Lingcod season off to good start off coast of Brookings

BROOKINGS, Ore. - After being closed since mid-September, lingcod and rockfish season re-opened Jan. 1 on the Oregon Coast, with very good fishing when ocean conditions have allowed boats to get out.

Limits of lingcod caught Jan. 1, 2018, off the coast of Brookings aboard the Miss Brooke of Brookings Fishing Charters. 

Capt. Andy Martin of Brookings Fishing Charters said he had two boats out on Jan. 1 and 2, the first two days of the season, and both returned with easy limits of lingcod, as well as fish boxes full of rockfish.
"The lingcod fishing was even better than expected," Martin said. "We knew we were going to have good fishing for lingcod, but the bite was as wide open as I've ever seen. We actually let more lingcod go than we kept, and everyone got limits of lingcod. The first day, we had seven lingcod in the box in the first half hour. We returned with 24 keepers for our 12 customers on both boats, plus let a bunch go."
Brookings Fishing Charters ran another lingcod trip Jan. 7, once again getting easy limits.
Rough weather has prevented the Brookings charter fleet from running any trips since the first week of January. Big wells and strong winds have made the ocean too rough to fish.
The lingcod were biting copper jigs, whole herring, twin-tail scampies and flutter jigs.
Brookings Fishing Charters operates two six-pack boats out of Brookings, as well as booking charters for the other six-pack operators in Brookings, including Old Dog Sportfishing. The smaller, faster boats get to the fishing grounds quickly, and specialize in light-tackle lingcod and rockfish.
Charters will continue as soon as calm weather returns to the Oregon Coast.
Late winter and spring offer good opportunities for lingcod, which migrate to shallow water to spawn.
The limit is two lingcod per person, plus five rockfish, with any combination of black and blue snapper, canary rockfish, China, quillback, copper and vermilion.
For information, visit www.brookingsfishing.com.
Below are some photos from the first few trips of the 2018 season with Brookings Fishing Charters.

Giant vermilion rockfish caught by Brookings Fishing Charters

During the 2017 ocean bottom fishing season out of the Port of Brookings on the Southern Oregon Coast, the crew of the Miss Brooke of Brookings Fishing Charters got customers into an impressive number of big vermilion rockfish.
These spectacular-looking rockfish are among the most prized bottom fish anglers catch on the Oregon Coast. Aside from providing great fillets for fish and chips, the vermilion rockfish are hard fighters and among the coolest of all rockfish in appearance. Sometimes called red snapper, the vermilions are found off the coasts of Oregon and California. Brookings is one of the best spots on the Oregon coast to catch them.
The world record vermilion rockfish weighed 12 pounds and was caught off the coast of Depoe Bay, Oregon, in 1990. This summer, customers of Brookings Fishing Charters caught several just under the world record size.
Capt. Andy Martin and Capt. Travis Sallander are among the most successful charter boat captains on the Oregon Coast and getting customers into limits of big rockfish and lingcod, and each season catch some of the biggest vermilion rockfish on the coast.
Here are some photos of a few of the trophy vermilion rockfish from the 2017 season.
To book a trip with Brookings Fishing Charters, visit www.brookingsfishing.com

2017 Brookings ocean charter season begins (March 4, 2017 fishing report)

After one of the roughest, stormiest winters in recent memory, the ocean out of the Port of Brookings Harbor on the Southern Oregon Coast has finally begun to settle down, allowing the first charter boat trips of the year.
So far this season, fishing for lingcod and rockfish has been good. The lingcod are in shallow water spawning right now, so we don't have to go out very far to catch them.
Rockfish of all sizes also are being found in abundant numbers from just past Chetco Point on up to Bird Island, Twin Rocks, House Rock and beyond.
Brookings Fishing Charters ran a couple of trips in late February. The first trip of the season was a huge success, with limits of lingcod and rockfish. The action was fast, with a good grade of big black rockfish and nice lings. The second trip took place on a marginal weather day, and despite white caps and a strong southerly wind, we were able to get limits of rockfish. Fishing for lings was tough, however, as we were not able to get very far past the jetties.
Crabbing also is off to a good start. We will be dropping crab pot during our charters for a nice crab/lingcod/rockfish combo.
Remember, we have new rockfish regulations this season. The lingcod limit remains two, while the rockfish seven-fish-limit has a number of sub-limits. Anglers can keep up to six black rockfish per day, seven canary rockfish, and a four-fish mix of blues, Chinas, quillback and copper rockfish. The limit also can include up to seven vermilion rockfish. Again, the total rockfish limit is seven fish in combination, and also includes kelp greenling and cabezon.
We will find out in April what the salmon regulations will be this summer. Early word is we will have some kind of ocean king season in May and June.
Let us know if you want to get on the calendar for this spring and summer. Visit www.brookingsfishing.com or call (541) 813-1082.
Looking forward to seeing you on the water.
- Capt. Andy Martin
Brookings Fishing Charters.

Here are a few photos from our first charters of the season.

A nice green-colored lingcod from our first charter of the season in February 2017.

How's this for an early season lingcod?

A nice limit of lingcod and rockfish.

A dandy lingcod from the first charter of the season out of Brookings, Oregon.

Capt. Andy holds a nice lingcod from the start of our 2017 ocean charter season.

Some nice rockfish are being caught already out of the Port of Brookings Harbor.

A double of nice rockfish.

We specialize in light-tackle lingcod and rockfish charters.

We are finding a god grade of rockfish already.