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.
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.
The delicious combination of Oregon Coast rockfish, crab and shrimp in a thick, creamy soup will have your family coming back for seconds, and friends or co-workers over for dinner impressed. Seafood Bisque, which resembles clam chowder – but without the clams, potatoes and bacon – is surprisingly easy to make, yet rivals the menu of an elegant French restaurant.
The combination of fresh rockfish, crab and shrimp make this creamy soup a home run.
Capt. Andy of Brookings Fishing Charters has cooked up several variations of seafood bisque recipes. This is his favorite, in part because it is simple and quick, yet incredibly delicious. This recipe is perfect with rockfish, lingcod or halibut, combined with shrimp (either large shelled and deveined shrimp or Oregon Coast salad or cocktail shrimp), and fresh crab meat. Just rockfish and crab, or fish fillets and shrimp meat will work with the recipe, although all three give it a 10 out of 10.
The Louisiana twist to the recipe – with cajun seasonings – gives it a unique flavor that complements Pacific Northwest seafood.
Seafood Bisque takes just a few minutes to prep, and is ready to serve in 45 minutes.
Seafood Bisque is a great way to enjoy the rockfish caught on our charter boats.
Rockfish and Crab Bisque
1 pound rockfish, lingcod or halibut fillets, cut into small chunks
1/2 pound crab meat
1/2 pound shrimp meat
2 cubes unsalted butter
1 bunch green onion, chopped
2 cups heavy cream
2 cups half and half
1/4 cup white flour
1/2 can creamed corn (optional ingredient)
1 tsp cajun seasoning
1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
Melt butter in a large pot, and saute green onions.
Sprinkle flour over the melted butter and onions, and stir well.
Add heavy cream, half and half, seafood, seasonings, and if desires, the half can of cream corn. Stir continuously as the bisque is brought to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. The raw fish will quickly cook, and add an incredible flavor to the creamy soup.
Garnish with fresh parsley. Serve with sour dough or french bread, and white wine.
Melt butter in a large pot, and saute chopped green onions.Once the onions are cooked, add 1/4 cup flour.Add heavy cream and half and half, seafood, cajun seasons, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper, and Old Bay.This creamy soup is ready to serve after simmering for 40 minutes.
To book a charter to catch your own rockfish or lingcod, visit www.brookingsfishing.com or call (541) 813-1082.
BROOKINGS, Ore. (May 19, 2023) – The highly anticipated lingcod and rockfish season opener at the Point St. Geoge Reef and lighthouse lived up to its expectations, with easy limits of lunker rockfish and steady action on big lingcod. Halibut fishing also is off to a good start near the lighthouse, and has improved off of Brookings.
Aside from local half-day bottom fishing trips out of Brookings, and all-day long-range trips to the lighthouse, anglers fishing out of the Port of Brookings also have an ocean salmon season to look forward to. The coho salmon season off the Oregon Coast begins June 17, and Brookings is often ground zero for the best action in late June and early July.
A pair of nice lingcod caught near the Point St. George Reef lighthouse in mid May.
The lighthouse area is a highly popular trip because of the Alaska-style fishing often found in the productive waters of Point St. George Reef. Aside from big lingcod and halibut, the thriving reef is home to massive schools of blue, black, canary and yellowtail rockfish. Tiger, vermilion, China, copper and quillback rockfish also are caught near the lighthouse, located halfway between Brookings, Oregon, and Crescent City, California. Few boats venture to the far side of the lighthouse, where the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet has a large number of tried-and-true hotspots for lingcod and rockfish.
Chris, a frequent Brookings Fishing Charters customer, fights a lingcod near the lighthouse on May 16.Chris holds a limit of lingcod caught aboard the Nauti-Lady in May.
Each season, lingcod topping 40 pounds are caught near the lighthouse. Charter boats fish shallow pinnacles, catching lingcod in was as shallow as 30 feet, and deeper water up to 250 feet. The lighthouse area often has more consistent fishing for lingcod compared to reefs closer to Brookings or Crescent City.
An angler fights a salmon that hit a bottom fishing rig in May. The salmon was released without being removed from the water.
