Tag: Crescent City CA Charter Fishing

Point St. George Reef Lighthouse, Pacific halibut open May 1

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.

Lingcod, rockfish biting between winter storms

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.

To learn more about our year-round ocean charters, visit www.brookingsfishing.com. Learn more about guided river trips on the Chetco and Smith rivers at www.wildriversfishing.com.

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.

For more great recipes, visit our recipe section.

Extra crispy beer-battered halibut.

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.

Long-range trips yield fantastic lingcod and rockfish action

BROOKINGS, Ore. (May 12, 2024) – Limits of lingcod, jumbo rockfish, and fish-after-fish action were the result of our long-range ocean charters this past week to the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse and Mack Arch. The action was the best it has been all season, with the fish boxes on our six-pack charter boats stuffed, and customers happy with some of the best ocean fishing to be found on the Oregon and Northern California Coasts.

Frequent customer Carin Sharp of Medford with a trophy lingcod caught this past week aboard the Kraken at Point St. George Reef.

Action at the lighthouse, located 11 miles straight out of Brookings, lived up to its billing, with trophy-size lingcod and colorful limits of rockfish, including whopper vermillion and spectacular-looking tiger rockfish, along with the normal assortment of blacks, blues, canaries, Chinas and coppers. The Miss Brooke and Kraken enjoyed limits outstanding fishing at Point St. George Reef, using light tackle to catch lingcod up to 25 pounds, and limits of jumbo rockfish. Fishing at the lighthouse is comparable to that in Alaska, with abundant lingcod and a diverse variety of rockfish. The average size of the lingcod and rockfish at Point St. George is the highest in the region.

A nice limit of lingcod caught at Mack Arch aboard the Miss Brooke.

The Miss Brooke also traveled to Mack Arch this week, where large rockfish and hungry lingcod kept customers busy. Mack Arch is 17 miles north of Brookings, and with less pressure than the reefs closer to the harbor, often has some of the best ocean fishing on the Southern Oregon Coast. The reef is especially popular with our light-tackle customers, who often catch large lingcod in water as shallow was 20 feet using light spinning rods.

One of several tiger rockfish caught last week at Point St. George Reef.
A nice assortment of lingcod and rockfish caught by a group from Reno, Nevada.

Ocean salmon season opens May 16 out of Brookings. Two king salmon a day may be kept. The best action for salmon out of Brookings is usually mid-June through July. Our six-pack charter boats use downriggers and divers to troll for salmon, and our captains have a well-earned reputation for producing the highest ocean salmon catch rates on the Southern Oregon Coast.

Pacific halibut season is also open, but fishing out of Brookings usually improves in late June, July and August, as the fish migrate into shallower water.

Capt. Kirby holds a lingcod caught on a local half-day charter.

Aside from the long-range trips to Point St. George and Mack Arch, the action also has been good on the local half-day charters. Four-hour and six-hour trips are offered for anglers who don’t want a full day on the ocean. Light tackle is used to fish for lingcod and rockfish, with reefs as close as a mile from the harbor.

Fish on! Carin Sharp fights a large lingcod aboard the Kraken.

To book an ocean charter fishing trip, visit www.brookingsfishing.com, or call our booking office at (541) 813-1082.

A big lingcod and a trophy vermillion rockfish caught aboard the Miss Brooke.

Here are some of the catches from the past week on our charters.

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.

Lighthouse re-opens to fishing May 1

BROOKINGS, Ore. (April 21, 2024) – One of the most productive areas for saltwater fishing on the entire West Coast re-opens to fishing May 1, giving anglers access to some of the best lingcod and rockfish action outside of Alaska.

Point St. George Reef, where the historic lighthouse atop Northwest Seal Rock is located, will be open to sport fishing May 1-September. The area closed abruptly last August, but will remain open all summer in water less than 120 feet. The productive reef is a top destination for trophy lingcod, colorful vermilion and canary rockfish, and abundant black and blue rockfish. Both the lingcod and rockfish are among the highest overall weight on the entire coast, and the action is often fast and furious for sport anglers.

