Tag: Brookings OR Fishing Charters

Tired of Waiting (for Albacore?)

By Rich Holland (Pacific Coast Sportfishing) – Albacore! Once the driving force of Southern California sportfishing, albacore have been gone a long time from local and Baja banks. Gone so long that when bursting to tell the tale of an epic summer bite in Oregon after I got home last summer, it became apparent that any local angler in their 20’s didn’t even know what an albacore was.

Capt. Rye Phillips holds fists full of albacore tuna caught aboard his charter boat, the Dash, part of the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet.

Yes, an entire SoCal generation has gone without chasing albacore, longfin, albies, chicken of the sea, or whatever you wanted to call the tasty white meat tuna with impossibly long pectoral fins that the gun-blue and silver bodied fish use to literally glide thousands of miles around the Pacific. Yet it was also clear from social media that older and not-so-old SoCal anglers remembered the days when albacore fishing was king. They, too, had journeyed last summer to Northwest waters from California’s Fort Bragg and Shelter Cove, Oregon’s Brookings and Newport, and Washington’s Ilwaco and Westport and scored big on the longfin tuna.

There’s nothing prettier than the blue of albacore water. Somewhere off the coast of Brookings, Oregon.


Here’s Where You Can CATCH ALBACORE This Summer

They are going back. And so am I.

Here’s where, when and how we caught them.


Brookings, Oregon
Capt. Sam Stover pulled the charter boat Kraken up to the dock in Brookings-Harbor after taking our group on a successful lingcod and rockfish run to the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse, 12 miles south in California waters. Capt. Andy Martin, owner of the Kraken and Brookings Fishing Charters, soon found us with some highly anticipated good news.
“We’re a go for the albacore tomorrow!” said Martin, adding, “The boats are all leaving at 4 a.m.” Scramble time. Albacore gear poured down in carts as we took our gear and fish up to the truck. Go, go, go! Sleep a little.

Capt. Mick Thomas with a hefty albacore tuna caught off the coast of Brookings.


Beat up, bedraggled, tired and excited, as ready as we would ever be, we were back on the Kraken way before the crack of dawn and passed the mothership Nauti-Lady, a 41-footer licensed for 26 anglers, deck lights on and the dock lines coming in. Then we trailed the lights of the other 29-foot twin outboard, heavy-hulled aluminums Miss Brooke, Papa B and Dash into the main channel of the Chetco River and across the bar. Earlier, Andy had explained where he hoped to find the mother lode. “The spot of good water 20 miles out looks isolated on the latest charts, so we’ll be heading up north about 35 miles to an area off Gold Beach where we have a pin on where some fish were caught. Then we’ll spread out and look for the albacore.”

The Nauti-Lady enroute to the tuna grounds of off Brookings at first light.

By the time the Kraken got to the area, the seas and winds had both picked up. It was gusting up to 15 knots and the boats had scattered and radio communication was sketchy.
As the sun turned the wind chop golden, we could see albatross and shearwaters skimming the wake and waves. The more we could see as the sun came up, the water looked pretty good, too.
Albacore water is magical. Picture the purest blue that turns to a dense purple as it deepens. Find the water and the birds and the albacore will be there.
Deckhand Chris Cooke put out a couple hand lines and some feathers (plastic, tinsel, feather, vinyl etc. trolling lures) on four troll setups, too.
Patrick Bird and Patrick, Jr. eagle-eyed the rods in the holders and Brookings local Mark Gasich, an old friend invited by Andy to join us, tended to his Mexican flag (green, yellow, red) lure.
Soon Mark had a fish on that hit and pulled like an albacore. And fell off halfway to the boat. As we drifted, we slid over into dirty water. As Mark said, it might not have even been an albacore. I didn’t believe it. We just had to get into the really good water. We went looking.

A nice score of albacore tuna caught aboard the Dash of the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet.
Customers aboard the Nauti-Lady with some of the albacore caught using P-Line Tuna Ripper jigs.

