By Capt. Andy Martin – The mild flavor of Oregon Coast rockfish makes it a favorite for fish and chips and fish tacos, but it’s also amazing when combined with large shrimp or prawns, marinated and grilled. This is the perfect recipe when you want to enjoy rockfish or lingcod without frying it, and want to impress your dinner guests. Grilled Rockfish and Shrimp is flavorful and healthy, and sure to become a favorite way to enjoy freshly caught rockfish, or when clearing the freezer to prepare room for a future fishing trip.
Grilled Rockfish and Shrimp, served with rice.
Some remote Alaskan and British Columbia fishing lodges use this recipe to prepare rockfish, lingcod or halibut for their guests. It is easier than it may appear, and uses a simple mixture of ingredients. The fish is marinated by itself for an hour, and then another 15 minutes with the shrimp. On the grill, the fish is cooked for 10 minutes or less.
Grilled Rockfish and Shrimp is marinated in a simple mixture of soy sauce, cranberry juice, lime juice, garlic, sugar, red pepper flake and olive oil.
Grilled Rockfish and Shrimp
Ingredients
2 to 3 rockfish fillets, cut in half
6 to 8 large shrimp, shell on
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup cranberry juice (orange juice may be subsitited)
1/4 cup olive oil
Juice from one lime
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flake
1 tsp sugar
2 stalks green onion, chopped, for garnish
Mix the soy sauce, cranberry juice, lime juice, olive oil, garlic, sugar, and red pepper flake and place in a baking dish to marinate. Marinate the rockfish for one hour, then add the shrimp and marinate another 10-15 minutes.
Place the rockfish on a hot grill and cook for 5 minutes, allowing the fillets to get grill marks.
After turning over the rockfish, add shrimp to the grill and cook another 5 minutes.
Garnish with green onion, serve with rice or pasta.
Marinate the rockfish fillets, first, for an hour and no longer than 2 hours.After marinating the fish for an hour, add the shrimp and marinate another 10 to 15 minutes. Don’t marinate the shrimp too long, as the lime juice will cook them, similar to ceviche. Grill the rockfish first, for around 5 minutes, allowing them to get deep grill marks. Turn the fillets over and add the shrimp, cooking the rockfish and shrimp for another 5 minutes.Grilled Rockfish and Shrimp is delicious, and healthy.
To catch a limit of rockfish on the Oregon Coast, check out our half-day fishing charters. Customers keep the fish they catch, and our crew fillets them back at the dock. For information, visit www.brookingsfishing.com.
Rockfish are fun to catch, and taste great on the grill. Pictured are a canary rockfish and vermillion rockfish caught during the summer of 2023 on the Dash of Brookings Fishing Charters.
By Capt. Andy Martin – While most people prepare lingcod, rockfish or halibut as fish and chips, or fish tacos, the mild white fillets of these abundant Oregon Coast species also taste great when added to pasta recipes. Creamy Lingcod and Shrimp Pasta with Mushrooms combines the bounty of the Oregon Coast with an easy, creamy pasta sauce made with Mozzarella and Parmesan cheese, crushed red pepper flakes, basil, garlic and paprika. A great way to prepare local seafood for date night, or a big family dinner.
Creamy Lingcod and Shrimp Pasta is perfect for date night, or a large family gathering.
This recipe tastes great with lingcod, rockfish or halibut. It is delicious with grocery store-bought mushrooms, or if you get the chance, wild mushrooms, such as chanterelle, black trumpet or hedgehog mushrooms found along timbered areas of the Oregon Coast.
The homemade alfredo sauce is surprisingly simple and easy to prepare, and is sure to become a favorite way to enjoy pasta – with and without seafood!
Lingcod are fun to catch, and delicious. Try this Creamy Lingcod and Shrimp Pasta after your next fishing charter on the Oregon Coast.
Creamy Lingcod and Shrimp Pasta
Ingredients
2 to 4 fillets from Rockfish, Lingcod or Halibut, cut into smaller pieces (fillets cut into 3-inch pieces – If fillets are from a larger fish, slice them in half, lengthwise to fully cook).
