Brookings lingcod and rockfish biting well (3-29-2015)

For the past four weeks we've been enjoying a red hot lingcod bite and steady action for rockfish. When the weather is nice we've been getting limits of both. The lingcod have been in shallow water spawning, although some have now started to return to deeper water.
The best fishing has been in the Bird Island to House Rock area, although some days also have been good just south of the port near Aiken Point.
For lingcod, we've been using whole herring, live bait (kelp greenling) and large jigs. Shrimp flies and lead anchovies are working well for the rockfish.
For 2015, the rockfish and lingcod limits are: 7 rockfish a day, 3 of which may be blue rockfish and 1 can be a canary. This is the first time in nearly a decade we've been able to keep canary rockfish. In addition to the rockfish we can keep two lingcod a day, at least 22 inches long.
We have dates open throughout April and May and into the summer, with three boats currently working out of BrookingsFishing.com (my 26-footer, Rye Phillips' 24-footer and Scott Stewart's 24-footer).
Salmon season opens in May. We have already caught and released nice king salmon during out bottom fishing trips, so get ready!
To book your trip, call 541-813-1082 or visit brookingsfishing.com.
Here are some photos from recent trips.

Limits of lingcod!

Capt. Rye's group with limits of nice lingcod.

Capt. Andy with a black rockfish out of the Port of Brookings. Rockfish are also known as snapper, rockcod, sea bass and black bass.

We can now keep canary rockfish!

Capt. Rye with a nice canary rockfish,

Big lingcod caught with Capt. Andy.

Liz with a lunker lingcod.

Another limit of nice lingcod.

Plenty of room and seating on Capt. Andy's 26-foot Alumaweld.

Kenzie's first ever lingcod.

The Renfro family visited Brookings for Spring Break and enjoyed hot lingcod and rockfish action.

Limits of rockfish with a few canary rockfish mixed in.

Quality rockfish.

These are going to make great fish and chips.

Four nice lingcod to go with limits of rockfish,

A couple of nice lingcod out of the Port of Brookings with Capt. Andy.

Lingcod, rockfish go on bite off of Brookings (3-3-2015)

With spring-like weather and decent ocean conditions, fishing for lingcod and rockfish out of the Port of Brookings has been good the past few days, with limits of both coming back to the docks.
We had one boat out today, and despite some strong northwest winds that began late in the morning, fishing was good.
Capt. Rye Phillips has run the last couple of trips for BrookingsFishing.com, and he has returned to the dock with limits of nice lingcod and big black rockfish.

Nice lingcod like this one caught by one of our customers have been common this week. The lings are in shallow to spawn, making them easier to target. We have been catching lings in 50 feet of water, allowing our customers to fight them with light spinning rods. Also, because the lings are in close, we have been able to catch them in the protected water of Chetco Cove, where the northwest wind isn't much of a factor.

The lingcod have been running 24 to 36 inches. The biggest one today was around 15 pounds. We also have found a good grade of rockfish. Out of Brookings, the limit is seven rockfish a day, three of which can be blue rockfish. You can keep two lingcod per person at least 22 inches long. Beginning soon, the rockfish limit will include one canary rockfish a day. For the past decade, we have had to release all the canary rockfish we catch. Canary rockfish are sometimes called red snapper by the locals.

After we return to the docks with limits, our captains and deckhands fillet and bag your catch. The filleting is included with the cost of the charter.
Rockfish and lingcod trips are $100 a person. Remember, we specialize in smaller groups of six passengers or less. You won't be crammed onto a boat with 20 other anglers, so it is more likely you will catch your full individual limit of lings and rockfish, and salmon when those trips begin. The charters may be a few dollars per person more than on the cattle boats, but our boaters are faster so you spend more time fishing and less time running to the fishing grounds, and you get to fish with a much smaller group.
To book, call 541-813-1082 or 206-388-8988 or visit brookingsfishing.com.