Soon, a boat loomed on the horizon exactly in the direction the Nauti-Lady should be coming from. The tall antennas on the boat’s house sent and received us loud and clear and worked as a relay to the rest of the fleet.
Capt. Travis Sallander on Miss Brooke was on the fish, and both Capt. Mick Thomas on the Dash and Capt. Mike Brouillette on the Papa B were either in ‘em or on the way. Once Andy managed to get one of the busy captains to give him the complete lat/long numbers, we were on the way too. The water went from chlorophyll powder blue with a ton of birds and no fish to perfect and birds over fish.
Sam slowed down and in went the jigs. The starboard handline bounced tight and two trolling rigs doubled over. The deck was bloodied with all three albacore (so good to see after so long). Happy does not describe the feeling. More like building greed and exultation.

Nauti-Lady Capt. Andy Martin holds a pair of albacore tuna caught by longtime Brookings Fishing Charters Barb Hunt of Medford, Oregon.


We could see boats in the distance, and the chatter sounded so good we kept the lures out of the water and ran to the meat of the matter. The albacore, as so often, definitely were concentrated in one area and they were hungry.
And they are extremely fun to catch on modern tackle. The same rig you would use to finesse fish for bluefin – and what Andy uses for Pacific halibut on trips both local and in Alaska – is perfect for trolling. That is, a strong, single speed 20- to 30-size casting reel packed with braid and a small diameter composite rod with a moderately fast tip and lifting power.

A typical Oregon Coast albacore tuna.


Of course, Mark’s old school gold reel and troll rod monofilament setup worked too.
The Birds perched over their chosen setups, and they didn’t have to wait long.
Several times, all six lines in the water loaded up with albies – first two or three fish would stick, then a couple more as Sam throttled back a bit, then the last one or two.
Never less than three. A handful were “peanuts,” a term for albies under 10 pounds, but most were the good grade that fill the freezer.
We took turns bouncing the handline fish over the rail and if there was a reel with the clicker still singing, you’d grab that.
Better still, if fish were still hanging – and 15- to 20-pound albacore hit hard and pull hard enough for some good strong runs – it was time to reach for a drop-back bait.

Capt. Andy Martin with a nice albacore tuna caught aboard the Nauti-Lady.
A tote full of iced tuna back at the harbor in Brookings.


To this writer, nothing is more fun than a swimbait, and Mark and I had some classic Channel Island ‘Chovie Fish Traps with us. It’s always a good sign when you can see free swimmers and followers flashing behind the boat.
The first cast got bumped. I wound it faster and watched a beautiful bright-eyed albacore line up and blast the lure at the surface 20 feet off the stern.
A tight drag on the Trinidad 20 with 50-pound braid and a 40-pound Seaguar leader resulted in a marlin-like head shake and it looked like the fish would come right up at the side of the Kraken – the crystal blue water illuminates the fish.
In a wink, the longfin put its head down and dove deep into the cobalt darkness. Back came the fish wings spread and circling. One more sidewise dash and the 20-plus pounder was done.
Then Pat Jr. Landed a trolled fish just about as big and Mark’s similarly-sized albie spit a swimbait right at the gaff.
Slice, bleed, ice, repeat. It was the same for the entire squadron of five vessels. Run and gun and get it done.
“We have enough ice and space left to do another pass,” said Sam. “Unless you guys have had enough and want to head back.”
“I want to make another pass,” said the senior Patrick in his Irish brogue. We did, and we caught. On the way back, Patrick explained his thinking.

Oregon Coast albacore tuna caught with the Brookings Fishing Charters crew.

“You know, you get into a special day of fishing and you know you have caught enough. Still, you just don’t want it to end.”
Brookings is a large town located a short drive north of the California border on Hwy 101. Summer tourists pour through for the old growth redwood groves and stunning coastline. Anglers head to Brookings Harbor at the mouth of the Chetco River. There is a small airport in Crescent City below the border and a major airport in Medford a bit more than two hours from the coast on Hwy 199.
Ever since our small group of family and friends started doing summer trips to Brookings with Andy Martin’s operation instead of Alaska, albacore have always been a possibility.

Nauti-Lady deckhand Eric Howard helps a customer display an albacore destined to make more than a few tasty meal.