1 lb. large shrimp, deveined and shells removed
12 oz. pasta (fettuccine works best, spaghetti also could be used)
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup cooked pasta water
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup Mozzarella cheese
1 cup half and half, or heavy cream
3 tbs olive oil, or butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp paprika
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp basil flakes
Boil pasta as directed on package. Reserve 1/2 cup of the pasta water before draining. Set pasta aside.
Shrimp and lingcod, a delicious combination.Cut fish into smaller pieces, and cook on one side, then add shrimp after flipping fish.
Cook fish and shrimp. Heat a large skillet, add 3 tablespoons of olive oil or butter. Add garlic. Add Lingcod or Rockfish fillets (cut into smaller pieces approx. 3 inches long). Cook fish for 3 minutes on medium-high heat, and flip. Add shrimp, sprinkle with salt, pepper, basil, crushed red pepper flake and paprika. Cook for 2 minutes, and flip again. Cook for 1-2 more minutes, and then remove and set aside. Fish may be slightly undercooked, but will finish when added back to sauce.
The fish and shrimp is removed from the skillet and set aside, then later added back to sauce.
In the same skillet, add the sliced mushrooms, and more butter/olive oil if needed. Cook on medium high for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook until mushrooms are tender.
You may need to add a slight amount of olive oil or butter to skillet before adding mushrooms.Cook mushrooms until tender.
To make the alfredo sauce, add 1 cup of half-and-half or heavy cream to the mushrooms, and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Add half of the cheese mixture, bring to boil, and then reduce heat to simmer. Cook until cheese is melted, constantly stirring. Once cheese is melted, gradually add the remaining cheese.
The shrimp can be added back to mushrooms when making sauce, but since the fish fillets are more fragile, don’t add them until sauce and pasta are already mixed together.The alfredo sauce is a combination of half-and-half or cream, Parmesan cheese and Mozzarella cheese.
Once all of the cheese is melted, add the drained pasta, and a portion of the held over pasta water, and mix together with sauce. Add shrimp and fish on top of the pasta and sauce, and heat over medium-low until pasta is hot again. (Don’t stir once fish is added, as the fillets will break into smaller pieces.)
Add the fish and shrimp to the pasta and sauce as the pasta reheats.
Season to taste with more salt, pepper, crushed red pepper and basil. If fish is still slightly undercooked, cover until fish is fully cooked.
To catch a limit of rockfish, lingcod or halibut to enjoy with your favorite seafood recipes, book a charter at www.brookingsfishing.com.
BROOKINGS, Ore. (Dec. 14, 2023) – Fall salmon season is quickly coming to an end on the Southern Oregon coastal rivers, while the first steelhead of winter have shown up. Offshore fishing for lingcod and rockfish, meanwhile, remains good when weather conditions cooperate. Our saltwater captains have switched gears to steelhead, and will be running drift boat trips on the Chetco, Smith, Elk and Sixes rivers through March, but will also take customers on ocean bottom fishing charters during the winter as conditions allow.
The first winter steelhead of the season caught with Capt. Andy on Dec. 13 on the Chetco by Scott of Denver. We will be running drift boat trips through March.
We fish for steelhead from drift boats, with a guide rowing two customers downriver. Light spinning rods are used to cast small clusters of roe. Steelhead are known for their non-stop fight, and pound-for-pound are one of the most prized gamefish. They also are caught on some of the most beautiful stretches of river in the country. Capt. Andy, Mick and Travis have special use permits to take customers on the Wild and Scenic Upper Chetco, while Rye, Sam and Shane fish the lower end of the river, where hatchery fish are more abundant. All of our charter boat captains are also licensed river guides. For more information on river trips, visit www.wildriversfishing.com.
Capt. Sam runs the falls on the Elk River. The coastal rivers of Southern Oregon offer great salmon and steelhead fishing, and are among the most beautiful anywhere.A large king salmon caught on the Chetco this fall with Capt. Rye.Capt. Mick holds a lunker fall king salmon caught by John Curry on the Upper Chetco.
Salmon season was decent this year on the Chetco, with the best fishing in late October and early November. A few kings will continue to trickle in through the end of December, but the vast majority of the run has already spawned. We saw big numbers of hatchery kings this year, and a lot of jacks, a good indication of what’s in store next year.
Nice limits of lingcod caught on the Dash in early November. Winter fishing for lingcod and rockfish is often good, as big fish move into shallow water to spawn.