Limits of nice lingcod are common when fishing near the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse. The Miss Brooke is one of the Brookings Fishing Charters boats that frequents the lighthouse.

The Brookings Fishing Charters crew will begin trips May 1 with their fast six-pack charter boats, as well as the 42-foot Nauti-Lady. Located between Brookings and Crescent City just south of the California border, the lighthouse and Point St. George Reef are a customer favorite. Lingcod to 40 pounds are caught each season, along with a larger variety of rockfish, and occasionally Pacific halibut.

Brookings Fishing Charters runs trips to the lighthouse, utilizing light tackle to fish in shallow water. The charter captains are among the most experienced anglers in the region, with Capt. Mick and Capt. Sam both growing up in Crescent City and fishing the lighthouse area their entire life, while Capt. Andy, Capt. Travis and Capt. Kirby grew up in Brookings, and also have considerable experience at the lighthouse, and together have half a century of experience running charters in the area.

Tiger rockfish, rare along most of the coast, are more common at the productive waters near the lighthouse.

On a typical trip, customers will use light tackle to quickly catch limits of quality rockfish before switching to heavier gear and larger baits to specifically target lingcod. The Brookings Fishing Charters crew has the highest success rate in the charter fleet for catching lingcod near the lighthouse, with limits common.

Trips depart from the Port of Brookings, with most of the fishing closer to the lighthouse itself.

A triple hookup of lingcod from the Dragon Channel, near the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse, aboard the Nauti-Lady.

The lighthouse is approximately 11 miles from Brookings, almost straight out from the harbor. The reef and best fishing is a little further, in what is known locally as the “Dragon Channel” a lingcod and trophy rockfish infested area of the reef. Swift currents, sudden depth changes, and an extremely rugged undersea terrain provide ideal habitat for big rockfish and lingcod. Oldtimers tell stories of lingcod between 50 and 70 pounds, and each season plenty of trophy lings are caught. 

Giant vermilion rockfish, jumbo canary rockfish and trophy copper rockfish are caught on nearly every trip. Our customers also encounter rare tiger rockfish at the lighthouse, and often catch (and release) giant yelloweye rockfish, which are protected and cannot be kept.

Limits of nice lingcod from the lighthouse area aboard the Miss Brooke.

To learn more about the lighthouse, or book a trip, visit www.brookingsfishing.com, or call (541) 813-1082.

Tuna Time: Raw power, thrilling takedowns makes albacore tuna fishing addictive

The following story appeared in the Roseburg News-Review in August 2023, after the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet ran its first tuna trips of the season. The author fished aboard the Nauti-Lady, while the Miss Brooke, Kraken, Dash and Papa B also ventured 50 miles offshore, each returning with five to six dozen albacore on each boat.

Tuna caught aboard the Papa B in August 2023.

(By CRAIG REED) BROOKINGS, Ore. – Schools of Pacific albacore tuna have arrived in the waters off the Oregon Coast. Anglers on chartered and private boats are in pursuit of the fish that is known for its wonderful flavor. The chase started in July and usually runs into September.
Fishing for tuna is legal year-round, but their presence in warm water currents within a reasonable distance of Oregon’s shoreline limits recreational fishing to about three months. Ocean conditions are also a key factor in getting out to the fish.

Customers fishing aboard the Nauti-Lady of Brookings Fishing Charters hold some of the albacore tuna they caught in early August 2023 nearly 50 miles offshore of Brookings.


The best fishing, and hopefully catching, is in clear, dark blue water with a temperature of 60 degrees or higher. When those warm waters and the schools of tuna that inhabit them are 15 to 50 miles offshore, boats from the Oregon ports of Bandon, Brookings, Charleston, Coos Bay, Newport and Winchester Bay head out. Depending on the boat size, its power and the distance offshore, anglers should be prepared for a two- to four-hour boat ride to the hot spots before dropping lines and jigs.