Not a given. We pick a week when regulations say just about any briny fish is fair game. Albies were caught the week before and the week after, or two weeks later. Or the wind blew hard outside the protected inner waters.
Targeting albacore calls for more flexibility, said Martin.
The season in the Brookings area is roughly late July to mid-September, with August the most reliable.
“On the southern Oregon coast, you can’t really pick a week a long time in advance and expect to catch albacore,” noted Martin. “We do it off a call list. We watch the water temps and charts and wait for the weather to align. We’re lucky because the Chetco River Bar is one of the easiest to get across in Oregon. Our goal is a dozen trips a year and that’s it. Lots of times we send all five boats out, as the guys who have booked other trips usually opt in. If the albacore fishing is really good, we’ll cancel the other trips and go straight albacore.
“To me, it seems the abundance of albacore off the southern Oregon coast is just getting better and better; the abundance of bait fish is better, so I think it is just going to get better,” Martin added. “Our catch rate is certainly getting better. The charts, the sonar, communication technology are so much better – we know the next day where fish have been caught – and because people, especially the private boats, have figured out how to catch them.
“More so, I think there is simply more albacore.”

To book a trip with Brookings Fishing Charters, call (541) 813-1082.

Capt. Mick and Capt. Mike with albacore caught off the coast of Brookings.
Kraken deckhand Chris Cooke deals with albacore caught during a hot bite.
A nice albacore caught aboard the Miss Brooke.



Fort Bragg, California


Capt. Brandon Hayward is best known these days for his and his fellow Bight
Sportfishing captains’ white seabass and bluefin tuna catches. What you might not know
is Hayward was working the deck of Ray Sobiek’s Producer when the albacore returned to
San Diego in 1997 and rode out the last San Diego surge of albacore working on the
Excel until August of 2005.
Always looking to be on the front edge of the fishing curve, Brandon and crew jumped
into Northwest albacore action last summer, trailering boats up for charters out of Fort
Bragg. Hayward’s new cat-hull might be the vessel this summer.
“I talked with Pete Grosbeck before I went up and what he told me is that it’s the same
as albacore fishing anywhere – it’s all about the water structure,” said Hayward. “What I
learned was that going up in September was on the late side, the season gets going in
August.
“We caught the albacore just like we catch them here, mostly on Rapalas and feathers,”
he noted. “We were late – I heard it’s different farther north – so we worked hard
running and looking for loose jumpers and that kind of thing.”
Hayward’s customers are encouraged to fly into Santa Rosa (there are flights from both
Burbank and San Diego), rent a car and take the short scenic drive through wine country
up to the edge of the Lost Coast.
“Fort Bragg is a great harbor , it reminds me of New England with little seafood
restaurants, nice places to stay and processors right there. I really enjoy it,” said
Brandon. “If you want to bring your own boat, slips are dirt cheap, and there is an easily
accessible launch ramp. There’s no live bait, so bring some salted an – chovies or
whatever.”
Bigger tuna also move into rich Northwest waters.
“We missed the bigeye tuna that Pete Grosbeck and his buddies got,” Hayward. “They
caught them on the MadMacs just like we catch bluefin down here. They were staying
out all night fishing late afternoon and early morning.
“While we were in Fort Bragg, down the line blue – fin tuna were jumping and boiling on
smelt outside the kelp line in 90 feet of water . One fisherman I talked to was catching
100 pounders just a few miles below the harbor,” Brandon added. “We kept running
outside for albacore.
“I wonder which way a boat would have headed if that was the case 20 years ago when
the albacore were still around San Diego?”


