Tag: Newport fishing charters

Legendary Pacific Northwest charter boat joins Brookings Fishing Charters fleet

BROOKINGS, Ore. (Dec. 19, 2025) – A legendary Pacific Northwest charter boat, with decades of history taking people fishing off of the Oregon and Washington coasts, has joined the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet. The 50-foot Umatilla II, which ran charters for the past 20 years in Newport, Ore., was sold this fall to the family that owns and operates Brookings Fishing Charters, and will soon begin fishing charters out of Brookings.

The 50-foot Umatilla II is the newest addition to the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet. She arrived in Brookings in November 2025.

Capt. Andy Martin and his wife Sarah announced the purchase of the Umatilla II from longtime Newport charter operator and commercial fisherman Brad Gnuschke. They said they are honored and excited to continue to legacy established by Brad and other previous owners of the Umatilla II as a premier West Coast charter boat. In Newport, the Umatilla II was one of the most requested charter boats in the fleet, and was well known for producing limits of lingcod and rockfish while also being a top-producer during salmon and halibut seasons. The Umatilla II has a strong following from sport anglers from throughout Oregon and the Western United States because of its spacious fishing platform, quality equipment and reputation for providing a first-class charter fishing experience.

The Umatilla II has plenty of room for anglers to spread out, with full-perimeter fishing, extra-high rails, and an extra-wide deck. The cabin also is extremely comfortable and roomy.

Brad decided to sell the Umatilla II to focus on his commercial fishing business, and his commercial boat, which fishes for Dungeness crab, albacore tuna, salmon, and sablefish. He was a frequent customer of the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet during trips to Southern Oregon, and became friends of Andy, Sarah and the Brookings Fishing crew. The previous captain of the Umatilla II also worked with Capt. Andy when they both ran charter boats in Alaska, and was the first hired captain on the Miss Brooke when Andy bought his second charter boat in Brookings.

The Umatilla II returning from a charter while operating in Newport, Oregon.
The Umatilla II crossing the Yaquina River Bar while operating out of Newport, Oregon.

The Umatilla II has comfortably fish up to 26 anglers, although it will primarily fish 10 to 14 customers at a time. With plenty of room to spread out, an extra-large cabin, and extra-wide deck, it is one of the largest charter boats in Oregon. It will be used for lingcod and rockfish charters, along with halibut, salmon and albacore tuna. The boat has a rich history trolling for salmon in Newport, and previously in Ilwaco, Wash., and Westport, Wash. It also was consistently one of the top-producing halibut charter boats in Newport.

The Umatilla II has a hard-earned reputation of producing halibut, salmon, lingcod and rockfish.
The Umatilla II has been a top-producing salmon charter boat on the Oregon Coast for decades.
The Umatilla II is equipped with a hydraulic crab block and has extra-large crab pots.
Aside from fishing charters, the Umatilla II has a long history of running sport crabbing charters.

The original Umatilla was a ferry boat on the Columbia River in Hermiston. The owners had the Umatilla II built specifically as a charter boat. Made from fiberglass, the hull is very similar to the rugged, stable and seaworthy Rawson and Westport charter boats made for crossing rough bars and fishing in unpredictable seas the Pacific Northwest coastal waters are known for. The Umatilla II was first homeported in Westport, and then operated out of Ilwaco. It was moved to Newport in the 1990s, and fished there through 2025, before Brad delivered her to Brookings this fall.

Anglers fish aboard the Umatilla II in Newport, Oregon, during a previous season.
With a new coat of gelcoat, new rails and new gunnels, the Umatilla II arrives in Brookings in November 2025. Here, she is crossing Chetco Point.
Brad, the previous owner of the Umatilla II, holds a lingcod for a happy customer.

Capt. Andy and Capt. Sam will operate the Umatilla II in Brookings. The legendary charter boat joins the Nauti-Lady, a very similar boat, but 10 feet shorter at 40 feet, as well as the six-pack charters Miss Brooke, Kraken and Dash. The expanded fleet will allow the six packs to focus on long-range bottom fishing charters, salmon trips and halibut trips, while the Umatilla II and Nauti-Lady will spend much of their time taking customers fishing for lingcod, rockfish and crab. The expanded fleet also will allow the six-pack boats to fish out of Crescent City and Gold Beach during various parts of the charter season.

The Umatilla II is one of the largest charter boats on the Oregon Coast, and has a large cabin and large deck for sportfishing.

To learn more about fishing charters in Brookings, visit www.brookingsfishing.com, or call (541) 813-1082.

Tuna arrive off of Brookings

(BROOKINGS, Ore. – Aug. 15, 2022) – Albacore tuna moved within 40 miles of the coast of Brookings in late July and early August, giving charter boats an opportunity to make the long run offshore and target the prized gamefish. The Brookings Fishing Charters fleet ran several tuna charters in early August, returning with coolers full of albacore.