While the best weather of the year for ocean charter fishing is April through September, calm weather days in the winter months often lead to wide-open fishing. Lingcod spawn in shallow water, where they can be caught on light tackle in calm, protected coves. We will be running ocean charters as conditions allow this winter. Call (541) 813-1082 to get on our call list for winter fishing.
Gift certificates make great stocking stuffers! We offer gift certificates for ocean and river trips, and our tackle shop. They can be printed and mailed with brochures, or emailed as a PDF. Call (541) 813-1082 for information.
Here are some of the photos from this past salmon season with Capt. Mick, Rye, Sam, Andy and Shane.
A 36-pound lingcod caught with Capt. Rye at Mack Arch in early November.
Here are a few late-season lingcod and rockfish photos from November.
BROOKINGS, Ore. (Oct. 10, 2023) – Big numbers of bright king salmon have arrived in the Chetco River estuary, while halibut, lingcod and rockfish continue to be caught during ocean charters out of Brookings. The transition from summer to fall often produces some of the best fishing opportunities of the year, and that continues to be the case as anglers have plenty of options on the Southern Oregon Coast.
Some of the nice salmon caught the first weekend of October with Capt. Sam.
The Brookings Fishing Charters crew has been running ocean charters daily, as the weather allows, and also guided salmon trips on the Chetco River estuary. All of our captains are also licensed river guides, and have been enjoying great catches of big king salmon at the mouth of the river. With heavy rains this week, and rough ocean conditions, ocean charters will be running less frequently, while the crew switches to drift boats to target salmon upriver. Flows are expected to increase next week, and we plan to run our first drift boat salmon trips of the season.
An ocean-fresh salmon caught in the Chetco estuary with Capt. Shane.
Offshore, halibut fishing has been fair to good. The halibut season in Oregon runs through Oct. 31. Lingcod and rockfish season is open year round, and we will continue ocean charters as weather allows. During recent trips, limits of nice rockfish have been common, with hot action in shallow water using light tackle. Lingcod fishing is fair, but soon bigger numbers of fish will move close to shore to stage before spawning. Winter lingcod fishing can be fast and furious out of Brookings, and our six-pack charter boats are well equipped for fishing the shallow reefs where lingcod spawn.
Some nice halibut caught on the Dash with Capt. Rye.
Larger halibut are showing up in the catch, with fish to 60 pounds. Our crew has been targeting halibut in 180 to 240 feet of water. On anchor, lighter weights can be used, to make halibut fishing more enjoyable.
Salmon fishing was hot over the weekend at the mouth of the Chetco. Anglers must stay withing the jetties, but big numbers of salmon, both hatchery and wild, are holding up in the estuary before heading upriver. With the rains, drift boat fishing will be productive. Our crew will be fishing the Chetco, Elk and Sixes rivers for salmon, and the Smith River for steelhead. Capt. Andy, Mick, Sam, Rye, Travis and Shane will be running our drift boat trips this fall.
Here are just a few of the salmon catches from the last two weeks at the mouth of the Chetco.
Here is a sampling of the catches from recent ocean charters. We will continue to run our six-pack charter boats into the winter as the weather allows.
By Capt. Andy Martin – We get to enjoy Taco Night a few times a week at my house, and typically we try a different version of rockfish tacos. Running a charter boat business, we get plenty of fresh rockfish and lingcod fillets to take home and try new variations of tacos. Recently we tried a spicier fish taco recipe, that was not only loaded with flavor and surprisingly easy to make, but was also unique to any other fish taco recipe we have tried. Chipotle Rockfish, Shrimp and Bacon tacos are insanely delicious, and sure to become a favorite way to prepare rockfish, halibut, cod or surfperch.
Rockfish, shrimp and bacon, ready to serve with your favorite taco ingredients.
This recipe took quite a bit of tinkering to perfect. It is best prepared broiled in the oven. Everyone who has tried it agrees it is their new favorite fish taco recipe.
Served with homemade salsa and crema sauce, and garnished with avocado, cucumber, cabbage and mango, these tacos are sure to make Taco Night a hit.