Brookings Fishing Charters has been running trips daily. Half-day local trips are offered for lingcod and rockfish, along with a longer-range 6-plus-hour targeted lingcod trip. The lighthouse trips run 8 hours. All-day halibut trips also are available. Halibut season runs through Oct. 31 out of Brookings, with the best fishing in later June, July and August.
A pair of 20-pound lingcod caught May 19 aboard the Nauti-Lady.
Salmon fishing is closed in all of California this summer, but will open out of Brookings June 17. Two hatchery coho, also known as silver salmon, may be kept each day. River fishing for salmon also will open as normal on the Chetco and Rogue rivers this fall. River fishing for salmon is closed in California this year.
During a charter in mid-May to the lighthouse, a large king salmon was released on the Nauti-Lady. Several salmon also have been released by anglers fishing out of Brookings. Plentiful boat is a good indication of healthy ocean conditions, which generally lead to good silver salmon fishing. The action is often fast and furious, with double and triple hookups common during coho season.
Fishing in California waters opened May 15, and the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet spent much of the first week of the season at the lighthouse. The Nauti-Lady and Miss Brooke ran several trips to the lighthouse during the opening week, with limits of big rockfish daily, and boat loads of big lingcod.
BROOKINGS, Ore. (April 30, 2023) – Ocean anglers fishing out of the Port of Brookings are anxiously awaiting a couple of season openers that provide Alaska-style fishing closer to home. Pacific halibut season opens May 1, and although giant barndoor halibut are rare off the Oregon Coast, the average size is similar to Alaska. Oregon halibut seasons are also less restrictive, and charter anglers often return with limits.
Fishing at the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse, meanwhile, opens May 15. The lingcod and rockfish action, with potential for trophy fish, rivals the saltwater action in Alaska and British Columbia. Brookings Fishing Charters will be offering trips for halibut and the lighthouse daily, as the weather allows.
Ocean salmon season opens June 17 off the coast of Brookings. Poor runs expected back to the Sacramento and Klamath rivers have led to an ocean salmon closure in California this year, but the Oregon Coast will be open to hatchery coho salmon, also known as silver salmon. Brookings often has the best coho fishing on the Oregon Coast during the first part of the season, before the bulk of the run migrates north to traditional hot spots closer to the Columbia River, where the silver salmon spawn. Coho salmon are popular with anglers because of their great taste, and hard fight at the end of the line.
Deckhand Eric holds a lingcod that hitchhiked to the surface on a blue rockfish in April.
Since early March, our charter boats have been running half-day and 6-plus-hour longer ranger lingcod trips, with good success. Those popular bottom fishing trips will continue daily on our six-pack boats and the Nauti-Lady, along with the additional opportunities for halibut and trips to the lighthouse.
Fishing for rockfish has been good on most trips, with limits of large black, blue and canary rockfish. Our charters have been using light tackle in shallow water for the rockfish. The Oregon limit for rockfish is five fish a day, with no depth restriction or delayed opener. Rockfish, also known as Pacific snapper, rockcod or sea bass, include black, blue, canary, vermillion, yellowtail, olive, tiger, copper and China rockfish. Two lingcod a day also may be kept out of Brookings, in addition to the rockfish.
Capt. Kirby holds a lingcod caught on a charter aboard the Kraken.
During our half-day charters, we are catching rockfish in the Bird Island, Twin Rock and House Rock areas. Lingcod are biting best a little north of Bird Island, but in shallow water. We also have run longer-range lingcod trips to Mack Arch with good success.
Some of the lingcod caught aboard the Miss Brooke at Mack Arch.A trophy lingcod caught in late April aboard the Miss Brooke.
Pacific halibut opener
Halibut migrate into shallow water during the spring and summer to feed, after spawning at depths close to 2,000 feet during the winter in the Gulf of Alaska. Out of Brookings, halibut are caught in 200 to 300 feet of water early in the season, and a little shallower as summer arrives. Catch rates also improve later in the season, but fish are caught as soon as the season opens. This year, the season out of Brookings runs May 1-Oct. 31, seven days a week, with no depth restriction.