Barb Hunt of White City holds tight as a tuna on the end of her line darts under the Nauti Lady. Hunt reeled the fish to the surface and put it on the boat, marking her first tuna of the day. Photo by CRAIG REED.
Barb Hunt holds here first ever albacore tuna, caught in August 2023 aboard the Nauti-Lady.

The charter companies run 12-hour trips, but anglers should be aware half of that time or more could be spent traveling out to warm water and then finding a school of fish.
Andy Martin, owner of Brookings Fishing Charters (www.brookingsfishing.com) in Brookings, and Wayne Butler, owner of Prowler Charters in Bandon, gave similar descriptions of the tuna fishing experience — it’s like trying to reel in a car going the other direction.
“When you hook up and you’ve got one fish thrashing around, the other fish go into frenzy and then you’ve got multiple hookups,” Martin said. “They have raw power and then sudden bursts of speed. There’s never a harder strike than when you’re holding the rod. Periods of chaos with multiple hookups is what makes tuna fishing so exciting.”
“It’s an absolute ball when you get into the tuna good,” Butler said. “It’s a frenzy. Getting several fish on at a time is absolute crazy fun.”

Triple Hookup! Barb Hunt, Craig Reed and Rudy Jaquez hold tuna all hooked and landed simultaneously.

Boats troll at about 8 mph with lines and jigs at different distances off the boat so lines don’t get tangled. When a line goes “zing, zing, zing,” a tuna is on. Then several seconds of patience is needed because the jigs are passing through a school of tuna and if one fish hits, by continuing to troll, others are likely to hit the other jigs.
The boat is then put in neutral, anglers grab the rods and start cranking on the reels. When hooked, the tuna go down. When reeling, the fish don’t rise to the surface and jump out of the water or zip left and right. It’s usually just a hard pull up until the fish are near the boat and then they might zip one way or the other.

The Kraken, Miss Brooke and Papa B depart the Port of Brookings, while customers board the Nauti-Lady for an August tuna trip. Tuna trips often depart at 4 am to arrive on the fishing grounds just after daylight.

The torpedo-shaped Pacific albacore tuna generally range in weight from 10 to 35 pounds.
Barb Hunt of White City and Deb Richardson of Las Vegas both recently experienced their first tuna fishing trips on the Nauti-Lady, Brookings Fishing Charters’ 42-foot boat. They each caught their first tuna and several more on the 12-hour trip that took them 45 miles out to sea.
“It was amazing, it was more than I anticipated,” Hunt said. “I didn’t know much about tuna fishing, but it was exciting to have so many fish on at a time. They fight, they pull line, yes, they’re hard to reel in.”
Hunt and Richardson each caught their first tuna on the boat’s first hookup. Of the seven lines out, five went down in a matter of seconds and then five of the seven anglers on board grabbed a rod and started reeling.
“I thought it was fantastic,” Richardson said. “I’ll definitely go back.”

Capt. Andy holds a tuna landed by Rudy Jaquez aboard the Nauti-Lady.
Capt. Kirby holds a double-hookup of tuna caught by Barb Hunt and Deb Richardson.

Rachel Craven, co-owner of Yaquina Bay Charters in Newport, said her company’s two large boats have been catching tuna averaging 16 pounds a fish on their trips over the last three weeks.
“Realistically on our tuna trips, we would expect anywhere from three to eight fish per person,” Craven said. “It’s an extremely popular fishery and tuna is a fish people enjoy eating.”

“They have raw power and then sudden bursts of speed. There’s never a harder strike than when you’re holding the rod. Periods of chaos with multiple hookups is what makes tuna fishing so exciting.”