It’s hard to beat rockfish, shrimp and bacon broiled with chipotle peppers.Key ingredients include chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, and jalapeno peppers.Fish, shrimp and slightly cooked bacon.Mix the fish with mayonnaise, chipotle peppers, Jugo sauce, softened butter and onions and peppers. Place ingredients on a screen over a baking sheet.Broil on screen over a baking dish.Ready to make insanely delicious rockfish, shrimp and bacon tacos.Chipotle Rockfish, Shrimp and Bacon Tacos.
Chipotle Rockfish, Shrimp and Bacon Tacos
1-2 pounds rockfish (or surfperch, lingcod, halibut or surfperch), cut into smaller chunks
1 pound peeled medium or large shrimp
1 can (7 oz.) Chipotle peppers in adobo sauce
4-6 slices bacon
1 cube butter
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup Maggi Jugo sauce (can be substituted with 3 tbs soy sauce and 3 tbs Worcestershire sauce)
Slightly crisp bacon, and set aside to cool. (Don’t overcook bacon, as it will finish cooking under broiler).
Combine pieces of fish, raw shrimp and pieces of bacon in a bowl. Add mayonnaise, Jugo (or soy/Worcestershire sauce), softened butter, chipotle peppers (break into smaller pieces) and adobo sauce, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Mix together (easier done with your hands than a spoon). Add green onions and sliced jalapeno and Anaheim peppers, and mix together.
Place fish mixture on an elevated baking screen over a baking sheet. The liquid from the mixture will settle below screen (browning bacon first reduces the amount of liquid that ends up on baking dish).
Broil for 5-10 minutes, or until fish is done.
Serve on warm tortillas (we like flour tortillas, but also is great with corn tortillas) with cabbage, salsa, crema sauce, avocado and cucumber. For an extra treat, try adding sliced mango.
To catch a limit of rockfish to make your own Chipotle Rockfish, Shrimp and Bacon tacos, visit www.brookingsfishing.com.
BROOKINGS, Ore. (Aug. 6, 2023) – Two weeks of mostly nice ocean conditions resulted in some of the best fishing of the entire year to end July and begin August, as the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet enjoyed excellent catches of lingcod and rockfish at the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse. The first albacore tuna of the season also were caught last week, and offshore halibut action heated up.
Some of the albacore tuna caught last week aboard the Kraken out of Brookings.
Mid-summer is a premier time to fish out of Brookings, as good weather often results in good fishing. Limits of big rockfish and limits or near limits of lingcod have been common at the lighthouse. A few lingcod close to 30 pounds were caught in recent weeks, while plenty of 10- to 15-pounders and several over 20 pounds were brought in by Brookings Fishing Charters customers. Fishing at the lighthouse will continue through mid-October.
Capt. Andy holds an albacore tuna caught aboard the Nauti-Lady last week.Some of the nice tuna caught aboard the Miss Brooke last week.
With calm ocean conditions, Brookings Fishing Charters sent its entire fleet out for albacore tuna last week. The office quickly put trips together based on the tuna call list (call 541-813-1082 to get on it), and nearly 30 customers were able to get out on the Miss Brooke, Kraken, Nauti-Lady, Papa B and Dash. It took a few hours to find the fish, then the action was wide open, with a 50-fish-per-boat average. Trolling tuna clones with rod and reel produced the best action, as the captains found 62-degree water offshore of Pistol River. The action was non-stop until the boats ran out of ice and cooler space for the tuna.
A few tuna from the Nauti-Lady last week.Happy customers with their tuna catch from the Papa B last week.
More tuna trips are expected this week of weather conditions calm down as expected Wednesday and Thursday. Tuna charters are a 10- to 12-hour trip.
Limits of halibut caught in early August aboard the Dash.
Halibut action also improved again last week after a lull in mid-July. The Dash ran a trip over the weekend with full two-fish-per-person limits of Pacific halibut, with fish to 50 pounds caught. Calm weather this week is allow charters to get back offshore for halibut.
Oregon is now the only option for halibut fishing, as the Pacific halibut quota has been reached in California waters. Halibut season runs through October out of Brookings.
Trophy-size vermillion rockfish caught last week aboard the Miss Brooke.A 29-pound lingcod caught aboard the Nauti-Lady at Mack Arch.Limits of lingcod caught at the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse.
