BROOKINGS, Ore, (Jan. 23, 2024) – After weeks of rough, windy conditions on the Oregon Coast, conditions improved enough this week to allow Brookings Fishing Charters to run its first ocean charter of the year out of Brookings, which ended with limits of nice lingcod and rockfish. High flows from the Chetco River have made fishing slow closer to the harbor, but north, from Bird Island to House Rock, water conditions are better, and there are plenty of hungry rockfish and lingcod.
An angler holds a nice limit of lingcod caught aboard the Miss Brooke Jan. 23, 2024.
January and February are productive times to catch lingcod out of Brookings, as long as the weather cooperates. Windy weather with big swells and rough bar conditions have limited the opportunity to fish on the Oregon Coast so far this year. But between storms, as the ocean settles down, rockfish and lingcod tend to be very aggressive and willing biters.
Lingcod move into shallow water to spawn during the late winter. Smaller males, from 18 to 24 inches, arrive first, staging in areas where larger females will soon migrate in to spawn. Often, there are large numbers of males for every female, and the males are extremely aggressive. They often attack anything near them that resembles another fish. With decades of experience fishing the Oregon Coast, the Brookings Fishing Charters crew has dialed-in techniques to catch lingcod during the winter months in shallow water with light tackle. It is often some of the most exciting, action-packed lingcod fishing of the year!
Capt. Andy with a pair of nice lingcod caught aboard the Miss Brooke.Doubles of nice rockfish were common during the first charter of the year, as the fish were aggressively feeding.
Big schools of rockfish are feeding in shallow water, along rocky reefs and kelp beds. Many of the rockfish caught during the first charter of the year were full of surf smelt. Lots of feed in the water has resulted in healthy fish, with fat black, blue and canary rockfish quickly attacking shrimp flies and grubs lowered from the Miss Brooke. Anglers reeled in doubles and triples of nice rockfish once the schools of rockfish were located in shallow water.
Capt. Mike with a pair of big lingcod from the first charter of the season out of Brookings.Longtime customer Dave of Brookings organized the first charter of the season with a group of local friends. They all caught limits of rockfish and lingcod.
Brookings Fishing Charters will run trips during the winter as the weather allows. Conditions often improve by late February to allow fishing several days a week, but instead of booking a specific date well in advance, anglers are encouraged to call our charter office, (541) 813-1082, to get on the winter fishing call list. As conditions allow, we will put together trips with a day or two notice when the forecast looks promising. Open seat alerts also are posted on our Facebook page.
With fast six-pack boats operating during the winter months, Brookings Fishing Charters can take smaller groups, and run trips at short notice since fewer anglers are needed to put a charter together. The six-pack boats are the fastest boats in the fleet, and can get to the fishing grounds quickly and fish in shallow water, where lingcod fishing is best during the winter.
A nice steelhead caught on the Smith River Jan. 23 with Capt. Sam.
The Brookings Fishing Charters crew also runs drift boat trips for steelhead on the Chetco and Smith rivers during the winter months. High water has limited the opportunity to fish so far this season, but when conditions are good, the fishing also has been decent. Capt. Rye, Andy, Travis, Mick and Sam are licensed river guides and ocean charter boat captains, and take customers down the rivers in custom drift boats, using light spinning tackle to catch steelhead in the scenic Smith along Redwood National Park, and the Upper Chetco deep inside the Siskiyou National Forest. To learn more about river trips, visit www.wildriversfishing.com.
We have also updated our recipe section, with dozens of tasty ways to prepare rockfish, lingcod, halibut, salmon and steelhead. Check out the recipes here.
Creamy Lingcod and Shrimp Pasta is just one of the delicious recipes in our recipe section.
We will learn the season dates for salmon, halibut and the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse in April. Halibut season is expected to run its normal May 1-Oct. 31 season out of Brookings. The lighthouse and other California waters closed early last year, and tighter bag limits are expected this year, similar to Oregon limits that have been in place to ensure the fishery is sustainable. Typically, the lighthouse opens in May, with good fishing the entire summer. California waters are expected to have a depth restriction of 120 feet or shallower this year, but that will have minimal impact on the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet, since our crew specializes in fishing shallow water with light tackle for big fish.
The Oregon lingcod and rockfish season is open year round, with a five-fish limit for rockfish and two additional lingcod. The minimum size for lingcod is 22 inches.
