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.
BROOKINGS, Ore. (June 4, 2025) – Lingcod fishing at Point St. George Reef Lighthouse has lived up to its billing, with limits of big fish during the first month of the season for the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet embarking on the long-range trip to the trophy grounds. Nearly every trip this season aboard the Nauti-Lady and Miss Brooke has resulted in full limits of lingcod and large rockfish at the lighthouse. The Alaska-style fishing already has many customers who fished in May scheduled for another charter later this summer to once again experience the world-class fishing at the prolific offshore reef.
A 32-pound lingcod caught aboard the Nauti-Lady in mid-May at Point St. George Reef.
Closer to the Port of Brookings, rockfish action has been very good, while lingcod fishing is fair. Ocean salmon season is open, and beginning June 7, anglers can keep hatchery coho salmon, which are already staging off the coast of Brookings. Pacific halibut season also is open. So far, the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet are the only charters to return to port with halibut and salmon. Catch rates improve considerably in June and July for both ocean salmon and Pacific halibut.
Frequent lighthouse customer Rod Allec of Happy Camp with a pair of nice lingcod caught aboard the Nauti-Lady.
The highlight of May was the wide-open action at Point St. George Reef, located between Brookings and Crescent City. The rugged reef, with an extremely jagged bottom, strong currents, and frequent depth changes is home to some of the best lingcod and rockfish habitat on the planet. It’s remote location makes it a top lingcod destination, with perhaps the best fishing outside of Alaska and British Columbia for trophy lingcod, and a wide variety of rockfish. Giant vermilion, canary, tiger, copper, black, China, blue, yellowtail and widow rockfish are often caught during the same trip, along with quillback and yelloweye rockfish, which are protected and must be released. The Brookings Fishing Charters fleet fishes shallow reefs for the rockfish so rockfish can be safely released without damage to the fish. The biggest lingcod also tend to be located in the rugged, jagged pinnacles of the shallow reefs, where they hide in crevices and ambush their main prey, rockfish, octopus and small flatfish.
Nice limits of lingcod from a long-range trip aboard the Nauti-Lady.
So far this season, the biggest lingcod landed on the Nauti-Lady was a 32-pounder. Lots of fish in the upper 20s have been caught on both the Nauti-Lady and Miss Brooke. During the wide-open bite near the lighthouse, up to a dozen legal-size lingcod have been released during a trip as the customers finish up their rockfish limits.
A nice king caught aboard the Miss Brooke in May. Ocean coho season opens June 7!
Ocean salmon season started out slow in May, which is typically the case. Mid-June through mid-July is the peak season for salmon out of Brookings. A number of coho salmon were released in May while the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet fished for king salmon. Coho season opens June 7. The ocean abundance forecast for coho salmon is more than half a million hatchery fish, which return to hatcheries on the Columbia and Snake rivers. Those fish spend the ocean portion of their life off the Southern Oregon Coast, and slowly migrate back to the rivers during the summer. Peak numbers of coho, also known as silver salmon, are feeding near Brookings early in the season, in June and the first half of July.
Capt. Chris holds a 65-pound halibut caught aboard the Miss Brooke in May 2025.
Halibut season opened May 1, with a few fish caught out of Brookings. The best fishing is later in June, July and August, as more halibut migrate in from deeper water. Halibut spawn in the Gulf of Alaska during the winter months, and then migrate closer to shore during the summer to feed on baitfish. Catch rates increase throughout the summer, as this fish move in from 1,000 feet of water during the spring to depths as shallow as 150 feet in mid summer.
A nice variety of rockfish are being caught this season near the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse.
With decades of Alaska fishing experience, the Brookings Fishing Charters crew is best chance for success for halibut out of Brookings, as the captains have developed custom rigs while fishing at anchor to maximize the odds of catch halibut off the Southern Oregon Coast.
Sport crabbing has been slow out of Brookings, which is normally the case in late spring and the start of summer. By mid-summer, crabbing improves, and remains an option during fishing charters.
To book an trip to the lighthouse, or a local rockfish, halibut or salmon charters, visit www.brookingsfishing.com, or call (541) 813-1082.
Here are some more catches from May with the Brookings Fishing Charters crew.
