New Oregon rockfish and lingcod regulations (Dec. 9, 2016)

Oregon anglers can keep bigger variety of rockfish, lingcod population stable

BROOKINGS, Ore. - Oregon fishery managers have adopted the rockfish and lingcod regulations for the 2017 season, allowing anglers to keep a wider variety of rockfish while maintaining the seven-fish limit for snapper and two-fish limit for lings.

Oregon anglers will be allowed to keep more canary rockfish in 2017. In 2016, only one could be kept. In 2017, up to seven can be kept as part of the seven-fish total limit for rockfish.

Lingcod populations on the Oregon Coast have remained stable, allowing the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife to keep the two-fish limit for lings. The minimum size remains 22 inches.
Oregon's lingcod and rockfish season remains open year round, keeping it the only state on the West Coast with 12 months of lingcod and rockfish fishing.
The 2017 ocean fishing regulations were set at the Dec. 2, 2016, Oregon Fish and Wildlife Commission meeting. Seasons and limits for salmon and halibut will be set in the spring of 2017.
Anglers will be allowed to continue to keep seven rockfish per day. The daily limit of black rockfish is six fish, as part of the seven-fish overall limit that includes other species of rockfish, as well as kelp greenling and cabezon. The two-fish lingcod limit is in addition to the seven rockfish.
Rockfish are also known as rock cod, sea bass and snapper.
During previous seasons, anglers could keep only one canary rockfish and three blue rockfish as part of the seven-fish limit. Copper rockfish, China rockfish and quillback rockfish were prohibited. Beginning in 2017, there is a four-fish sub-limit that includes any mix of blue rockfish, China rockfish, quillbacks and coppers. There is no sub-limit on vermilion rockfish, and now there is no sub-limit on canary rockfish, which have recovered to levels capable of sustaining a fishery, according to federal biologists from the National Marine Fisheries Service. Yelloweye rockfish must still be released.
Fishery managers were concerned about increasing harvest of black rockfish along the entire West Coast, so the daily limit for blacks was reduced from a total of seven to six in Oregon. The one-fish decrease in the black rockfish sub-limit will allow Oregon to keep its 12-month season, biologists said.

An angler holds a trophy vermilion rockfish caught aboard the Miss Brooke of Brookings Fishing Charters during the 2016 season.

In California, meanwhile, the black rockfish limit was reduced to three fish. It is also closed for part of the year.
"The new Oregon Coast regulations are actually really good," said Capt. Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters. "Sure, we now can keep one less black rockfish, but we still will be able to keep seven total rockfish, and now we can keep more canaries, as well as Chinas, coppers and quillbacks. And the sub-limit for blues has increased, as sometimes we get into some pretty good-size blues."
The total limit remains nine fish, Martin said, counting the two lings and seven rockfish.
"We can keep a lot more color now," Martin said. "Anglers will leave with the same amount of fillets as before, and maybe a little bigger when we get into the coppers, quillbacks and canaries."

It's always exciting catching three rockfish at a time. Beginning in 2017, anglers can keep six black rockfish per day as part of the total rockfish limit of seven. Canaries, blues, cabezon, coppers, Chinas, quillbacks, vermilions, blues and kelp greenling also can be kept.

Brookings Fishing Charters begins its 2017 ocean season in March, after steelhead season wraps up on the Chetco and Smith rivers. Trips depart daily from the Port of Brookings Harbor. To book a trip, visit www.brookingsfishing.com or call (541) 813-1082.

The limit for lingcod remains two fish a day at least 22 inches long, in addition to seven rockfish per day.

Big rockfish, big lings, fast action (April 22, 2016)

Although we've been having to run further up the coast to find the best fishing, customers aboard the Miss Brooke, Brookings Fishing Charters' new 29-foot offshore boat, have been enjoying wide open fishing for lunker-size rockfish and lingcod, with quick limits on most days.
The action had been good close to the Port of Brookings, but early last week we had to move around a lot to find fish. So I've been running to some spots beyond where most spot boats fish out of Brookings, and we've been rewarded with an excellent grade of snapper and lings.
Rough weather returned to the Oregon Coast this weekend, but it looks like we will have some decent ocean conditions next week.
Our Ladies and Lings tournament begins May 1.
Visit www.brookingsfishing.com for more information.

To book a trip, call Capt. Andy Martin at (541) 813-1082 or (206) 388-8988 cell/text.

Here are a few photos from the past week.

Glenn with a nice lingcod from this week. Fish was a hitchhiker that hit a large rockfish as it was being reeled in.

Cole with the big lingcod from yesterday with the group from the Middle Rogue Steelheaders.

Another really nice ling.

Two nice green lingcod within minutes of each other.

Ocean salmon seasons out of Brookings set (April 14, 2016)

This year's ocean salmon seasons out of the Port of Brookings Harbor have been adopted by the Pacific Fishery Management Council. Anglers out of Brookings will have a 75-day season, which will run from May 28-Aug. 7 and Sept. 3-5 with a two-king-salmon-a-day limit. The season will be open seven days a week.
The coho season will run June 25-Aug. 7 with a 26,000 hatchery coho quota.
Typically out of Brookings the best ocean salmon fishing during the summer occurs in June and July.
Brookings Fishing Charters will be offering its lingcod/rockfish/crab combos all summer, but also will be running salmon only and salmon/rockfish combo trips during the season. The 29-foot Miss Brooke is equipped with electric downriggers and the finest G.Loomis salmon rods with Shimano Tekota reels.
We will begin the season with El Nino conditions, which generally means warmer ocean temperatures, but the latest NOAA forecasts now indicate we will quickly switch into a La Nina pattern early this summer, which will result in cooler, more favorable temperatures for salmon fishing.
To book your ocean salmon charters, please visit www.brookingsfishing.com or call (541) 813-1082.

Below are a few of the salmon we caught on our charters last summer out of Brookings.