BROOKINGS, Ore. (Aug. 6, 2023) – Two weeks of mostly nice ocean conditions resulted in some of the best fishing of the entire year to end July and begin August, as the Brookings Fishing Charters fleet enjoyed excellent catches of lingcod and rockfish at the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse. The first albacore tuna of the season also were caught last week, and offshore halibut action heated up.
Some of the albacore tuna caught last week aboard the Kraken out of Brookings.
Mid-summer is a premier time to fish out of Brookings, as good weather often results in good fishing. Limits of big rockfish and limits or near limits of lingcod have been common at the lighthouse. A few lingcod close to 30 pounds were caught in recent weeks, while plenty of 10- to 15-pounders and several over 20 pounds were brought in by Brookings Fishing Charters customers. Fishing at the lighthouse will continue through mid-October.
Capt. Andy holds an albacore tuna caught aboard the Nauti-Lady last week.Some of the nice tuna caught aboard the Miss Brooke last week.
With calm ocean conditions, Brookings Fishing Charters sent its entire fleet out for albacore tuna last week. The office quickly put trips together based on the tuna call list (call 541-813-1082 to get on it), and nearly 30 customers were able to get out on the Miss Brooke, Kraken, Nauti-Lady, Papa B and Dash. It took a few hours to find the fish, then the action was wide open, with a 50-fish-per-boat average. Trolling tuna clones with rod and reel produced the best action, as the captains found 62-degree water offshore of Pistol River. The action was non-stop until the boats ran out of ice and cooler space for the tuna.
A few tuna from the Nauti-Lady last week.Happy customers with their tuna catch from the Papa B last week.
More tuna trips are expected this week of weather conditions calm down as expected Wednesday and Thursday. Tuna charters are a 10- to 12-hour trip.
Limits of halibut caught in early August aboard the Dash.
Halibut action also improved again last week after a lull in mid-July. The Dash ran a trip over the weekend with full two-fish-per-person limits of Pacific halibut, with fish to 50 pounds caught. Calm weather this week is allow charters to get back offshore for halibut.
Oregon is now the only option for halibut fishing, as the Pacific halibut quota has been reached in California waters. Halibut season runs through October out of Brookings.
Trophy-size vermillion rockfish caught last week aboard the Miss Brooke.A 29-pound lingcod caught aboard the Nauti-Lady at Mack Arch.Limits of lingcod caught at the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse.
On local half-day bottom fishing charters, limits of rockfish are being caught, with fair action on lingcod. A 29-pound lingcod was caught last week aboard the Nauti-Lady at Mack Arch.
Fishing charters may be booked online at www.brookingsfishing.com, or by calling (541) 813-1082.
Here are a few more catch photos from the end of July and beginning of August.
BROOKINGS, Ore. (July 4, 2023) – Lingcod and lunker rockfish have been biting at the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse – when the weather is calm enough to get there – while Pacific halibut action is heating up closer to the Port of Brookings. Albacore tuna, meanwhile, are almost within range of the sport fleet, with a pocket of warm water inching closer to the Oregon Coast.
The Brookings Fishing Charters fleet has been fishing daily, with good success on rockfish and lingcod when the ocean cooperates. Windy weather made fishing challenging the first week of July, but better ocean conditions are expected this coming weekend. Just before the windy weather, halibut catch rates improved. Coho salmon season also is open, but catches on the Southern Oregon Coast have been few and far between.
Limits of lingcod caught aboard the Miss Brooke in June near the lighthouse.
The best bet in recent weeks has been the Point St. George Reef near the historic lighthouse. The productive reef is halfway between Brookings and Crescent City. The best lingcod areas are closer to the lighthouse, where the Brookings charter fleet often returns with limits of both lingcod and lunker rockfish. The Crescent City charter fleet often focuses on South Reef, where rockfish are abundant, but lingcod have been less common this season.
Halibut caught aboard the Dash in late June in 180 feet of water off Brookings.
Halibut action started off slow out of Brookings when the season opened May 1, but catches have improved steadily. Charters in Brookings were averaging a fish per rod at the end of June. Halibut season continues through October. July, August and early September produce the best catch rates out of Brookings. Halibut are caught in 200 to 250 feet of water, 3 to 5 miles offshore. Unlike other areas of the coast, fairly light weights are used while fishing aboard charter boats in Brookings, with 12 ounces to 16 ounces usually enough lead to stay on the bottom.
Deckhand Chris holds a lingcod caught in late June aboard the Nauti-Lady.Capt. Mick with a young angler’s first halibut.
