Tag: miss brooke

Winter charter trips bring back lingcod, rockfish and crab, while steelhead arrive in local rivers

BROOKINGS, Ore. (Feb. 22, 2025) – Limits of rockfish, lots of lingcod and a few Dungeness crab to end the day have made for exciting winter charter boat trips out of Brookings so far this winter, with good fishing on the nice weather days between storms. Chrome-bright steelhead, meanwhile, are entering local rivers, giving anglers plenty of options for February and March fishing trips.

Ocean lingcod and rockfish action has been above average so far this winter, with more lingcod than recent years in January and February. Steelhead fishing, on the other hand, has been slower than expected coastwide, with just a couple steelhead per boat on most days.

Customers with limits of lingcod aboard the Miss Brooke in February 2025.

The Miss Brooke, Nauti-Lady and Papa B have been running ocean charters as the weather allows between storms. The rockfish action has been hot, with lots of smaller fish released and a good grade for limits. Lingcod also are biting aggressively, with limits typical on the longer 6-plus-hour trips, and a fish or rod or better on the shorter 4-hour trips. On long-range trips to Mack Arch, the lingcod bite has been wide open, with limits and plenty of smaller lingcod released, as well as some larger breeders let go as well.

A large steelhead caught with Capt. Andy on the Chetco River in February 2025.

Steelhead fishing will remain a solid option well into March. Our ocean charter boat captains are also river guides, and fish out of drift boats during the fall and winter when the ocean is too rough to fish. They use light spinning tackle to drift tiny clusters of roe for steelhead. The scenic floats down the Chetco and Smith rivers are memorable, and the hard-fighting steelhead are among the most prized an angler can catch.

A limit of lingcod from the Miss Brooke in January 2025.

During the winter months, lingcod move into shallow water to spawn. Big numbers of fish congregate over rockpiles in 20 to 50 feet of water. Many of the lingcod are caught on typical rockfish gear, but once limits of rockfish are caught, our captains switch over to larger jigs and bigger baits to specifically target lingcod. The catch rate of the Brookings Fishing Charters crew speaks for itself – our captains have a well-earned reputation for catching quality rockfish and lots of lingcod using light tackle in shallow water.

Capt. Andy with a pair of nice lingcod caught aboard the Nauti-Lady in February 2025.
Deckhand Eric with a pair of lingcod caught aboard the Miss Brooke in January 2025.

Ocean fishing is open year round out of the Port of Brookings, which also has the safest bar crossing on the Oregon Coast. Our crew is ready to fish each time there is a break in the weather and it is safe to get out and fish for lingcod and rockfish. Trips are available aboard the Nauti-Lady, our 42-foot boat, as well as the 30-foot six-pack charter boats Miss Brooke, Kraken, Papa B and Dash.

The Nauti-Lady hovers of a big school of rockfish near House Rock in January 2025.

Ocean salmon dates will be announced in April 2025. Pacific halibut season opens May 1. The highly anticipated season at Point St. George Reef Lighthouse also opens May 1. Albacore tuna trips are offered in July, August and September, once the fish get within 30 miles of the coastline.

Here are some of the recent lingcod and rockfish catches aboard our charter boats out of Brookings.

Steelhead season closes March 31 on the Chetco, and April 30 on the Smith. Spring king salmon action runs mid-March through June. To book an ocean charter or spring king salmon trip, call (541) 813-1082. Learn more about ocean charters at www.brookingsfishing.com. Learn about river trips at www.wildriversfishing.com.

Here are some recent steelhead catches with our river guides.

Lengthy ocean salmon season approved for Brookings, 2-fish day limits May 16-Aug. 31

BROOKINGS, Ore. (April 10, 2024) – Sport anglers fishing out of the Port of Brookings will enjoy one of the longest ocean salmon seasons in recent memory, with a 108-day fishery for kings, along with a lengthy opportunity for hatchery coho. The May 16-Aug. 31 season includes a two-fish-per day limit, with wild or hatchery king salmon allowed. Hatchery coho salmon, also known as silvers, can be included in the daily salmon limit from June 15-Aug. 4.

An angler holds a hefty king salmon caught in the ocean off of Brookings during a previous season aboard the Miss Brooke of Brookings Fishing Charters.

Federal fishery managers gave final approval to the season today during the Pacific Fishery Management Council meeting in Seattle. Representatives from Oregon, California, and Washington met to set West Coast ocean salmon seasons for sport and commercial fishermen. Brookings and the rest of the Oregon Coast fared well in the season-setting process, following last year’s ocean king salmon closure in Oregon and California. Ocean fishing for salmon will once again be closed in California this year. Capt. Andy of Brookings Fishing Charters was among the sport fishing representatives who attended the PFMC meetings in Seattle to advocate for the ocean seasons. Port of Brookings commissioner Richard Heap also attended, along with Capt. Mike of the charter boat Miss Raven in Newport.

