Tag: Brookings Salmon Fishing Trips

Salmon chowder easy and delicious

By Capt. Andy Martin – The thrill of catching hard-fighting king and coho salmon is a top draw to the Oregon Coast. Salmon also are highly prized because they are so delicious to eat. Whether grilled, baked or smoked, salmon are one of the most popular fish to eat. They also make great chowder.

Salmon chowder is one of my favorite ways to enjoy salmon, and was one of my daughter’s favorite seafood dishes as she was growing up. This chowder recipe was perfected by fishing guides in remote Alaska, who would prepare the tasty dish for their clients on the banks of the river after they caught their first fish of the day. The guide would cook the chowder for lunch while clients continued to fish. This chowder is a great way to enjoy salmon year round, as it can be made from fresh or frozen salmon. Canned or smoked salmon can also be substituted.

When I made this one the banks of the river in Alaska, where some fresh ingredients were not readily available, I used cans of evaporated milk, which work fine, but half and half (or even heavy cream) is better. Ingredients listed here are a good starting point, but you may want a little more salt and pepper, and vary amounts of potatoes, celery and onion (I never carried a measuring cup or measuring spoons in my gear bag during guided fishing trips!)

Alaska Guider Chowder

5-6 strips bacon, cooked and crumbled, grease reserved

2 tablespoons butter or olive oil

1 cup diced celery

1/2 cup diced onion

2 cups cubed potatoes

1 cup water (or chicken broth)

Pinch of flour

2 tablespoons dried dill

1 teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon lemon pepper

1 teaspoon garlic power

1-2 pounds salmon, bones and skin removed, cut into smaller chunks

2 cups half and half, or heavy cream

1 can corn, drained,   or 1 1/2 cup frozen corn

Bacon is a key ingredient in salmon chowder.

Start by cooking several pieces of bacon. Save the greese. The bacon adds flavor to the chowder.

Chopped celery and onion.

In a large pot, cook chopped onion and celery with butter or olive oil. One small onion and a few stalks of celery is all that is needed.

Add potatoes, and season with salt, pepper, garlic, lemon pepper.

Add four to six small to medium skinned, chopped up potatoes. Stir in chopped bacon, bacon grease, salt, pepper, lemon pepper and garlic. Add a pinch of flour and cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes.

Add just enough water to almost cover potatoes.

Add enough water to almost cover the potatoes. Be careful not to add too much, especially if you like thicker chowder. Add a generous amount of dried dill weed. Cook the potatoes until almost done.

Add raw salmon to the chowder.

Just as potatoes are almost done, add chopped up raw salmon. Remove the skin and bones before adding to the chowder. Stir and continue to cook over medium heat.

The salmon will crumble to small pieces as it cooks.

As the salmon cooks, it will break apart into small pieces. Continue cooking until salmon is done.

Add frozen or a can of corn, drained.

Once the salmon is cooked, add a can of drained corn, or a bag of frozen corn. Stir well.

Add one to two cups of half and half.

The final step is adding one to two cups of half and half. Heat, stirring frequently, until chowder is hot.

A dash of Tabasco sauce adds a little kick to the finished chowder.

Enjoy the chowder with a dash of Tabasco sauce, or a dab of butter. Serve with warm bread or crackers.

To catch a salmon on the Oregon Coast to make this delicious salmon chowder, visit http://www.brookingsfishing.com.

2020 ocean salmon season set!

There are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the ocean salmon season approved today (April 10, 2020) for the Ports of Brookings and Gold Beach. Although the June 20-Aug. 7 season is shorter than most years, running only 48 days, it takes place during the peak time of the year for salmon fishing out of Brookings. Late June and early July often produce substantially better fishing than the rest of the year.

This summer’s ocean salmon seasons runs June 20-Aug. 7 out of Brookings. These kings were caught in July 2018 aboard the Miss Brooke of Brookings Fishing Charters.