On local half-day bottom fishing charters, limits of rockfish are being caught, with fair action on lingcod. A 29-pound lingcod was caught last week aboard the Nauti-Lady at Mack Arch.
Fishing charters may be booked online at www.brookingsfishing.com, or by calling (541) 813-1082.
Here are a few more catch photos from the end of July and beginning of August.
BROOKINGS, Ore. (July 18, 2023) – Big lingcod are being caught on our long-range trips to the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse, while Pacific halibut are biting closer to the harbor on calm weather days. Limits of rockfish have been common on local half-day , with plenty of fish on the nearshore reefs.
Whopper-size canary and vermillion rockfish caught at the Point St. George Lighthouse aboard the Papa B.
Calm weather last week allowed our charter boats to make several trips to the lighthouse, where big lingcod and a nice variety of rockfish were caught. The lighthouse, halfway between Brookings, Oregon, and Crescent City, California, is known for producing some of the best bottom fishing action outside of Alaska. The productive reef is home to giant schools of rockfish, including canary, vermillion, copper, black, blue, tiger, China, quillback and yellowtail rockfish, and trophy-size lingcod. The daily jackpot winner at the lighthouse is often a lingcod pushing 20 pounds, while fish to 40 pounds or more are caught each season.
Limits of Pacific halibut caught in 200 feet of water off of Brookings last week.
Brookings Fishing Charters makes the long run to the lighthouse on its six-pack charters boats – the Miss Brooke, Kraken, Papa B and Dash – as well as the 42-foot Nauti-Lady. Limits of rockfish typically come fast at the lighthouse, giving anglers plenty of time to focus on catching big lingcod and even Pacific halibut.
During calm weather days, the Papa B and Dash have been running halibut trips closer to Brookings. Halibut are generally caught in 200 to 250 feet of water. Our charter boats anchor, a technique that has been highly effective in Alaska for decades, to create a scent trail to bring the halibut to them. This year, the limit is two fish a person, and our boats got customers into numerous limits last week.
Nice canary rockfish.Let’s see your lingcod face!
Rockfish action has been good on local half-day bottom fishing trips. With windy weather over the weekend, our boats were forced to fish close to the harbor. Rockfish action was steady, with a mix of black, blue and canary rockfish, and a few lingcod and cabezon mixed in. Nicer weather is expected later this week!
Ocean coho action remains slow out of Brookings. No king salmon can be kept until October, when there is expected to be a four-day season in the ocean at the mouth of the Chetco. Salmon fishing has improved in the Rogue Bay, where we are offering trips aboard our jet sled.
Deckhand Eric holds an octopus caught aboard the Miss Brooke.
Offshore water temperatures have reached 60 degrees, warm enough for albacore tuna. We are keeping a close eye on the forecast in hopes of offering tuna trips as soon as the wind lets up and conditions are safe to venture 20 to 40 miles offshore. Be sure to add your name to our call list if you want a chance to catch tuna – (541) 813-1082.
BROOKINGS, Ore. (July 11, 2023) – Long-range trips to the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse and Mack Arch are living up to their billing, with limits of jumbo rockfish and plenty of lunker lingcod. Halibut action also has improved off the coast of Brookings, with some of our charter customers getting their two-fish limits.
A nice halibut catch aboard the Dash in early July, with seven keeper halibut and one of several petrale sole also caught on the charter.
Nice ocean conditions have allowed the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet to get back to the lighthouse area, where anglers get a chance to enjoy some of the best lingcod and rockfish action outside of Alaska. Lingcod to 25 pounds have been caught on our charter boats in the past week, along with a nice variety of rockfish, including vermilion, tiger, canary, copper, China, black and blue rockfish, and whopper-size cabezon. The lighthouse is halfway between Brookings and Crescent City, California. Because of its distance from the harbors, as well as being situated on an extremely productive reef, the size and quantity of fish is unmatched in the region.
Nice double-hookup of lingcod at the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse aboard the Nauti-Lady.
The local charter fleet also has been heading to Mack Arch and Mack Reef, 15 miles north of Brookings, another lingcod hotspot. The variety of rockfish at Mack Arch is similar to that at the lighthouse.
