to fish each time there is a break in the weather and it is safe to get out and fish for lingcod and rockfish. Trips are available aboard the Nauti-Lady, our 42-foot boat, as well as the 30-foot six-pack charter boats Miss Brooke, Kraken, Papa B and Dash.
The Nauti-Lady hovers of a big school of rockfish near House Rock in January 2025.
Ocean salmon dates will be announced in April 2025. Pacific halibut season opens May 1. The highly anticipated season at Point St. George Reef Lighthouse also opens May 1. Albacore tuna trips are offered in July, August and September, once the fish get within 30 miles of the coastline.
Here are some of the recent lingcod and rockfish catches aboard our charter boats out of Brookings.
Steelhead season closes March 31 on the Chetco, and April 30 on the Smith. Spring king salmon action runs mid-March through June. To book an ocean charter or spring king salmon trip, call (541) 813-1082. Learn more about ocean charters at www.brookingsfishing.com. Learn about river trips at www.wildriversfishing.com.
Here are some recent steelhead catches with our river guides.
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.
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.
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.
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.
BROOKINGS, Ore. (Aug. 3, 2024) – Some of the best fishing action of the year is happening now on the Oregon Coast, with a wide variety of opportunities. The first tuna of the season caught by any of the local charters hit the docks this week, while king and coho salmon are still biting, halibut fishing is improving, and the lingcod action has been wide-open on our long-range trips to Point St. George Reef and Mack Arch. August is one of the best times of the year to fish out of Brookings, with lots of options for visiting anglers.
The first albacore tuna of the season caught on a charter boat out of Brookings in 2024, landed aboard the Dash with Capt. Mick. The day ended with five dozen albacore landed.
The Dash, with Capt. Mick, ran the first albacore tuna charter of the season out of Brookings on Aug. 2, and returned with its totes and fish bags stuffed full of tasty albacore. The first charter yielded five dozen albacore, caught on both rod and reel and hand lines. The fish were 35 miles straight out from the harbor, with 60-degree water as close as 30 miles. Tuna trips are booked off of a call list. Call (541) 813-1082 to include your name, and our booking office will call as trips are put together, based on calm weather forecasts and current fishing reports.
Limits of hatchery coho salmon caught in July aboard the Miss Brooke.
Salmon season remains a solid bet out of Brookings, although the action has been hit-and-miss. Many of the hatchery coho have already migrated north, but we are still seeing keeper fish each day, and there have been good days for larger kings mixed in. This past week, our trips produced big numbers of wild coho and kings that were less than 24 inches, both of which must be released. Lots of action, but not as many keepers as were saw earlier in the season. Salmon season still has three weeks remaining, and fish will be available through the month.
The results of a double-hookup of halibut aboard the Papa B this week.A big halibut caught on the Papa B in July.
Pacific halibut fishing has been decent, with a few very good days mixed in. August and early September are peak season, so expect good catches all month. We are fishing for halibut in 180 to 250 feet of water. The fish have been 15 to 50 pounds. For the past several years, catch rates have increased substantially in August.
Check out this trophy lingcod caught this week aboard the Kraken!
Our long-range charters to the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse and Mack Arch have resulted in some of the best lingcod action we’ve seen in recent memory during the summer months. Limits are common, with fish up to 30 pounds. The grade of rockfish has been phenomenal. Plenty of smaller lingcod released as well, a good sign for next year’s seasons.
Capt. Sam and Capt. Chris with some of the lingcod caught this week on the Kraken.
During our local half-day charters, fishing has been good for rockfish, with limits daily, and better-than-average lingcod fishing. Most trips are resulting in a lingcod per rod on our 4- and 6-hour charters.
A pair of albacore tuna from the first Brookings Fishing Charters tuna trip of the season.
We begin river salmon trips in September at the mouth of the Chetco, and will be fishing upriver in drift boats on the Chetco and Smith rivers beginning in October. To learn more about river trips, visit www.wildriversfishing.com.
Check out our recipe for crispy, delicious beer-battered fish and chips.
The latest recipe for beer-battered rockfish, lingcod and halibut has been a huge hit. Check it out here.