Ilwaco, Washington


As noted, this is not the first point in time albacore have abandoned the waters of
Southern California and Baja California. The way to satisfy albacore lust was to head way
up north to Westport, Washington, where a lot of albacore boats have been built in the
Westport Shipyard (now Westport Yachts).
Andy Martin’s Nauti-Lady is a Westport that he bought in Ilwaco. Ilwaco, Washington, is
a harbor town tucked up behind Cape Disappointment at the mouth of the Columbia
River.
Ilwaco is where Lawrence “Squig” Quigley of Fishworks headed last summer in late
August to fish for albacore with Capt. Shawn Trowbridge, Ryan Herzog and his son
Shawn, Jr. Trowbridge is a name familiar to many who have fished out of San Diego. He purchased
the Tracer in 2022 after it had been moved to Ilwaco to be fished commercially
(unsuccessfully) and completely refitted the 55-foot vessel into a luxury six-pack. Shawn
renamed the converted boat Legendz.
“Originally it was a Westport called the Aurora and brought down to San Diego and
named the Tracer,” said Trowbridge. “After it moved back north it had been trashed and
left at the dock for three years. It made more sense to buy it for the hull rather than
buy a new boat. The Legendz is more like a yacht now.”
A yacht with modern sonar and two 30-scoop bait wells.
“Not many boats up here have more than a 5-scoop bait tank and except for one
commercial boat, I believe we’re the only boat in the harbor with sonar,” said Trowbridge.
“It’s pretty easy to find fish up here, mainly bird schools. We’ll troll some, but once it’s
August and the albacore are on the birds, it’s one-stop shopping.
“We’ve never had a trip with less than eight to 10 fish per rod,” he added. Shawn also
noted that all of his business comes from “down there.”
“We caught 68 albacore in a day-and-a-half fishing 30 miles out, it was crazy” said
Fishworks’ Squig after his trip from down there to up there. “The anchovies were huge; I
have never seen them that big. There’s a live bait receiver in the harbor and a fish
processor right near the docks.”
“What we have our customers do is hop on a plane that gets in early to Portland, about 9
or so, and we shuttle them to the boat, leave the dock at noon and we get in a solid five
hours of fishing 25 to 40 miles out,” explained Trowbridge. “Then it’s dinner, the
customers sleep, get up early and do the gray bite thing, and we’re usually on way the
home by 9 or 10 with all the fish we need. We have a nice hotel nearby that most people
stay at while their fish are processed. In the morning, they pick up their fish, we take
them to the airport and pick up the next group.
“We do that from August through September. The lightest line we fish with is 30-pound,
and I use a Talica with 80 and horse ‘em! We have all the gear – Accurates, Talicas,
Fathoms – so just bring clothes. Some stay for a while on Long Beach Peninsula, it’s a
vacation spot.
“My biggest problem is we run out of groups after Labor Day and in Sep – tember the fish
are all bigger. My son and I had 39 one day by ourselves, and you can’t bounce those
fish, so you have to take the time to gaf f them. I’m getting too old to catch all those
fish in one day. The plan is to pass the operation on to my son.”


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.

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.

Drift boat salmon season produces big kings

BROOKINGS, Ore. (Nov. 22, 2024) – With rough ocean conditions the past month, the Brookings Fishing Charters crew has been focusing on the local rivers, where fall-run king salmon are migrating into freshwater to spawn. The Chetco and Smith rivers boast some of the best drift boat salmon opportunities on the West Coast, and this year has lived up to their reputation. The Brookings Fishing Charters crew of captains and deckhands are also full-time drift boat guides in the fall and winter, and among the most experienced river guides in the region.

Capt. Andy with a hefty hatchery king salmon caught last week on the Elk River in Southern Oregon.

Salmon season in the rivers and estuaries began in September, when big kings began staging along the Chetco River jetties in Brookings. Fishing was good through October, with salmon as big as 52 pounds caught by boaters trolling flashers and anchovies. The Brookings Fishing Charters crew switched back and forth between the estuary salmon fishing and ocean charters until late October, when heavy rains increased flows on the Chetco and Smith rivers and kicked off the drift boat season upriver.

Capt. Mick with a bright Chetco River king caught on a MagLip plug.

Upriver, anglers fishing from drift boats used plugs – primarily Yakima Bait Co. MagLip and FlatFish plugs – or roe and sand shrimp, to catch big king salmon moving into the rivers to spawn. Fishing was good through November, until a series of big storms, with hurricane-force winds and heavy rain, brought the rivers to minor flood stage.