Halibut season opened May 1 out of Brookings and remains open through Oct. 31. The first month and a half of the season was slow, as is typical. In the past week, catch rates have accelerated, with most customers getting at least one Pacific halibut and many getting their two-fish limits. Most of the halibut are around 20 pounds, but fish to 50 pounds are being caught.
Lingcod action aboard the Miss Brooke in early July at the lighthouse.
All of the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet – including the Miss Brooke, Kraken, Nauti-Lady, Papa B and Dash – have made trips in the past week to the lighthouse and Mack Arch. The rockfish action is typically fast and furious, with easy limits and a chance to release smaller rockfish to focus on a nice grade. Several spectacular tiger rockfish were caught over the weekend at the lighthouse, along with trophy-size vermilion rockfish. Large black and blue rockfish round out the limits.
A daily jackpot winner aboard the Nauti-Lady at Mack Arch in early July.
On the halibut grounds, our boats have been anchoring in 200 to 250 feet of water. On anchor, we can use lighter weights, from 12 to 20 ounces. Once the scent trail is established, the halibut bite picks up as feeding fish come from far distances and key on the large bait combos used by our experienced halibut captains. The Brookings Fishing Charters crew, with years of experience running charters in Oregon and Alaska, are among the few captains who anchor for halibut on the Oregon Coast.
Some of the action from a local half-day trip aboard the Kraken.
Albacore tuna are still well offshore, but the first fish of the season have been caught by charters in Tillamook Bay and Westport, Wash. We are keeping a close eye on offshore temperatures, and expect to begin tuna charters before the end of July. Call (541) 813-1082 to get on the tuna call list.
Our recipe blog has numerous ways to prepare the fish caught on our charters.
Don’t forget our blog also has a large selection of seafood recipes. Check them out here.
To book a charter to the lighthouse or Mack Arch, or a halibut charter, visit www.brookingsfishing.com or call (541) 813-1082.
Here are some more catches from the past week at the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse and Mack Arch.
BROOKINGS, Ore. (July 4, 2023) – Lingcod and lunker rockfish have been biting at the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse – when the weather is calm enough to get there – while Pacific halibut action is heating up closer to the Port of Brookings. Albacore tuna, meanwhile, are almost within range of the sport fleet, with a pocket of warm water inching closer to the Oregon Coast.
The Brookings Fishing Charters fleet has been fishing daily, with good success on rockfish and lingcod when the ocean cooperates. Windy weather made fishing challenging the first week of July, but better ocean conditions are expected this coming weekend. Just before the windy weather, halibut catch rates improved. Coho salmon season also is open, but catches on the Southern Oregon Coast have been few and far between.
Limits of lingcod caught aboard the Miss Brooke in June near the lighthouse.
The best bet in recent weeks has been the Point St. George Reef near the historic lighthouse. The productive reef is halfway between Brookings and Crescent City. The best lingcod areas are closer to the lighthouse, where the Brookings charter fleet often returns with limits of both lingcod and lunker rockfish. The Crescent City charter fleet often focuses on South Reef, where rockfish are abundant, but lingcod have been less common this season.
Halibut caught aboard the Dash in late June in 180 feet of water off Brookings.
Halibut action started off slow out of Brookings when the season opened May 1, but catches have improved steadily. Charters in Brookings were averaging a fish per rod at the end of June. Halibut season continues through October. July, August and early September produce the best catch rates out of Brookings. Halibut are caught in 200 to 250 feet of water, 3 to 5 miles offshore. Unlike other areas of the coast, fairly light weights are used while fishing aboard charter boats in Brookings, with 12 ounces to 16 ounces usually enough lead to stay on the bottom.
Deckhand Chris holds a lingcod caught in late June aboard the Nauti-Lady.Capt. Mick with a young angler’s first halibut.
During local half-day bottom fishing trips, the action has been fair, as windy weather and choppy seas have kept boats from more productive areas. With nice weather expected after the Fourth of July holiday, catch rates will improve for lingcod and rockfish as boaters can once again reach the Bird Island, House Rock and Mack Arch areas.
Albacore tuna water is a little more than 50 miles offshore, but as offshore winds subside, surface temperatures will increase and the bubble of warm water will move closer to shore. Tuna could be within 30 miles by mid-July. Brookings Fishing Charters operates off of a call list for tuna. When the forecast shows good weather conditions, the booking office will put trips together. Call (541) 813-1082 to be added to the call list.