By Capt. Andy Martin – Beer-battered fish and chips has long been a favorite way to enjoy the catch of the day on our charter boats. Fish coated in a mixture of beer and flour and fried to a crispy golden brown goes back to the 17th century, where immigrants to England would use the batter to prepare cod, haddock and pollock.
Perfect beer-battered fish has a crispy coating, with moist, evenly cooked fish inside.
The unique flavor, appetizing texture and sweet aroma of beer-battered fish make it one of the most popular coatings for preparing seafood throughout the United State, Canada and Europe. For years, I’ve enjoyed a simple beer batter recipe that generally makes good fish and chips, but, like most beer batter recipes, can produce soggy fish after its initial cool down.
Last year, while on a trip to Astoria to get equipment for one of my charter boats, I stopped at a very well know fish and chips stand for lunch. The deep fried albacore was worth the stop. I was immediately intrigued by the quality, texture and taste of the batter. Perfectly crispy, you could snap the fillet in half to reveal the white fish fillet with a durable yet light coating of batter. Maybe the best fish and chips I had ever had, up to that point.
Perfectly cooked beer-battered fish chunks. Use a wire rack to drain to prevent soggy fish.
I’ve had plenty of not-so-great fish and chips lunches at other restaurants throughout the coast. The fish looks good, but it’s a soggy, greasy mess. You grab a fillet and the fish plops out, leaving a clump of batter in your hand that looks like a wet tube sock. Gross.
Vodka, rice flour and turmeric are “secret” ingredients to perfect beer-battered fish.
How did the Astoria restaurant’s batter come out so good, clean and crisp? For the past year, I experimented with different beer-batter recipes, trying to figure out how to create a crispy, thin coating with perfectly cooked, moist fish inside. I heard about adding vodka to the beer batter, and that is a key to this recipe. The alcohol has a lower boiling point, so it evaporates quicker, drying out the batter to make a crispier crust.
A limit of lingcod from the Miss Brooke. Perfect for beer-battered fish!
I also found many restaurants with top-reviewed fish and chips use rice flour as part of their batter. Rice flour gives the fish a crispier crunch, and also results in a less greasy coating around the fish. A touch of turmeric powder, which is similar to ginger, gives the batter a hint of golden brown before it is even cooked, and is a secret of many restaurants that serve deep fried fish.
One of the most important steps for quality fish and chips is using cold beer, cold fish and cold batter, and hot oil (400 degrees). When the cold fish and batter is dropped in the hot oil, it helps instantly seal the fish for a crispier, less greasy serving. If the oil isn’t hot enough, you often end with a greasy mess. The vodka added to the beer also helps create the crisp, dry coating on the fish.
Capt. Andy with a halibut from the Miss Brooke of Brookings Fishing Charters.
A final vital step with fish and chips is drying the fillets on a screen or rack instead of a plate with paper towels. Setting the fish on a wire rack before serving allows them to drip and slightly cool without becoming soggy.
I like to cut the fish into smaller pieces so they cook quickly and evenly, pat dry with a paper towel, and season with sea salt and pepper. I’ll put three or four portions in the bowl of batter, gently stir around with a fork so they are completely submerged and covered with batter, and then carefully lift each fillet from the batter, one piece of a time, allowing the excess batter to drip off. The fillets can be gently rubbed along the inside of the bowl to remove excess batter. A thin coating is all that is needed.
A limit of lingcod from the Kraken with Capt. Sam Stover, perfect for beer-battered fish and chips.
Fry the fish for 3 to 5 minutes, depending on their thickness. Rockfish cook fast, halibut pieces take an extra minute or two to fully cook. Once the fish is removed from the hot oil, the middle of the fillet will continue to cook for a minute or two. I like to use an electric deep frier for the perfect 400-degree temperature. Otherwise, a cast iron skillet or Dutch oven can be used on the stove, but use a thermometer to reach that perfect 400 degrees. Peanut oil is my favorite oil for fish and chips.
Fish and chips go perfectly with fresh coleslaw, tarter sauce and cocktail sauce. Here are out favorite recipes for those sides and dipping sauces.
While this recipe is perfect for lingcod, rockfish or halibut, it also works great for albacore tuna, and isn’t bad for salmon, either.