Capt. Sam with a big Smith River king, which was released after a quick photograph.
Capt. Rye with a large hatchery king salmon from the Chetco River estuary.

This fall we welcomed two new drift boat guides to our crew, although they have been members of our team for several years. Eric and Chris, who have been deckhands on our ocean charter boats, successfully ran their first drift boat trips with customers this fall. Chris completed his Coast Guard captain’s class this spring, is now licensed to run our ocean boats and river boats. He has been having a good fall Chinook season on the Chetco. Eric, who started work with us when he was 16 and a sophomore in high school, graduated in June and is now running drift boat trips and deckhanding on the Nauti-Lady while he completes his Coast Guard license classes.

Capt. Chris holds a nice Chetco River king salmon.
Eric holds a nice Chetco estuary king caught while deckhanding for Capt. Rye.

We will continue to fun drift boat trips for salmon into December. The Elk and Sixes rivers have a later run of fall kings, while fresh fish also will trickle into the Chetco and Smith rivers. Winter steelhead season begins Dec. 1 and runs through March. Late December, January and February are the peak season for winter steelhead. Our guides will run salmon and steelhead combo trips through mid-December, then switch gears just to side-drifting for steelhead.

To learn more about our drift boat trips, visit www.wildriversfishing.com.

Ocean charters will resume next week with good weather on the forecast. When the weather cooperates, our crew splits time between the ocean and rivers.

Here are some of the recent drift boat salmon catches with our crew.

Tuna arrive, salmon still around, lingcod action hot!

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.

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

One of the nice kings landed this season on the Miss Brooke.

Check out a few of the nice lingcod and rockfish caught in recent weeks with Brookings Fishing Charters.

Here are just a few of the great salmon catches so far this season with Brookings Fishing Charters.

Halibut action improves closer to Brookings

BROOKINGS, Ore. (July 20, 2024) – Pacific halibut – which average around 20 pounds but can sometimes top 100 pounds – are showing up in greater numbers off the coast of Brookings, as the peak season arrives on the Southern Oregon Coast. Halibut season opened May 1 coastwide, but out of Brookings, late July, August and September produce the best catch rates. Fishing has improved the past two weeks out of Brookings.

A nice catch of halibut caught aboard the Dash with Capt. Mick in July 2024.

Halibut migrate to deep water in the Gulf of Alaska to spawn in the winter, and move back into shallower water during the summer to feed. On the northern Oregon Coast, halibut are within range of the sport fleet early in the season. Out of Brookings, where anglers like to fish in 200 to 250 feet of water, the best fishing takes place later in the season, as the halibut finally move inshore. By October, the halibut are back on the move into deeper water.

Fish on! Customers aboard the Miss Brooke reel in halibut.

The Brookings Fishing Charters crew has been catching halibut recently on long-range trips to specifically fish for them. A customer on the Miss Brooke landed a 54-pound halibut on July 19. Most of the halibut have been closer to 20 pounds. The fish are being caught using combinations of herring, salmon and squid, using custom leaders developed by Capt. Andy and Capt. Rye, who spent years running halibut charters in Alaska.

Deckhand Eric holds a 54-pound halibut caught on the Miss Brooke.

The Brookings Fishing Charters crew uses techniques similar to Alaska charter boats, anchoring and fishing a variety of baits, using the current to bring the scent to the halibut. The catch rates for the Brookings Fishing Charters crew are the highest in the harbor.

Capt. Andy holds a halibut caught aboard the Miss Brooke in July 2024.

Halibut season runs through October. Trips are offered daily during calm weather periods. To learn more, visit www.brookingsfishing.com, or call (541) 813-1082.

Oven-poached salmon quick and delicious

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.

To catch an Oregon Coast salmon, visit www.brookingsfishing.com or www.wildriversfishing.com to learn more about our guided fish trips and ocean charters.

Capt. Andy with an ocean-fresh king salmon from the Chetco River.

Lighthouse area opens with hot lingcod action

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.

Lingcod action hot in Brookings as lighthouse, salmon and halibut openers near

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.

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

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.