BROOKINGS, Ore. (May 29, 2022) – Long-range trips to the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse are producing limits of nice lingcod and rockfish, while fishing charters on our local half-day trips also are yielding nice rockfish with lingcod mixed in.
Some of the nice lingcod caught Memorial Day Weekend aboard The Dash with Capt. Mick.
So far this season, trips to the lighthouse, located halfway between Brookings and Crescent City, just across the border in California, have been a major draw. Aside from quality limits, a few Pacific halibut also have been caught on our charters to the lighthouse, along with a 5-foot wolf eel. Trips to Mack Arch also are resulting in limits of nice lingcod and rockfish, with some fish pushing 20 pounds.
Capt. Michael holds a nice halibut caught aboard the Kraken at the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse.
Salmon season opens June 18 out of the Port of Brookings Harbor, and expectations are high. More than 1.2 million hatchery coho salmon are projected to be off the Oregon Coast this summer, most headed back to the Columbia River. Those salmon begin their northerly migration up the coast near Brookings, where they move closer to the beach after wintering in deep water, and follow the coastline back to the Columbia River. Along with the abundant forecast of silver salmon, the Sacramento River, which fuels ocean fisheries in Oregon and California, also has a strong forecast for fall king salmon, along with the Rogue River. Salmon from those two river account for the majority of the kings caught each summer off of Brookings.
A tiger rockfish caught at the lighthouse aboard the Kraken.
King salmon season opens June 25, when anglers will be allowed to keep wild or hatchery king salmon, also known as Chinook, along with hatchery coho salmon, which also go by the name of silver salmon.
Below are some of the catches from recent trips aboard the Miss Brooke, Kraken, Nauti-Lady, Papa B, Bout Time and Dash, which make up the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet.
BROOKINGS, Ore. (April 22, 2022) – Charter boats fishing out of the Port of Brookings Harbor on the Southern Oregon Coast are continuing to enjoy solid action for lingcod and rockfish, with limits of both on calm weather days. A winter-like storm sidelined the fleet this past week, but conditions have improved for the weekend. Before the storm, fishing was nearly wide-open.
Fishing has been good for lingcod and rockfish, as frequent customer Denise found out last week on the Miss Brooke.
Lingcod are in shallow water, allowing anglers to catch them on light tackle. In recent weeks, the Miss Brooke, Nauti-Lady, Kraken, Papa B, Bout Time and Dash, all working out of the Brookings Fishing Charters office, have been getting customers into limits. Most of the fish are being caught in shallow water, from 30 to 60 feet.
Capt. Mick sorts through limits of rockfish and lingcod aboard the Kraken.
Last weekend, the six-pack charters from Brookings Fishing Charters, got into a surface bite for rockfish at Mack Arch. The rockfish are just under the surface, feeding on small baitfish and crab spawn. They can be seen splashing on the surface, and are being caught by anglers casting small swimbaits or curly tail grubs fished with light jigheads. Since Brookings Fishing Charters boats are equipped with light spinning rods, it’s easy to switch gear and start casting when rockfish are spotted splashing at the surface.
The lingcod are biting large herring, or scampis fished with leadheads. One of the tricks of the Brookings Fishing Charters captains in targeting lingcod is using a paddle tail swimbait combined with a small strip of herring or squid. It has been a deadly combination in recent weeks for big lingcod.
Ocean salmon season opens June 18 for coho and June 25 for kings out of Brookings, and continues most of the summer. Pacific halibut season opens May 1, the same day Brookings Fishing Charters will begin running trips to the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse between Brookings and Crescent City. The lighthouse is known as a hot spot for trophy-size lingcod.
Late June and early July is peak season for salmon out of Brookings. Last summer, the Brookings Fishing Charters crew enjoyed the best catch rates for ocean salmon on the Southern Oregon Coast.
To book an ocean charter out of Brookings, visit www.brookingsfishing.com or call the Brookings Fishing Charters booking office at (541) 813-1082.