Halibut and lingcod are often caught during our charters to the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse.
The Brookings Fishing Charters crew is the most experienced group of halibut charter captains on the Southern Oregon Coast. Capt. Andy, Capt. Travis and Capt. Rye each spent a decade running halibut charter boats in Alaska. They also have extensive experience on the Oregon Coast. Capt. Michael, Capt. Mick and Capt. Mike also have been very successful at catching halibut off of Brookings, and at the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse.
Some of the halibut caught last summer with Brookings Fishing Charters.
Brookings Fishing Charters offers halibut charters, or halibut and rockfish or halibut and salmon combos. Halibut average around 20 pounds off the coast of Oregon, the same size as most of the fish in Alaska (although fish over 100 pounds appear more frequently in Alaska). Each season, customers with Brookings Fishing Charters catch halibut over 30, 40 and 50 pounds. The biggest caught by one of our customers was 60 inches, and nearly 100 pounds.
In Brookings, Oregon, halibut season is open seven days a week. One halibut a day of any size may be kept. Six halibut a year may be kept. In Alaska, several days a week are closed, there is a reverse slot limit (so anglers are often limited to small chicken halibut) and the annual non-resident limit is less.
Point St. George Reef Lighthouse
Halfway between Brookings and Crescent City is the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse, which has some of the best lingcod and rockfish action on the entire Pacific coast. The productive reef is situated near two marine reserves. With seasonal closures, the rockfish and lingcod populations are extremely healthy. Large rockfish, with a great variety of color, are caught near the lighthouse, along with trophy lingcod. Each season, several fish pushing 30 pounds and a few topping 40 pounds are caught near the lighthouse.
Limits of lingcod are common at the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse.Triple hookups of big fish is a common occurrence at the lighthouse.
Brookings Fishing Charters runs trips on all of its boats to the lighthouse with special Commercial Passenger Fishing Vessel permits from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Because the trips originate in Oregon, our boats have the option of fishing for coho salmon, or halibut, on the way back to port. Salmon season is closed in California this year, and the halibut quota often is reached quickly in California, so Brookings is the ideal starting and ending location for Alaska-style combo trips to the lighthouse. Our boats often get their limits of bottom fish at the lighthouse, and then troll for salmon after they reach the border and continue back toward the harbor.
Lingcod like these, caught last summer aboard the Nauti-Lady, are a top draw at the lighthouse.A colorful variety of rockfish and lingcod caught last summer aboard the Kraken.Eric holds a hefty lingcod caught next to the lighthouse aboard the Nauti-Lady last summer.Brent with a pair of trophy vermillion rockfish caught aboard the Nauti-Lady at the lighthouse.
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.
A nice variety of lingcod and rockfish from the lighthouse.
Ocean salmon opens June 17
This year’s ocean salmon season runs June 17-Aug. 31. Two hatchery coho, or silver salmon, may be kept each day. While Chinook runs are down this year on the Sacramento and Klamath Rivers, leading to the ocean king salmon closure, coho runs are healthy. This year’s quota in Oregon is 110,000 fish, well above the average quota of 28,000 to 40,000 coho. The ocean abundance of Columbia River and Oregon Coast coho is more than 1 million fish. Those salmon spent the first part of their ocean life in deep water off of California and Southern Oregon, making Brookings the ideal spot to catch them in June and early July, before they migrate back to the Columbia River.
Coho salmon are plentiful off of Brookings in June. These were caught aboard the Miss Brooke.Limits of coho salmon last summer aboard the Miss Brooke.Coho salmon are great for young anglers because the action is often fast and furious.
When coho schools are thick, which is often the case early in the season, double and triple hookups are common, and limits are the norm. The Brookings Fishing Charters captains have a well-earned reputation of being the top-producing ocean salmon skippers out of Brookings.
We catch salmon trolling herring or anchovies behind flashers. Divers are often used for coho, but downriggers are also mounted on the boats in case lines must be fished deeper.
Similar to halibut, several of the Brookings Fishing Charters captains have years of experience running charter boats in Alaska for coho salmon.