Mike Van Camp of Merlin has made several tuna fishing trips. His advice is to plan on a 30-mile trip out when told the tuna are 20 miles out.
“That water moves and changes with wind currents and tides,” he said. “There’s a lot of water out there and 90% of what you see is just water. The other 5 to 10% holds the fish so it might take a while to find the tuna.”
“It’s addictive,” he added of tuna fishing. “The action when you find them is absolutely non-stop.”
Tuna are warm blooded so it’s important after getting a fish on board to quickly bleed it and get it on ice to get its body temperature down.

A pile of tuna caught on the Nauti-Lady, ready for the fillet table back at the harbor.
Author Craig Reed with a wheelbarrow of tuna caught on his trip aboard the Nauti-Lady. He landed five fish during the charter.

Keeping the fish on ice for the duration of the trip maintains its quality.
An additional thrill for the tuna anglers is to see pods of dolphins or porpoises and possibly humpback whales on the long trips. The dolphins and porpoises love to race alongside boats for short distances.
Depending on the charter company, the size of the boat and the number of anglers per boat, the 12-hour tuna fishing trips range in price from $300 to $500. Charters have smaller boats that can take four to six anglers or larger boats that aren’t as fast in getting to fishing spots, but can take up to 12 anglers and provide them with more space and comfort and a little smoother ride over the ocean’s swells.
“The tuna fishing has been good and it’s shaping up to be very good,” Butler said of this year’s tuna season.

The Brookings Fishing Charters fleet runs tuna trips as early as late June, but most often in July and August. The best way to get on a tuna trip is to call the office, (541) 813-1082, to get on the call list. Tuna trips are put together when weather conditions flatten out and there are reports of tuna in reasonably close to shore. Ideally, tuna are 20 to 30 miles offshore, but charters will run up to 50 miles offshore. The closer the tuna, the more time spent fishing for them instead of running further out.

Capt. Kirby lifts a tuna aboard the Nauti-Lady caught by Craig Reed of Roseburg.

For more on tuna fishing on the Oregon Coast, visit this page. During tuna trips, charter boats out of Brookings will often venture north to Gold Beach or south to Crescent City, finding the perfect water with the best action. Brookings is centrally located near some of the best albacore tuna water off the West Coast in early to mid-summer.

Here are some more tuna photos from the first trips of the season in 2023 aboard the Nauti-Lady, Miss Brooke, Kraken, Papa B and Dash.

Calm weather expected after mostly windy spring

BROOKINGS, Ore. (June 5, 2023) – After a mostly windy spring, with big swells, choppy seas and mostly hard-to-fish conditions, the forecast improves this week, with ideal weather for long-range trips to the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse or Mack Arch from Wednesday through Saturday. Light winds and calm seas generally lead to good fishing, and our crew can’t wait. The weather also is good for halibut!

A nice lingcod from a windy weather day aboard the Nauti-Lady last week.

Between gale warnings, which have been common so far this spring, fishing has been good. We have been getting limits when our boats can get to the lighthouse and fish for several hours. On near-shore trips the past two weeks, we have been getting limits of rockfish with some lingcod mixed in.

Capt. Kirby holds a nice lingcod from the lighthouse caught in late May aboard the Nauti-Lady.

The marine forecast for Wednesday through Saturday this week shows winds less than 5 mph and swells down to 2 feet, with no wind chop. That will allow our six-pack boats and the Nauti-Lady to make it to the lighthouse or the halibut grounds. Salmon season, meanwhile, opens June 17. We have been releasing salmon while bottom fishing, and are seeing lots of birds and bait. Lots of pelicans mean the anchovies are here, and where there are baitfish, there also are salmon. This year we can keep two hatchery coho per day, from June 17-Aug. 31. The rivers seasons on the Rogue and Chetco also will go on as normal this year.

Salmon season opens June 17. Here is a nice hatchery coho from last summer aboard the Dash.