Cut fish into smaller pieces, pat dry with paper towels, and season with salt and pepper.Flour, rice flour, baking powder and turmeric.Stir the dry ingredients, beer and vodka together until any large clumps are gone.Fry with at 400 degrees for 3-5 minutes.Drain on a wire rack over a baking sheet for crispy, not soggy, fish and chips.Perfectly cook fish and chips.
Perfect Beer Batter
1-2 pounds fresh white fish (rockfish, lingcod or halibut)
Vegetable or peanut oil (enough to full cover the bottom of the pan and fish)
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup white rice flour
1 1/2 cups chilled beer
1/2 cup vodka
2 tsp baking power
1/2 tsp turmeric
Heat oil to 400 degrees.
Cut fish fillets into smaller pieces, pat dry with paper towels and season with sea salt and pepper.
In a large bowl, combine all-purpose and rice flour, turmeric and baking powder and whisk together. Stir in beer and vodka, stirring until any large clumps are gone.
Add three or four pieces of fish at a time to batter, stir to completely coat. Remove one piece of fish at a time from batter, making sure it is thinly coated. Allow excess batter to drip off, or gently scrape excess batter on the inside of the bowl.
Fry three to four pieces at a time in hot oil, until crispy and golden brown, usually 3 to 5 minutes. Remove fish from oil and place on wire rack placed over a baking sheet to drain.
Serve with cocktail and tarter sauce, and lemon wedges.
To catch a limit of rockfish or lingcod to try with this recipe, visit www.brookingsfishing.com, or call (541) 813-1082.
Deckhand Eric Howard with a nice lingcod.A happy customer with a trophy vermillion rockfish.
Oregon Coast salmon, whether caught in the ocean, or soon after their arrival in one of the coastal rivers, are one of the most delicious bounties enjoyed by anglers. There are endless ways to prepare salmon, from grilling to smoking, but oven-poaching is one of the easiest ways to cook this great-tasting fish, with an easy cleanup, and plenty of options for unique flavors.
Oven-poached salmon is quick and easy, without a messy cleanup.
Poaching, a healthy way to prepare fish without adding fat or oil, uses moist heat to cook the fish, and is more forgiving than grilling or frying, which can leave the salmon raw in the middle and overcooked on the outer edge.
A fresh coho salmon fillet headed to the oven.Poaching salmon in the oven keeps the fish moist and firm, and prevents the salmon from being overcooked on the outside and raw in the middle.
Capt. Andy’s favorite way of oven-poaching salmon leaves the fish moist and firm, and is topped with a delicious cucumber dill relish. The recipe is great for freshly caught salmon, but also works well with fish that has been frozen. Poaching works especially well during the winter, when weather conditions are less conducive for barbecuing outside. The fish is poached in chicken broth, with fresh or dried dill. The fish can be cut into smaller portions, cooked as a whole fillet, or steaks.
Oven-poached Salmon
1-2 salmon fillets, or steaks
1-2 cups chicken broth
1 tbs butter
2-3 sprigs fresh dill, or 1 tbs dried dill
1 sliced lemon (optional)
Cucumber Dill Relish
1 cucumber, chopped
1/4 cup sweet onion, chopped
2-3 radishes, chopped
1/4 cup white vinegar
3 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp dried dill, or chopped fresh dill
Broccoli Rice
2 cups chicken broth
1 cup rice
1/2 cup broccoli, chopped
Oven-poached salmon is a great alternative to barbecuing or smoking.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Rub cold butter to the bottom of a shallow baking dish.
For the Broccoli Rice, bring two cups of chicken broth and one cup of rice to boil, and simmer for 20 minutes. Add chopped broccoli after 10 minutes of simmering.
For the salmon, add salmon steaks or fillets to the baking dish, season with salt and pepper, add enough chicken broth (1 to 2 cups) to halfway cover the salmon fillets. Add a few sprigs of fresh dill, or sprinkle with dried dill. Add sliced lemon, if desired. Roast fish in oven for 12 to 17 minutes, until salmon is tender.
While salmon and rice is cooking, combine vinegar, salt and sugar in a bowl, add chopped cucumber, radishes and onion, and sprinkle with dill. Stir well to coat in vinegar mixture.
Remove fish from oven and transfer to a serving platter. Serve salmon topped with relish and the rice as a side.
Delicious oven-poached salmon with cucumber dill relish and a side of broccoli rice.
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.
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.