Local half-day trips
Our 4-hour local bottom fishing trips are still our most popular ocean charters. These are good for young anglers, or people who don’t want to spend a lot of time on the water, or be very far from shore. Limits of rockfish are common on these trips, and the action is often fast and furious, with anglers catching two fish at a time, and a large variety of fish. All of the fish are great to eat, and customers keep their catch.
The Nauti-Lady returns to port after a half-day trip in April on a beautiful spring day.
To learn more about our ocean charters, visit www.brookingsfishing.com, or book by calling our office, (541) 813-1082.
Here are some of the catches from last week on our charters out of Brookings.
The Miss Brooke fishing off of Brookings in late April.
BROOKINGS, Ore. (April 17, 2023) – A break in the weather, with several fishable days per week, has allowed the Brookings Fishing Charters crew to run numerous trips the first half of April, resulting in limits of rockfish and a nice variety of lingcod. Some lunker vermilion rockfish have shown up in the catch, along with limits of lingcod on many of our longer 6-plus-hour charters. Halibut season is just around the corner!
Limits of lingcod from mid-April on the Miss Brooke.
The Brookings Fishing Charters fleet – including the Miss Brooke, Kraken, Nauti-Lady, Dash and Papa B – is running bottom fishing trips daily, as the weather allows. Beginning May 1, halibut trips will be an option. The Point St. George Reef Lighthouse, located just across the border between Brookings and Crescent City, opens to fishing May 15. Ocean salmon season for hatchery coho opens June 17. With the largest charter fleet in the area, Brookings Fishing Charters will offer a large selection of ocean charters this summer, with options ranging from 4-hour local bottom fishing trips to 8-plus-hour salmon and rockfish or halibut and salmon combo trips.
Limits of lingcod caught aboard the Papa B in mid April.
Rough weather kept boats at the docks for much of the late winter and early spring, but conditions improved this past week. The charter fleet ran several trips for lingcod and rockfish, with good catches of both. Lingcod continue to spawn in shallow water, allowing our customers to catch them with light tackle. Rockfish also are schooled up closer to shore and wash rocks, allowing lighter jigs to be used to catch them.
Capt. Kirby holds a 10-pound vermilion rockfish caught in mid April aboard the Nauti-Lady.
During halibut season, which runs May 1-Oct. 31, our charter boats anchor in productive areas for the prized fish. In recent years, the Brookings Fishing Charters crew has developed a reputation for producing the highest catch rates out of Brookings, with limits common the second half of the season. The best halibut fishing out of Brookings is usually late June through September. Halibut are caught in May, but limits of less frequent early in the season.
A nice limit of lingcod from the Papa B.
During ocean salmon season, our charter boats troll with anchovies or herring. While ocean salmon season is closed in California this year, it is open June 17-Aug. 31 out of Brookings. Two hatchery coho – also known as silver salmon – may be kept per day. Fishing for silver salmon is often fast and furious. They are known to be aggressive biters, and limits are common early in the season, as the fish migrate back to the Columbia River. Big numbers of hatchery coho salmon have been released into the Columbia River in recent years by Native American tribes that operate their own fish hatcheries. Those salmon migrate south after leaving the Columbia River and spend the ocean portion of their life off of Northern California and Southern Oregon. They are aggressively feeding as they make their way back to the river.
Deckhand Eric holds a nice lingcod caught in mid April.
To book an ocean charter out of Brookings, visit www.brookingsfishing.com, or call our booking office, (541) 813-1082.
When the lighthouse area opens May 15, we run our long-range trips for trophy lingcod and rockfish. These trips are highly popular because of the size of the lingcod at the lighthouse, and their high abundance. Because there are no depth restrictions for rockfish this year in Oregon or California, we now will be able to combine the lighthouse trips with salmon or halibut combos, meaning we can have rockfish on board as we fish deeper water for halibut, or troll for coho salmon on the way back to the port in Brookings. These trips are only offered by Brookings Fishing Charters.
Below are some of the catches aboard our charters in early and mid April.