During the most recent all-day trips to the Point St. George Lighthouse, our boats caught limits of jumbo rockfish and a pile of big lingcod. But windy weather has kept the fleet closer to the harbor for most of the last two weeks. With the improved forecast, we expect good fishing at the lighthouse, and also will be focusing on Pacific halibut. Halibut season runs May 1-Oct. 31 out of Brookings. The best fishing is usually late June through August. Beginning June 12, the limit increases to two halibut per day!

We’ve released a lot of nice cabezon the past two weeks. We can keep them beginning July 1.
Parmesan baked rockfish is a tasty, and healthy, alternative to deep fried fish.

We’ve added a couple of new recipes to our fishing report blog. Be sure to check them out. The Parmesan baked rockfish is great. Check it our here.

We have open seats this week. To book, visit www.brookingsfishing.com or call (541) 813-1082.

Here are just a few of the catches from the last two weeks on the Miss Brooke, Kraken, Dash, Papa B and Nauti-Lady.

Huge lingcod, lots of salmon highlight July 4 off of Brookings

(BROOKINGS, Ore. – July 5, 2022) – There were plenty of fireworks off the coast of Brookings during the July 4 weekend, including some phenomenal catches for the Brookings Fishing Charters crew. Fishing for silver salmon was wide open at times, with our six-pack charter boats hooking 30 or more silvers a trip, and bringing in limits or near limits of salmon. Most of the keepers were hatchery coho salmon, but a few nice king salmon also were caught.

One of the highlights from the weekend was a massive 44-pound lingcod caught by Rod Allec of Happy Camp, Calif., while fishing near the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse aboard the Nauti-Lady on July 2. The giant lingcod was one of many big lings caught aboard the Brookings Fishing Charters boats over the July 4 weekend.

July is peak season for ocean salmon, and the catch rates soared over the holiday weekend. The season runs through mid-August, so there is still plenty of time to get in on the action aboard our productive six-pack charter boats.

Customers hold limits of hatchery coho salmon caught aboard the Miss Brooke with Capt. Sam on July 4, 2022. The group also released numerous wild coho and shaker kings.
Capt. Michael holds a nice king salmon caught aboard the Kraken.
Limits of salmon caught aboard the Dash with Capt. Mick.
Limits of salmon caught July 3 aboard the Kraken.
Deckhand Eric with some of the salmon and rockfish caught aboard the Kraken on July 4.
Nice catch of salmon from the Dash.

The best salmon fishing has been in 240 to 300 feet of water off the coast of Brookings. Our six-pack charter boats quickly and comfortably get to the fishing grounds. No rough, wet ride in a flat-bottom sled boat designed for river fishing. Our six-packs are equipped with twin outboard motors and have fully enclosed cabins, combining safety with fishability. Below are more great salmon catches from the July 4 weekend with Brookings Fishing Charters.

Lingcod fishing was very good over the weekend. Some giants were caught at the Point St. George Reef during our long-range trips, but plenty of big lingcod also were caught closer to the Port of Brookings. The biggest lingcod, Rod Allec’s 44-poiunder, was caught during an exciting day aboard the Nauti-Lady, when Capt. Andy found several groups of big lings. Allec’s trophy was part of a triple-hookup, when three big lings were hooked at the same time.

Nauti-Lady deckhand Eric holds a massive 44-pound, 45-inch
Three big lingcod were hooked at the same time aboard the Nauti-Lady on July 2. The day ended with a pile of lingcod on the boat.
Deckhand Eric shows off a couple of monster lings to visitors at the crabbing dock in Brookings.

Our local half-day bottom fishing trips also produced nice limits of rockfish and plenty of big lings. We also caught a few Pacific halibut and petrale sold over the weekend. Here are just a few of the great bottom fishing catches aboard the Nauti-Lady, Miss Brooke, Kraken, Papa B, Dash and Bout Time during the July 4 weekend.

We hope to begin albacore tuna charters out of Brookings soon.

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