Anglers fishing out of Brookings can keep hatchery coho beginning June 15. Mid June is prime time, as illustrated in this photo from a few seasons ago on the Miss Brooke.

While the ocean salmon seasons open in May, the best fishing out of Brookings is generally mid-June through July. Anglers fishing out of Brookings generally catch king salmon headed back to the Sacramento, Klamath, Rogue, Trinity, American, Feather, Chetco and Smith rivers. This year’s ocean abundance estimates include 215,000 adult salmon from the Sacramento River, 180,00 from the Klamath River and 200,000 from the Rogue River swimming off the Southern Oregon and Northern California coasts. That is in addition to 1 million coho salmon, including an estimated 400,000 hatchery coho bound for the Columbia River. That abundant mix of salmon usually leads to good fishing out of Brookings in June and July.

June and July are the best times to catch king salmon out of Brookings. These salmon were caught during a previous June aboard the Miss Brooke.

The Brookings Fishing Charters captains have a well-earned reputation for producing the best ocean salmon catch rates out of Brookings. Each captain is a year-round fishing guide, running ocean charters in the spring and summer, and drift boat salmon and steelhead trips during the fall and winter on the Chetco, Rogue and Smith rivers. Anglers catch kings trolling herring or anchovies with the use of downriggers or divers on our fast, comfortable six-pack charter boats, which were designed with ocean salmon fishing in mind. Salmon charters are offered aboard the Miss Brooke, Kraken, Papa B and Dash.

To book an ocean salmon charter, visit www.brookingsfishing.com or call (541) 813-1082.

Back on the water, back on the bite

Our charters are back in operation after the temporary shut down caused by the stay-home orders, and when the weather cooperates, fishing has been very good. We have five six-pack boats running daily, as the weather allows, and they have been finding a very good grade of rockfish and lingcod up to 18 pounds. Recent trips have produced a variety of rockfish, with large canaries, quillbacks, coppers, Chinas, blacks, blues and vermillions. Lots of color!

Anglers hold lingcod and rockfish caught in mid-May 2020 aboard the Miss Brooke of Brookings Fishing Charters.
Michael, a deckhand on the Miss Brooke, holds a large copper rockfish caught in May 2020.
Nice lingcod and rockfish caught in May 2020 aboard the Miss Brooke of Brookings Fishing Charters.

May has been fairly stormy, so the boats have only gone out a handful of times since social distancing measures were eased. We are glad to report the motels and RV parks in the Brookings area have re-opened, and customers can once again dine inside of restaurants.

The size of the black rockfish has been excellent this month.
The schools of rockfish have been thick this season, with a very nice grade. We are catching them three at a time!
The crab spawn began in early May, sending rockfish to the surface to gorge on the small crustaceans. We’ve enjoyed wide-open surface action at times.

In early May, the crab spawn began. Tiny crabs float toward the surface, drawing up rockfish from deeper water. The rockfish can be seen splashing at the surface, giving us an opportunity to cast small jigheads and grubs for a wide-open topwater bite. This surface action, which is a unique thrill with light tackle, should last into early June. We are using ultra-light spinning rods to get in on the surface action.

A nice lingcod caught aboard the Miss Brooke on a jig.
The grade of rockfish has been excellent in May 2020.
Anglers of all ages enjoy light-tackle rockfish action,
Young anglers are always welcome aboard our charters.

The ocean salmon season opens June 20. The forecast for the Sacramento and Rogue rivers is strong, which should lead to good numbers of kings feeding on anchovies off the coast of Brookings this summer. We troll for the salmon with anchovies or herring. Late June and July are peak season.

The Dash off the coast of Brookings. We operate six-pack charters, meaning we have small groups, and are able to get to the fishing grounds very quickly.

We are now up to full crew, with five six-pack boats in the water. Capt. Travis and Michael are on the Miss Brooke, Capt. Andy has his 26-foot guide sled in the water, with comfortable seating for six anglers, Capt. Mike is on the Papa B, Capt. Rye and Capt. Mick are running The Dash, and Capt. Rich is on the Bout Time. Capt. Sam also is helping out this season. Michael, who has been a great deckhand, will be finishing his captain’s license course in July. The class was delayed because of the stay-home orders. We look forward to having him run a boat as well.

A nice lingcod caught aboard the Miss Brooke.

To book a trip, visit www.brookingsfishing.com for online bookings 24/7. You also can call our office at (541) 813-1082.

Lingcod and rockfish caught aboard the ‘Bout Time in mid-May 2020.