BROOKINGS, Ore. (April 1, 2023) – Lingcod fishing has been good out of the Port of Brookings when ocean conditions allow, although there were more rough weather days in March than fishable days. When the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet can get out of port, limits of rockfish and good numbers of lingcod have been common. Weather conditions typically improve in April, as winter storms become less frequent.
A customer holds a nice lingcod caught aboard the Miss Brooke in late March 2023.
Lingcod and rockfish season is open year round on the Oregon Coast. The Brookings Fishing Charters fleet runs charters out of the Port of Brookings year round. During the winter and early spring, lingcod are in shallow water spawning. Anglers are able to target them in shallow water with light tackle.
Eric, a deckhand on the Miss Brooke, holds some of the nice rockfish caught in late March.Mark holds a nice lingcod caught aboard the Kraken on Spring Break 2023.
During the first week of Spring Break 2023, the Brookings Fishing Crews fished several families on their first ever ocean charter. Many of these groups were from Eastern Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Nevada and Northern California. We also had large numbers of our regular customers from the Rogue Valley, Klamath Basin and Siskiyou County.
A family from Eugene shows the results for a double, double-hookup of rockfish on the Nauti-Lady.
Trips are available during the spring on the Miss Brooke, Kraken, Papa B, Dash and Nauti-Lady. We are offering our popular four-hour bottom fishing trips, and the longer 6-plus-hour targeted lingcod trip. Lingcod and rockfish are caught on both charters, but the catch rate for lingcod improves on the longer trip, as more time is spent targeting lingcod, larger baits are used, and the trips travel further up the coast to less-fished waters.
A nice lingcod from Spring Break 2023 caught on the Miss Brooke.
We will find out early this month what the dates for this summer’s ocean salmon season will be. We are expecting a June 17 opener for coho salmon on the entire Oregon Coast. Chinook season will be closed this summer in the ocean waters off of California, in the Sacramento and Klamath rivers, and in the ocean in most of Oregon until Sept. 1. The bay seasons will go on as normal on the Rogue and Umpqua rivers and at the mouth of the Columbia River. Normal salmon seasons also are expected on the Chetco and Smith rivers, where the Brookings Fishing Charters captains run drift boat trips during the fall and winter.
An angler holds a vermilion and canary rockfish caught on the Nauti-Lady in late March.
Pacific halibut season opens May 1 out of Brookings. The Brookings Fishing Charters crew has a well-earned reputation for producing the highest halibut catch rates out of Brookings. Trips run daily, weather permitting. Typically, the best halibut fishing is in late June, July and August. We also will be offering trips to the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse beginning May 15. Those trips produce catches of lingcod and rockfish that rival those in Alaska.
A nice lingcod from the Dash in March 2023.Kirby, a longtime deckhand in Brookings, holds his certificate for his 100-ton near coastal masters US Coast Guard captains license course.
In March, longtime Brookings deckhand Kirby Anderson completed his courses for his 100-ton Near Coastal Masters US Coast Guard captains license. Kirby has worked on charter boats and commercial fishing boats in Brookings for decades. A longtime Brookings resident, Kirby went to high school in Brookings with Capt. Andy and Capt. Travis. He will soon be at the helm of the Brookings Fishing Charters boats running trips as a captain. A number of local charter boat captains earned their sea time and experience working as deckhands with Brookings Fishing Charters. Eric, who is still in high school, is also accumulating sea time to earn his captains license.
The Nauti-Lady during a Spring Break 2023 charter off the coast of Brookings.
To book a fishing charter out of Brookings, visit www.brookingsfishing.com, or call our booking office, (541) 813-1082.
BROOKINGS, Ore. (May 4,2022) – Some of the biggest lingcod of the season have been caught in recent trips aboard the Brookings Fishing Charters boats, including a trophy ling weighing 28.8 pounds hauled in at Mack Arch aboard the Miss Brooke.
Some of the nice lingcod caught aboard the Miss Brooke in late April.