During local half-day bottom fishing trips, the action has been fair, as windy weather and choppy seas have kept boats from more productive areas. With nice weather expected after the Fourth of July holiday, catch rates will improve for lingcod and rockfish as boaters can once again reach the Bird Island, House Rock and Mack Arch areas.
Albacore tuna water is a little more than 50 miles offshore, but as offshore winds subside, surface temperatures will increase and the bubble of warm water will move closer to shore. Tuna could be within 30 miles by mid-July. Brookings Fishing Charters operates off of a call list for tuna. When the forecast shows good weather conditions, the booking office will put trips together. Call (541) 813-1082 to be added to the call list.
Capt. Kirby holds a tiger rockfish caught aboard the Miss Brooke at the lighthouse.
BROOKINGS, Ore. (April 30, 2023) – Ocean anglers fishing out of the Port of Brookings are anxiously awaiting a couple of season openers that provide Alaska-style fishing closer to home. Pacific halibut season opens May 1, and although giant barndoor halibut are rare off the Oregon Coast, the average size is similar to Alaska. Oregon halibut seasons are also less restrictive, and charter anglers often return with limits.
Fishing at the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse, meanwhile, opens May 15. The lingcod and rockfish action, with potential for trophy fish, rivals the saltwater action in Alaska and British Columbia. Brookings Fishing Charters will be offering trips for halibut and the lighthouse daily, as the weather allows.
Ocean salmon season opens June 17 off the coast of Brookings. Poor runs expected back to the Sacramento and Klamath rivers have led to an ocean salmon closure in California this year, but the Oregon Coast will be open to hatchery coho salmon, also known as silver salmon. Brookings often has the best coho fishing on the Oregon Coast during the first part of the season, before the bulk of the run migrates north to traditional hot spots closer to the Columbia River, where the silver salmon spawn. Coho salmon are popular with anglers because of their great taste, and hard fight at the end of the line.
Deckhand Eric holds a lingcod that hitchhiked to the surface on a blue rockfish in April.
Since early March, our charter boats have been running half-day and 6-plus-hour longer ranger lingcod trips, with good success. Those popular bottom fishing trips will continue daily on our six-pack boats and the Nauti-Lady, along with the additional opportunities for halibut and trips to the lighthouse.
Fishing for rockfish has been good on most trips, with limits of large black, blue and canary rockfish. Our charters have been using light tackle in shallow water for the rockfish. The Oregon limit for rockfish is five fish a day, with no depth restriction or delayed opener. Rockfish, also known as Pacific snapper, rockcod or sea bass, include black, blue, canary, vermillion, yellowtail, olive, tiger, copper and China rockfish. Two lingcod a day also may be kept out of Brookings, in addition to the rockfish.
Capt. Kirby holds a lingcod caught on a charter aboard the Kraken.
During our half-day charters, we are catching rockfish in the Bird Island, Twin Rock and House Rock areas. Lingcod are biting best a little north of Bird Island, but in shallow water. We also have run longer-range lingcod trips to Mack Arch with good success.
Some of the lingcod caught aboard the Miss Brooke at Mack Arch.A trophy lingcod caught in late April aboard the Miss Brooke.
Pacific halibut opener
Halibut migrate into shallow water during the spring and summer to feed, after spawning at depths close to 2,000 feet during the winter in the Gulf of Alaska. Out of Brookings, halibut are caught in 200 to 300 feet of water early in the season, and a little shallower as summer arrives. Catch rates also improve later in the season, but fish are caught as soon as the season opens. This year, the season out of Brookings runs May 1-Oct. 31, seven days a week, with no depth restriction.
Halibut and lingcod are often caught during our charters to the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse.
The Brookings Fishing Charters crew is the most experienced group of halibut charter captains on the Southern Oregon Coast. Capt. Andy, Capt. Travis and Capt. Rye each spent a decade running halibut charter boats in Alaska. They also have extensive experience on the Oregon Coast. Capt. Michael, Capt. Mick and Capt. Mike also have been very successful at catching halibut off of Brookings, and at the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse.
Some of the halibut caught last summer with Brookings Fishing Charters.
Brookings Fishing Charters offers halibut charters, or halibut and rockfish or halibut and salmon combos. Halibut average around 20 pounds off the coast of Oregon, the same size as most of the fish in Alaska (although fish over 100 pounds appear more frequently in Alaska). Each season, customers with Brookings Fishing Charters catch halibut over 30, 40 and 50 pounds. The biggest caught by one of our customers was 60 inches, and nearly 100 pounds.
