Tag: Gold Beach charter boats

Tuna arrive, salmon still around, lingcod action hot!

BROOKINGS, Ore. (Aug. 3, 2024) – Some of the best fishing action of the year is happening now on the Oregon Coast, with a wide variety of opportunities. The first tuna of the season caught by any of the local charters hit the docks this week, while king and coho salmon are still biting, halibut fishing is improving, and the lingcod action has been wide-open on our long-range trips to Point St. George Reef and Mack Arch. August is one of the best times of the year to fish out of Brookings, with lots of options for visiting anglers.

The first albacore tuna of the season caught on a charter boat out of Brookings in 2024, landed aboard the Dash with Capt. Mick. The day ended with five dozen albacore landed.

The Dash, with Capt. Mick, ran the first albacore tuna charter of the season out of Brookings on Aug. 2, and returned with its totes and fish bags stuffed full of tasty albacore. The first charter yielded five dozen albacore, caught on both rod and reel and hand lines. The fish were 35 miles straight out from the harbor, with 60-degree water as close as 30 miles. Tuna trips are booked off of a call list. Call (541) 813-1082 to include your name, and our booking office will call as trips are put together, based on calm weather forecasts and current fishing reports.

Limits of hatchery coho salmon caught in July aboard the Miss Brooke.

Salmon season remains a solid bet out of Brookings, although the action has been hit-and-miss. Many of the hatchery coho have already migrated north, but we are still seeing keeper fish each day, and there have been good days for larger kings mixed in. This past week, our trips produced big numbers of wild coho and kings that were less than 24 inches, both of which must be released. Lots of action, but not as many keepers as were saw earlier in the season. Salmon season still has three weeks remaining, and fish will be available through the month.

The results of a double-hookup of halibut aboard the Papa B this week.
A big halibut caught on the Papa B in July.

Pacific halibut fishing has been decent, with a few very good days mixed in. August and early September are peak season, so expect good catches all month. We are fishing for halibut in 180 to 250 feet of water. The fish have been 15 to 50 pounds. For the past several years, catch rates have increased substantially in August.

Check out this trophy lingcod caught this week aboard the Kraken!

Our long-range charters to the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse and Mack Arch have resulted in some of the best lingcod action we’ve seen in recent memory during the summer months. Limits are common, with fish up to 30 pounds. The grade of rockfish has been phenomenal. Plenty of smaller lingcod released as well, a good sign for next year’s seasons.

Capt. Sam and Capt. Chris with some of the lingcod caught this week on the Kraken.

During our local half-day charters, fishing has been good for rockfish, with limits daily, and better-than-average lingcod fishing. Most trips are resulting in a lingcod per rod on our 4- and 6-hour charters.

A pair of albacore tuna from the first Brookings Fishing Charters tuna trip of the season.

We begin river salmon trips in September at the mouth of the Chetco, and will be fishing upriver in drift boats on the Chetco and Smith rivers beginning in October. To learn more about river trips, visit www.wildriversfishing.com.

Check out our recipe for crispy, delicious beer-battered fish and chips.

The latest recipe for beer-battered rockfish, lingcod and halibut has been a huge hit. Check it out here.

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

One of the nice kings landed this season on the Miss Brooke.

Check out a few of the nice lingcod and rockfish caught in recent weeks with Brookings Fishing Charters.

Here are just a few of the great salmon catches so far this season with Brookings Fishing Charters.

Brookings lingcod action phenomenal

Lingcod action is usually the best of the season in early spring, as the big fish come into shallow water to spawn, and this year has been nothing short of phenomenal.

Over the weekend, Brookings Fishing Charters sent four boats out, and each returned on Sunday with full limits of rockfish and lingcod. The lingcod action was so good, the six-pack boats actually released more lingcod than they kept after limiting out. They had limits of lings well before they had limits of rockfish. The Nauti-Lady, on its half-day bottom fishing trip, also limited every customer on lingcod and rockfish.

A limit of lingcod aboard the Nauti-Lady on March 31, 2021.

As a general rule, the better the weather, the better the fishing this time of year. That has been true, as we’ve been getting full limits on calm days, and limits of rockfish and some lingcod when it is rough and windy. Charters are now running daily, weather permitting.

Limits of lingcod in late March at Mack Arch.

Most of the lingcod are being caught in shallow water, from 30 to 60 feet. The lings are biting flutter jigs, shrimp flies, Farallon Feathers, small grubs and twin-tail scampies. The grade of rockfish has been good, with a nice mix of black, blue, canary, China, vermilion, copper and quill back rockfish.

We are running the 6-plus hour targeted lingcod trips on the six-pack boats, and usually fishing around House Rock or Mack Arch. The Nauti-Lady, our larger party boat, is focusing on the 4-5 hour half day bottom fishing trips, and has had good success limits on rockfish and lings when the weather cooperates.

A boat limit of lings and rockfish for the Nauti-Lady.
Nice lingcod caught aboard the Miss Brooke at Mack Arch.
Limits of rockfish and lingcod for the Papa B.
More Mack Arch lingcod.
Good lingcod action on the Miss Brooke.
Catching a limit of lingcod at Mack Arch is a trip to remember.
Really nice vermilion from the Nauti-Lady.
A nice limit of lingcod from the Nauti-Lady.
Our six-pack charter boats are the fastest charters in the fleet, and will get you to and from the fishing grounds quickly and safely.
Limits of lingcod aboard the Miss Brooke.
Capt. Michael gaffs a lingcod aboard the Nauti-Lady in front of Bird Island.
This young angler not only caught her first lingcod aboard the Nauti-Lady, she caught her limit!
Nice lingcod to start the day on the Nauti-Lady.
Quality lingcod and rockfish aboard the Nauti-Lady.
Nice keeper lingcod from the Nauti-Lady.
Our half-day bottom fishing trips are ideal for young anglers. Lots of action, beautiful scenery, and good eats afterward.

We will be focusing on lingcod and rockfish in April. In May, there are lots of new fishing opportunities. We will begin the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse trips in May, when California waters open, and also begin Pacific halibut trips in May. The halibut season out of Brookings runs May. 1-Oct. 31. Brookings Fishing Charters had the best overall catch rate of any charter out of Brookings last year, as its captains have decades of halibut fishing experience in Oregon and Alaska. The best halibut fishing takes place in July and August, but we had success as soon as the season opened last year.

Ocean salmon season dates will be announced in mid-April. The season could open as early as the end of May, or by mid-June. Late June and July are peak season. Our captains are salmon fishing experts and have a high success rate of getting customers into nice kings. This year we also we be able to target coho, or silver salmon, increasing the likelihood of limits.

To book an ocean charter out of Brookings, visit www.brookingsfishing.com or call our booking office, (541) 813-1082.