Anyone who spent time trolling for salmon off of Brookings in June and July last year, and later in August on the Rogue Bay, likely noticed the very large number of jacks, or 2-year-old salmon. You often couldn’t get through them to catch a larger adult salmon. Those jacks are a key indicator of the following year’s run. Lots of jacks and shakers last year should equate to plenty of keeper-size adults this summer.

A nice king caught offshore of Brookings last summer aboard The Dash of Brookings Fishing Charters.

The majority of the salmon caught out of Brookings are from the Sacramento, Feather, American and Mokelumne rivers in Northern California. Those rivers have a 2020 ocean abundance of 473,200 adult kings, up from last year’s pre-season forecast of 379,000. Those shakers caught and released last summer off of Brookings are likely part of that large population of Sacramento Valley salmon, which feed off of Southern Oregon and Northern California during the summer months before moving toward the San Francisco area later in the year, and then into the bay and delta.

These jack salmon caught on the Rogue Bay last August with Capt. Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters are an indication of a bigger run of adults this year.

Adding to the big numbers of salmon from the Sacramento River and its tributaries are salmon from the Klamath, Trinity and Rogue rivers. There are an estimated 186,000 adult kings from the Klamath and Trinity rivers in the ocean this year. That number is down from the 2019 forecast of 274,000, which led to the shorter ocean seasons this year to ensure enough fish make it back to the Klamath to spawn. The highest impacts on Klamath River salmon by anglers fishing out of Brookings and Crescent City are in August, resulting in the limiting fishing in August this year. The Rogue River has an ocean abundance of 256,900 this year. There were incredible numbers of jacks in the Rogue Bay last August, a sign there will be lots of larger 3- and 4-year-old king salmon this season.

Angler Bruce Beck holds a nice king caught in the ocean out of Brookings last June with Capt. Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters.

The overall ocean abundance for the Sacramento Valley, Klamath-Trinity and Rogue River totals 916,100 adult king salmon. The number is more than 1 million once salmon from the Chetco, Smith, Eel and other coastal rivers are added in.

A nice king salmon caught last July aboard the Miss Brooke with Capt. Travis Sallander.

When developing this year’s ocean salmon seasons, biologists warned the smaller forecast for the Klamath River would result in a shorter season than last year. Anglers and local residents testified at PFMC meetings that the preferred dates are late June and July, when salmon are most abundant off of Brookings. Anglers also pointed out May and early June can be windy, creating rough conditions on the salmon grounds 5 to 10 miles out from the Port of Brookings.

Smaller kings like this 25-incher caught last summer off of Brookings are an indicator of more adult kings the following year. A big forecast of salmon headed to the Sacramento River could result in good fishing this summer out of Brookings.

Brookings Fishing Charters targets salmon during the summer months by trolling herring, anchovies or sardines with downriggers or divers. Each of the captains have considerable ocean salmon experience off of Oregon. The Miss Brooke, Papa B, The Dash and ‘Bout Time are also among the fastest boats in the fleet, to quickly get anglers offshore to the salmon grounds.

This year’s limit is two king salmon per day at least 24 inches long. The ocean season is open seven days a week. Barbless hooks must be used.

When the salmon bite turns on, double hookups are common. These two kings were caught last June aboard the Miss Brooke of Brookings Fishing Charters.

After the ocean salmon seasons closes, Brookings Fishing Charters continues to run lingcod and rockfish charters out of Brookigs, along with California halibut, and fall salmon on the Rogue Bay in Gold Beach. Capt. Andy docks his guide sled at Jot’s Resort in Gold Beach to run bay salmon trips, and ocean lingcod and rockfish, and bay salmon combos.

Anglers Vince McKinley and Dan Westeren hold king salmon caught in August 2019 with Capt. Andy of Brookings Fishing Charters.

The Rogue Bay fishes best from early July through mid-September. During the Rogue season, anglers can keep two adult kings and five jack salmon per day.

To book an ocean charter with Brookings Fishing Charters, call (541) 813-1082 or visit www.brookingsfishing.com.