In late July, the Miss Brooke with Capt. Michael was the first boat to successfully find tuna out of Brookings. Fishing was slow however, with just a single tuna, caught 45 miles from the harbor. It was the first confirmed tuna brought back to the dock.

In early August, the water temperature warmed above 60 degrees offshore, and bigger numbers of tuna moved in. The Miss Brooke, Kraken and Dash returned to the tuna grounds, and ran successful charters, with upwards of 40 tuna caught on some of the trips.

Capt. Michael holds the first albacore tuna of the season caught out of Brookings. It was reeled in by Dave Kuen aboard the Miss Brooke in late July.

Charter boats out of Brookings wait for calm ocean conditions with no wind to make the 30- to 50-mile run to the tuna grounds. They look for water temperatures between 59 and 62 degrees. The tuna are caught by trolling feather jigs or PLine Tuna Rippers at a high speed, sometimes in excess of 8 mph.

Anglers hold some of the tuna they caught in August aboard the Kraken with Capt. Sam.
Some of the tuna caught aboard the Dash with Capt. Mick in early August.
A nice haul of tuna aboard the Miss Brooke with Capt. Michael.

Brookings Fishing Charters maintains a call list for its tuna trips. When weather conditions line up, and water temperatures reach 60 degrees offshore, trips are put together at short notice. The window to target tuna out of Brookings is usually fairly small.

Board a six-pack charter under the light of the moon for a 4 a.m. departure is a special experience.
An amazing sunrise while headed to the tuna grounds out of Brookings.
Deckhand Eric with a pair of nice albacore tuna.
Capt. Mick holds an albacore tuna caught aboard the Dash.
Frequent Brookings Fishing Charters customer Mike C. with a tuna from the Miss Brooke.
More tuna from the Miss Brooke in early August 2022.
The real work begins once the boats return to the dock.

To book a tuna trip, or get on our call list, call (541) 813-1082. For more information on tuna charters, visit Albacore Tuna Fishing Charters | Brookings Fishing

First big storms arrive on coast

Fishing for lingcod and rockfish was very good off the coast of Brookings in recent weeks until the first major storm of the fall season arrived and forced boats to stay in port. Brookings Fishing Charters reported limits of rockfish and lingcod during its Point St. George Reef Lighthouse trips, and a good rockfish bite at the inshore reefs in early November before the storms hit. Rough weather is expected through November.

Some of the nice lingcod from the end of October at the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse aboard the Miss Brooke of Brookings Fishing Charters.

After relatively calm seas, large waves and winds to 50 mph hit the coast during the Friday the 13th storm. The Coast Guard closed the bar crossing to all recreational vessels.

Big swells and strong winds made the Chetco River bar too dangerous to cross on Nov. 13, 2020.

The first major storm arrived overnight on Nov. 13, with winds to 50 mph and waves over 15 feet high. Heavy rain also fell. A series of storms is expected over the next week.

At the Point St. George Reef lighthouse, fishing was wide open before the storms, with limits daily of large rockfish, including lunker canary and vermilion rockfish, and lingcod to 25 pounds. Lots of blue and black rockfish also were being caught.

Phil of Grass Valley holds a pair of lunker vermillion rockfish caught as part of a double hookup at the Point St. George Reef lighthouse.

Halibut season ended Oct. 31 on the Southern Oregon Coast. The Nauti-Lady and The Dash each ran successful trips at the end of the season, with halibut to 30 pounds.

A nice Pacific halibut caught aboard the Nauti-Lady on Oct. 30.

The variety and grade of rockfish out of Brookings has been good in recent weeks. There are also plenty of smaller rockfish that have been released in the shallow water. The Brookings Fishing Charters fleet uses light spinning rods to catch rockfish in shallow water.

A nice grade a variety of rockfish and lingcod aboard the Miss Brooke.
Limits of lingcod for Phil and Vince aboard the Miss Brooke.
Bruce with a trophy Point St. George Reef Lighthouse lingcod.
The Nauti-Lady fishing for halibut off of Brookings.
Limits of lingcod and rockfish caught aboard The Dash at the Point St. George Reef lighthouse.
A limit of Mack Arch lingcod aboard the Miss Brooke.
A big jig tricked this big lingcod at the lighthouse.

With stormy weather, the Smith and Chetco rivers are on the rise, kicking off the drift boat salmon season for the Brookings Fishing Charters crew. Capt. Andy, Travis, Rye, Mick, Shane, Rich and Michael are also drift boat guides during the fall and winter months.

To learn more about river trips, visit www.wildriversfishing.com. For ocean charters, visit www.brookingsfishing.com.

Ocean charters will resume as weather conditions allow. Lingcod and rockfish season is open year round out of Brookings, and May 1-Dec. 31 at the lighthouse and out of Crescent City.