BROOKINGS, Ore. (April 27, 2025) – The giant lingcod and rockfish inhabiting Point St. George Reef along the California-Oregon border have been off limits to sport anglers since last fall. When fishing re-opens near the lighthouse May 1, wide-open fishing is expected, as is typical for the fertile fishing grounds on what may be the best saltwater fishing outside of Alaska. The Brookings Fishing Charters fleet begins long-range trips to the reef on the May 1 opener, and will continue through September.
Three big lingcod caught as part of a triple hookup at Point St. George Reef a few seasons ago. The prolific reef re-opens to fishing May 1.
Pacific halibut season also opens May 1. While fish are caught from the beginning of the season until the Oct. 31 closure, the best fishing out of Brookings usually takes place in late June, July and August, as Pacific halibut mover closer to the shoreline to feed. During the peak season, the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet enjoys the well-earned reputation for the highest halibut catch rates out of Brookings.
Deckhand Eric holds a pair of halibut caught aboard the Miss Brooke last summer. Halibut season opens May 1 out of Brookings and runs through Oct. 31.
Another highly anticipated opener arrives May 16, when ocean salmon season begins. Anglers will be allowed to keep wild or hatchery king salmon until June 6, followed by a summer-long coho salmon season open through Aug. 24. The limit is two hatchery coho a day, and expectations are high, as the ocean abundance forecast for Columbia River hatchery coho is more than half a million fish. Those salmon, known as silver salmon, swim by the Brookings area as they migrate up the coast each summer on their way back to the Columbia, Willamette, Clackamas, Sandy and other rivers.
While we wait for the May 16 ocean salmon opener, the Brookings Fishing Charters crew has been targeting spring chinook salmon on the Rogue River. This nice springer was caught last week with Capt. Rye.
While anglers wait for the lighthouse, halibut and salmon openers, fishing has been good for lingcod on local half-day charters out of Brookings. During calm weather days, limits of rockfish and lingcod have been common. With plenty of lingcod near 20 pounds being caught, the lings are averaging 10 pounds. So far, this season has been better than recent years, with high catch rates for lingcod, and an excellent grade of rockfish.
Deckhand Eric Howard holds a 44-pound lingcod caught at Point St. George Reef by Rod Allec of Happy Camp, Calif.
Lighthouse area best bet for trophy lingcod
Quality lingcod are caught everyday close to Brookings, but the action at Point St. George Reef is unparalleled. Big lingcod inhabit the reef year round, with fish over 40 pounds caught each season.
The reef near the lighthouse also has a huge variety rockfish, with trophy-size canary, vermilion, black, copper, widow, tiger, blue and yellowtail rockfish, which can be kept, and big numbers of yelloweye and quillback rockfish, which are protected and cannot be retained. Limits of lunker rockfish are common.
A triple hookup in the shadow of Point St. George Reef Lighthouse aboard the Miss Brooke.
The big lingcod are the main target at the lighthouse. Fish to 50 pounds have been caught, and 20-pounders are brought over the rails almost every day. The extremely jagged reefs, with drastic depth changes and strong currents, are prime habitat for big lingcod. The Brookings Fishing Charters captains know where to find and how to catch these big lingcod, with large jigs and big baits used to entice them.
The Miss Brooke, Kraken and Nauti-Lady run trips to the lighthouse and Point St. George Reef. Lighthouse fishing trips are generally 8 hours. More about the lighthouse charters can be found here.
Halibut gets better as summer arrives
Although Pacific halibut season opens May 1, and plenty of fish will be caught on the opener, the best fishing is mid-June through September. Halibut spawn in deep water, upwards of 2,000 feet, during the winter in the Gulf of Alaska. The fish then move into shallower water to feed during the spring and summer, before migrating back offshore in the late fall. In May, most fish are in 300 to 500 feet of water. Some are already shallower, in the 180 to 220 feet of water most anglers target them out of Brookings. By early summer, more fish have moved into shallower water as bait arrives, and catch rates improve. The limit is two halibut per day. By July, anglers have a good chance at limits.
Rogue salmon action decent
Spring salmon are currently entering the Rogue River near Gold Beach. These fish, known as springers, arrive during the spring runoff, which historically allowed them to reach the headwaters, where they held all summer and spawned in early fall. Because they are in the river all summer, they are full of fat and oil, and when caught in the lower river are by far the best-tasting salmon of the year.