Capt. Kirby holds a tiger rockfish caught aboard the Miss Brooke at the lighthouse.
By Capt. Andy Martin – Without a doubt, fish tacos are one of the most popular dishes to enjoy freshly caught rockfish, lingcod, surfperch or halibut. Nearly everyday on our charter boats, we hear “That will make a taco,” or “Fish tacos tonight!” Customers love fish tacos, our crew loves fish tacos, and visitors to the Oregon Coast love fish tacos.
There are countless ways to prepare fish tacos. Some people beer batter pieces of fillets, smother in tarter sauce, and wrap a tortilla around it. Others fry their catch in panko, and serve with cabbage, salsa and sour cream.
Fish tacos with baked rockfish, lime and a delicious crema sauce.
Fish tacos originated in Baja, Mexico. Early versions were fish fillets coated with tempura and fried, served in a warm corn tortilla. The Tipai-Ipai Indigenous people of Mexico are believed to have discovered the tasty combination of fish and stone-ground tortillas.
Fish tacos later became popular in San Diego, and then spread throughout the West Coast.
One of our favorite ways to enjoy fish tacos is seasoning small pieces of rockfish or surfperch fillets, drizzling with olive oil and baking or grilling. When my daughter was young, it was often difficult to get her to eat fish. She would have friends over, and I would make a platter of tacos, not telling them they were made of fish. She and her friends would eat them up faster than I could make them.
Freshly chopped cabbage, red onion, tomatoes and cilantro are a key ingredient to delicious fish tacos.
Today, my captains and deckhands share recipes daily with our charter customers. This baked fish taco is delicious, quick and easy to make, and leaves little mess to clean up.
The colorful combination of purple cabbage, red onion, cilantro, avocado, tomato and feta or cotija cheese make these tacos look, and taste, absolutely amazing. A key ingredient is the crema sauce. The fact the fish is baked, or grilled, instead of fried makes them a healthy alternative to the deep fried fish tacos many people are accustomed to.
A simple mixture of salt, pepper, cayenne pepper and cumin make a perfect fish taco seasoning.
This recipe is incredible with fresh rockfish or surfperch, but frozen fillets also will work. Pacific cod also can be used.
Baked Fish Tacos
Fish Taco ingredients
12 small corn tortillas
1 pound fish fillets, cut into small pieces
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
Fish Taco toppings
1 avocado, sliced
Cherry or roma tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup red onion, diced
1/2 cup purple cabbage, shredded
1/2 bunch cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup cotija or feta cheese, grated
1 lime, cut into wedges
Crema sauce
1/3 cup sour cream
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp lime juice
1 tsp Sriracha sauce
1 tsp garlic powder
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with wax paper, and coat with cooking spray.
In a small dish, combine cayenne pepper, salt and pepper and cumin.
Place the seasoning in a shaker bottle and sprinkle on both sides of fish, or add a small pinch of the seasoning to the fish (don’t apply too much, a little goes a long way!)
Place the fish on the baking dish and lightly drizzle with olive oil. Bake at 375 degrees to 12 to 20 minutes.
While fish is baking, combine the taco sauce ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. The sauce can be spooned onto the fish tacos, when ready, or applied with a squeeze bottle.
Toast the corn tortillas in a large skillet over medium-high heat, 20 to 30 seconds per side.
Place a couple small pieces of fish in each tortilla, and assemble the tacos with the cabbage, onion, cilantro, avocado, tomato, cheese and lime juice, and top with the crema sauce.
Season the fish fillets, and drizzle with olive oil.Bake the fish at 375 degrees for 12-20 minutes.Serve with quickly toasted corn tortillas.Perfect rockfish or lingcod fish tacos.
These fish tacos are sure to be a favorite of even the most picky eater, and are one of the healthier versions of fish tacos you will come across. Served with cole slaw, black beans and/or spanish rice.
To catch a limit of rockfish or lingcod to make your own fish tacos, visit www.brookingsfishing.com or call (541) 813-1082.
Deckhand Chris holds a pair of black rockfish, the perfect ingredient for delicious fish tacos.