A limit of lingcod from the Miss Brooke.Nice limits of lingcod and rockfish from the Papa B.Full limits of lingcod in early April aboard the Miss Brooke.The rockfish action has been fast and furious this month out of Brookings.Frequent customer Barb with a nice lingcod and rockfish from the Miss Brooke.Another nice limit of lingcod, this time from the Kraken.A nice lingcod from the Bout Time.A nice lingcod from the Kraken that fell for a swimbait and squid combination.Lots of large rockfish have been keeping customers happy.John with one of several lingcod he landed aboard the Kraken in April.One of many lingcod caught last week on the Miss Brooke.A lingcod from the Miss Brooke.A nice vermilion rockfish from the Kraken at Mack Arch.This nice lingcod was caught aboard the Miss Brooke.Limits come fast when you double up on rockfish.Capt. Mick with a nice lingcod from the Kraken.A nice lingcod from the Kraken in early April.
The first trips of the season to the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse by the Brookings Fishing Charters crew resulted in easy limits of lingcod and big rockfish, with lots of variety. The fishing was pretty much wide open.
The Nauti-Lady and Miss Brooke ventured to the lighthouse last week, a few days after the May 1 opener. Windy weather kept boats away from the highly productive reef the first few days of the season, but calm weather last Wednesday resulted in non-stop action for both of the Brookings charter boats that made it to the lighthouse.
Anglers on the Miss Brooke hold limits of lingcod caught in early May at the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse.
The fishing was so good that the Nauti-Lady, with 12 customers on board, caught full limits of lingcod and rockfish in just three drifts, while also releasing nearly a dozen keeper-size lingcod. The Miss Brooke had no trouble getting limits for its six anglers, with some large vermilion, canary, copper, quillback and black rockfish mixed in. The lingcod averaged 8 to 10 pounds, with a few fish in the high teens.
An angler on the Nauti-Lady holds his limit of lingcod from an early May trip.
The lighthouse is located in California waters approximately 11 miles straight out from the Port of Brookings. Several of the Brookings Fishing Charters boats, including the Nauti-Lady, Miss Brooke and The Dash are licensed to fish both Oregon and California waters. Only a few charter boats have both Oregon and California charter permits.
Some of the nice lingcod caught aboard the Nauti-Lady.
The lighthouse area borders a marine reserve. The area open to fishing is one of the most productive reefs on the entire West Coast for lingcod and rockfish. Big fish, and limits, are common on trips to this area. The season is open May 1-Dec. 31. Brookings Fishing Charters offers trips to the lighthouse during calm weather days. Because the area is in open water and often has strong currents and is exposed to offshore wind, the Brookings Fishing Charters crew carefully chooses the days it heads to the lighthouse.
Capt. Andy Martin holds a pair of tiger rockfish caught aboard the Nauti-Lady near the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse.
The Brookings Fishing Charters crew specializes in light tackle, often using spinning rods with flutter jigs or scampies to catch the lingcod and rockfish near the lighthouse. The reefs have a wide variety of fish, with lots of colors.
Some nice vermilion rockfish and lingcod caught aboard the Nauti-Lady.A lunker lingcod and copper rockfish caught aboard the Nauti-Lady near the lighthouse.One of the nice lingcod caught during the first trip of the season to the lighthouse on the Nauti-Lady.Capt. Mike grills hot dogs on the trip back to Brookings from the lighthouse.The historic Point St. George Reef Lighthouse is 11 miles offshore of Brookings.
To book a charter fishing trip to the lighthouse, call (541) 813-1082 or visit www.brookingsfishing.com.
One of the most delicious ways to enjoy Oregon Coast rockfish and crab is in a bowl of cioppino, a seafood stew with a rich history on the Pacific coastline.
Cioppino originated with the Italian immigrants in the San Francisco Bay area in the late 1800s. From its humble beginnings, the tomato- and wine-based seafood stew is now one of the most popular dishes at restaurants on Fishermen’s Warf and throughout the West Coast. Traditional cioppino takes hours to prepare, first by making fish stock, and then simmering with Italian seasonings, wine, tomatoes and a variety of seafood.
Cioppino features fish and shellfish, and is delicious when served with warm bread.
Capt. Andy of Brookings Fishing Charters uses a simple yet delicious recipe for cioppino that is great all year, from stormy winter days to warm summer evenings. It can be made with fresh or frozen seafood and shellfish and utilizes pieces of fish simmered in chicken broth and wine instead of fish stock.
Oregon Coast crab and rockfish make cioppino even better!