Capt. Rye has been focusing on the lower Rogue and has been catching nice springers. To book a trip, call (541) 813-1082.
Here are a few recent catches with Capt. Rye.
To book an ocean charter, or guided river trip, call (541) 813-1082 or visit www.brookingsfishing.com.
Here are a few recent catches from ocean charters out of Brookings.
BROOKINGS, Ore. (April 15, 2025) – This year’s ocean salmon season on the Southern Oregon Coast will provide a summer-long opportunity to troll for coho salmon, as well as a king salmon fishery spread over three months, including the Fourth of July 4 weekend.
Federal fishery managers approved West Coast ocean salmon seasons on April 15, giving sport fishermen fishing out of the Port of Brookings Harbor a 79-day hatchery coho season, which will run June 7-Aug. 24, and a 37-day king salmon season, open May 16-June 6 and June 30-July 15. Crescent City will have a short season, open June 7-8, July 5-6, July 31-Aug. 3 and Aug. 25-31.
Salmon caught aboard the Miss Brooke of Brookings Fishing Charters
This year’s ocean seasons out of Brookings fall when anglers typically encounter good number of coho and king salmon. An abundance of hatchery coho salmon from the Columbia River allowed biologists to recommend the lengthy coho season on the Oregon Coast. Upwards of half a million hatchery coho salmon are expected to be present off of Oregon this summer. Populations of wild coho also are strong. Coho spend the ocean portion of their life off of Northern California and Southern Oregon before migrating up the coast to the Columbia River during the summer, entering freshwater in late summer and fall. This year’s season begins just as big schools of coho are moving north off the coast of Brookings.
A nice king salmon caught aboard the Miss Brooke.
King salmon season was constrained by low forecasts for the Sacramento and Klamath rivers, but Oregon fisheries were allowed to move forward since the season dates minimized impacts to those stocks while also allowing anglers to fish on healthy runs from the Rogue, Chetco, Smith, Columbia and Snake rivers, as well as the hatcheries in California that have had strong returns the last few years. Generally, the best king salmon fishing out of Brookings is late June and early July, so this year’s season occurs when fishing should be at its best off of Brookings.
Most seasons, hatchery coho season opens in late June off of Brookings. This year’s earlier opener was proposed by local charter boat operators who showed fishery managers catches are often best right as the season opens, and anglers often encounter hatchery coho prior to the opener. The coho season opens two weeks earlier than normal. With a 44,000-fish quota, the coho season is expected to continue through late August.
Anglers will be allowed to keep hatchery or wild king salmon, and hatchery coho salmon this summer.
A king salmon caught aboard the Kraken.
Salmon fishing also will be open on the Chetco, Rogue, Elk and Sixes rivers in Oregon and Smith River in California this year.
The Brookings Fishing Charters fleet has a well-earned reputation of producing the best ocean salmon catch rates out of Brookings. Their captains troll herring or anchovies with divers and downriggers, and also mooch for coho when they are schooled up. All of the captains are also licensed river guides, and spent the fall fishing for salmon out of drift boats on the Chetco, Smith, Elk and Sixes rivers.
Salmon trips will be offered daily, as the weather allows. In May, anglers will encounter a mix of fish from the Rogue, Columbia and Snake rivers, as well as kings from the Sacramento and Klamath rivers. Prized Rogue River spring Chinook salmon are still making their way up the coast in May and are the most sought-after of the ocean kings caught on the Oregon Coast.
Limits of hatchery coho caught last summer on the Miss Brooke.Big numbers of hatchery coho are common out of Brookings in June.
By June, coho numbers quickly increase, with fish-after-fish action common during the peak in mid-June. At times, all six rods will be hooked up at once as charters troll for coho out of Brookings. When coho action is fast, anglers often book combo trips, fishing for coho in the morning and then lingcod and rockfish in the afternoon, or lingcod at the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse, and then coho on the return trip to Brookings.
A mix of coho and king salmon caught aboard the Kraken.A nice king salmon caught aboard the Miss Brooke.
Anglers will be allowed one king salmon a day, and when coho season opens a total of two salmon, with a mix of hatchery coho and one king salmon as the daily limit (two hatchery coho or one hatchery coho and one king, which can be wild or hatchery).
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.
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.
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.
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.”
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.