In Brookings, Oregon, halibut season is open seven days a week. One halibut a day of any size may be kept. Six halibut a year may be kept. In Alaska, several days a week are closed, there is a reverse slot limit (so anglers are often limited to small chicken halibut) and the annual non-resident limit is less.
Point St. George Reef Lighthouse
Halfway between Brookings and Crescent City is the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse, which has some of the best lingcod and rockfish action on the entire Pacific coast. The productive reef is situated near two marine reserves. With seasonal closures, the rockfish and lingcod populations are extremely healthy. Large rockfish, with a great variety of color, are caught near the lighthouse, along with trophy lingcod. Each season, several fish pushing 30 pounds and a few topping 40 pounds are caught near the lighthouse.
Limits of lingcod are common at the Point St. George Reef Lighthouse.Triple hookups of big fish is a common occurrence at the lighthouse.
Brookings Fishing Charters runs trips on all of its boats to the lighthouse with special Commercial Passenger Fishing Vessel permits from the California Department of Fish and Wildlife. Because the trips originate in Oregon, our boats have the option of fishing for coho salmon, or halibut, on the way back to port. Salmon season is closed in California this year, and the halibut quota often is reached quickly in California, so Brookings is the ideal starting and ending location for Alaska-style combo trips to the lighthouse. Our boats often get their limits of bottom fish at the lighthouse, and then troll for salmon after they reach the border and continue back toward the harbor.
Lingcod like these, caught last summer aboard the Nauti-Lady, are a top draw at the lighthouse.A colorful variety of rockfish and lingcod caught last summer aboard the Kraken.Eric holds a hefty lingcod caught next to the lighthouse aboard the Nauti-Lady last summer.Brent with a pair of trophy vermillion rockfish caught aboard the Nauti-Lady at the lighthouse.
The lighthouse is approximately 11 miles from Brookings, almost straight out from the harbor. The reef and best fishing is a little further, in what is known locally as the “Dragon Channel” a lingcod and trophy rockfish infested area of the reef. Swift currents, sudden depth changes, and an extremely rugged undersea terrain provide ideal habitat for big rockfish and lingcod. Oldtimers tell stories of lingcod between 50 and 70 pounds, and each season plenty of trophy lings are caught.
Giant vermilion rockfish, jumbo canary rockfish and trophy copper rockfish are caught on nearly every trip. Our customers also encounter rare tiger rockfish at the lighthouse, and often catch (and release) giant yelloweye rockfish, which are protected and cannot be kept.
A nice variety of lingcod and rockfish from the lighthouse.
Ocean salmon opens June 17
This year’s ocean salmon season runs June 17-Aug. 31. Two hatchery coho, or silver salmon, may be kept each day. While Chinook runs are down this year on the Sacramento and Klamath Rivers, leading to the ocean king salmon closure, coho runs are healthy. This year’s quota in Oregon is 110,000 fish, well above the average quota of 28,000 to 40,000 coho. The ocean abundance of Columbia River and Oregon Coast coho is more than 1 million fish. Those salmon spent the first part of their ocean life in deep water off of California and Southern Oregon, making Brookings the ideal spot to catch them in June and early July, before they migrate back to the Columbia River.
Coho salmon are plentiful off of Brookings in June. These were caught aboard the Miss Brooke.Limits of coho salmon last summer aboard the Miss Brooke.Coho salmon are great for young anglers because the action is often fast and furious.
When coho schools are thick, which is often the case early in the season, double and triple hookups are common, and limits are the norm. The Brookings Fishing Charters captains have a well-earned reputation of being the top-producing ocean salmon skippers out of Brookings.
We catch salmon trolling herring or anchovies behind flashers. Divers are often used for coho, but downriggers are also mounted on the boats in case lines must be fished deeper.
Similar to halibut, several of the Brookings Fishing Charters captains have years of experience running charter boats in Alaska for coho salmon.
Local half-day trips
Our 4-hour local bottom fishing trips are still our most popular ocean charters. These are good for young anglers, or people who don’t want to spend a lot of time on the water, or be very far from shore. Limits of rockfish are common on these trips, and the action is often fast and furious, with anglers catching two fish at a time, and a large variety of fish. All of the fish are great to eat, and customers keep their catch.
The Nauti-Lady returns to port after a half-day trip in April on a beautiful spring day.
To learn more about our ocean charters, visit www.brookingsfishing.com, or book by calling our office, (541) 813-1082.
Here are some of the catches from last week on our charters out of Brookings.
The Miss Brooke fishing off of Brookings in late April.