Originally, cioppino was made with the catch of the day by San Francisco fishermen. When fishermen come back without catching anything, they would walk the docks with a pot, asking fellow fishers to donate whatever they could spare. A rockfish here, a few clams there, perhaps a crab or mussel. Fishermen who chipped in part of their catch knew they could count on fish in return if they came back with empty nets or lines. As the Italian immigrants perfected the seafood stew, they began selling it at restaurants in San Francisco, and then beyond, eventually making it a staple at seafood and Italian eateries on the West Coast.
Capt. Andy’s favorite cioppino recipe is a delicious combination of local crab and fish, with shrimp meat, clams and Italian seasonings.
A simple and tasty recipe for cioppino uses cut up fish fillets, canned clams, shrimp, chicken broth, onions, parsley, garlic, white wine, canned tomatoes and, if available, crab and other seafood.
1-2 onions, chopped
Minced garlic
Fresh parsley, chopped
1 cube butter
2 cans (14.5 ounces each) stewed or diced tomatoes
1-2 pounds shrimp (cocktail and/or large peeled and deveined shrimp)
1-2 cans (6.5 ounces each) chopped or diced clams
Crab meat or cooked and cleaned crab halves
Cook onions, garlic and parsley over medium heat in a large pot.
Cook chopped onions, garlic and parsley in a large pot over medium heat with melted butter. Stir frequently, cooking until onions are soft.
Add two cans of stewed or diced tomatoes. Add chicken broth, wine, water and Italian seasonings.
Add canned tomatoes, chicken broth, Italian seasonings, wine and water. Bring to a boil. Add salt, pepper and garlic salt to taste.
Adding cut up fish fillets and canned clams to the broth and then simmering for a couple hours gives the stew a delicious seafood flavor.
Add 1 pound of chopped fish fillets (half of the fish to be used in the stew) and cans of clams with juice. Cover and simmer for at least 30 minutes, and up to two hours. As the fish simmers, it will flake into smaller pieces, adding flavor to the stew.
Add shrimp meat and crab just before serving.
Just before serving, adding shrimp meat and crab legs and/or crab meat. Also add the remaining rockfish pieces. Cook over medium low heat until the rockfish is done, usually about five minutes. If desired, add more salt, pepper, Italian seasonings and garlic salt to taste.
Serve with warm bread.
Many cioppino recipes call for whole, raw clams and mussels, and scallops, but these can be difficult to find year round, especially away from the coast, so Capt. Andy uses the canned clams instead, but whole shellfish, if available, can be added and cooked. Warm Italian bread goes well with cioppino, especially when dipped into the stew. The stew also can be served over cooked rice.
Just a couple of rockfish are all that’s needed to make a large pot of cioppino. A limit of rockfish yields plenty of fillets for fish and chips, rockfish chowder, and a pot f cioppino.
To catch a limit of rockfish to make cioppino, fish and chips or rockfish chowder, visit www.brookingsfishing.com for information on ocean charters out of Brookings, Oregon.
We’ve missed you, and are ready to take you fishing again. The stay-home mandates from the state of Oregon have sidelined our ocean charters for the past month, but we are now resuming private charters (smaller individual groups) and expect to expand to mixed charters again in early May. We have been in close communication with ODFW and the Oregon State Marine Board, other Oregon Coast charter businesses, and local elected leaders in making this decision to open back up.
Brookings is taking steps to re-open its motels and other businesses.
Please understand that social distancing guidelines still apply. We are comfortable in our ability run run ocean charters while abiding by the governor’s executive order on social distancing. Today, the Curry County commissioners voted to begin re-opening motels and RV parks. Motels should be open by May 1. Restaurants in Brookings are open for take-out and soon may be open to dine in. The Port of Brookings is open for business.
Please be aware, the communities of the Oregon Coast have limited medical facilities and many local residents are concerned about visitors returning. Please be respectful of local residents and maintain the 6 feet of social distancing and avoid businesses outside of the tourism and visitor industry.
While we have been waiting for the curve to flatten, our crew has been fishing with family members and local friends and are glad to report the fishing has been good. We will have a nice rockfish and lingcod season this spring and summer, and the outlook for halibut and salmon is good. The weather is beautiful on the coast and the fresh air and great ocean fishing is a sure cure for spring fever. To book a trip, visit www.brookingsfishing.com or call (541) 813-1082.
