The albacore tuna action was fast and furious for a couple of weeks this summer out of Brookings, as the hard-fighting, great-eating fish came within 20 miles of the harbor and produced steady action for the charter and private boat fleet.

Brookings Fishing Charters ran numerous tuna trips this summer aboard the Miss Brooke, Nauti-Lady, Dash and Papa B. The best action was in mid-August, but fish were caught in early September as well.

Anglers watched satellite images for weeks and waited for a break in the weather. On Aug. 12, Capt. Andy aboard the Nauti-Lady found 59-degree water only 18 miles offshore. He took 12 anglers aboard the Nauti-Lady to the tuna grounds, and they got into the albacore quickly trolling tuna drones behind Okuma big game rods combined with Penn Squall big game reels. A few miles further offshore, Capt. Travis and Capt. Michael aboard the Miss Brooke found another large school of tuna and quickly filled their fish bags and barrels.

The next day, the Miss Brooke, Dash and Papa B returned to the tuna grounds for more hot action. The Brookings Fishing Charters crew ran a few more trips that week before windy weather returned. Later in the month, tuna were still caught, but the fish had moved offshore and scattered.

During the peak of the action in mid-August, the Dash returned to port with 75 tuna for five anglers. The boat ran out of room to hold any more tuna. Most days the charters averaged four to six tuna a person.

The Brookings Fishing Charters fleet is equipped with the highest-quality tuna gear in the local charter fleet, with Penn reels and high-end big game rods, plugs a wide selection of tuna lures. The six-pack boats also get to the tuna grounds quickly, while the Nauti-Lady can accommodate larger groups and hold bigger quantities of fish.

To learn more about tuna fishing with Brookings Fishing Charters, visit www.brookingsfishing.com. Most tuna trips are booked through a call list, since the albacore arrive off the coast of Brookings at different times each summer.