Fishing also has opened for the season at the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse, where anglers often catch some of the biggest lingcod and rockfish outside of Alaska. Big swells and brisk winds made fishing tough on the May 1 opener, but the Nauti-Lady, Miss Brooke, Kraken, Dash and Bout Time still managed limits of nice rockfish and boat loads of lingcod. Trips to the lighthouse are a hit with our customers, who enjoy catching big fish on light spinning tackle. The variety at the lighthouse is unmatched, with vermilion, canary, copper, tiger, black, blue and China rockfish, and lingcod from 5 to 25 pounds, or bigger.
Part of the opening day catch at the lighthouse aboard the Miss Brooke with Capt. Travis and Capt. Sam.
Anglers are anxiously awaiting the June 18 ocean salmon opener out of Brookings, and are encouraged by reports of limits out of Crescent City. Salmon fishing is open May 1-31 out of Crescent City, but closes in June and July. It opens June 18 out of Brookings for coho and June 25 for kings, and remains open through most of August.
Pacific halibut season also opened May 1 out of Brookings, and continues through Oct. 31. The best halibut fishing is generally in late June, July and August.
The Bout Time returned from the lighthouse with limits of lingcod and rockfish.
The best bet in recent weeks out of Brookings has been lingcod on the 6-hour long-range trip by the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet. Trips to Mack Arch have been yielding limits of lingcod, while the fishing also has been good at House Rock and Twin Rocks. Fishing is expected to be excellent at the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse during calm weather days.
Some of the great catches from the lighthouse opener.Mark gaffs a lingcod aboard the Nauti-Lady.A nice lighthouse lingcod aboard the Nauti-Lady.Great catches on our six-hour long-range trips in late April.A lunker lingcod from Mack Arch aboard the Miss Brooke.
A fresh, delicious way to enjoy the Oregon Coast catch of the day, bursting with citrus flavor, easy to make, and a breeze to cleanup is Mediterranean Baked Rockfish, Lingcod and Halibut. This recipe is perfect for anyone seeking a healthy alternative to fish and chips, or those counting carbs. It is especially good after picking up fresh produce at the many farmers’ markets on the coast during the summer, or vegetables from your garden.
Mediterranean Baked Rockfish, Lingcod or Halibut is a great way to enjoy the catch of the day from the Oregon Coast.
Versatile, Mediterranean Baked Fish is equally good with rockfish, lingcod, halibut or even salmon, or a combination of them. The unique taste is worth baking up a few times each season, and may become a favorite way to enjoy the catch from our charter boats. Perfect with a side of rice, pasta salad or green salad.
Fresh vegetables make this a delicious and healthy alternative to fish and chips.
Mediterranean Sauce
Zest of 2 lemons
Juice from 2 lemons
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons dill weed
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
3/4 teaspoon ground coriander
Fish and vegetables
1-2 pounds rockfish, lingcod or halibut fillets, sliced into thin pieces
1 pound cherry tomatoes
1 pound fresh green beans
1 large yellow onion, sliced into half moons
Also works well with sliced zucchini, sliced bell pepper and/or asparagus
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
In a bowl, combine lemon zest, lemon juice, olive oil, garlic, dill weed, oregano, coriander, salt and pepper. Whisk the ingredients together.
In a large bowl, add the vegetables, coat with sauce and stir. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the vegetables to a large baking sheet. Layer half the baking sheet with a thin layer of the vegetables.
Add the fish fillets to the bowl, mix well with the sauce, and transfer the fillets to the other half of the baking sheet. Pour any remaining sauce on the fish fillets and vegetables.
Lightly season the fish and vegetables with salt and pepper, or lemon pepper, or seasoned salt.
Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes, then place on top rack of oven and broil for an additional 3 minutes, or until the cherry tomatoes begin to pop under the broiler.
Combine lemon juice and zest, olive oil, seasonings and herbs.Add sliced vegetables to bowl, and stir in Mediterranean sauce.After transferring vegetables to baking sheet, slice fish fillets, coat with sauce and add to baking sheet.Pour remaining sauce over fish and vegetables. Bake for 15 minutes.Finish off by broiling on top rack of oven for 3 minutes.Mediterranean Baked Rockfish, Lingcod or Halibut.
To catch a limit of Oregon Coast rockfish or lingcod, book a charter with Brookings Fishing Charters, www.brookingsfishing.com
