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.

Lingcod fishing remains good out of Brookings, big rockfish also biting (May 6, 2015)

This year's lingcod fishing has been the best in recent memory out of the Port of Brookings Harbor. I've been fishing out of here since I was a little kid, and in over 30 years I haven't seen it this good. We have been getting limits almost daily since early March. It used to be you would go out and get a limit of rockfish and be happy with two to four lingcod brought to the boat. Now we are limiting out the whole boat (the Oregon limit is two lingcod per person per day at least 22 inches long) and releasing some small ones as well.
We normally get a few weeks of wide open lingcod fishing during the spawn each spring, but the hot fishing has continued for three months, and even in January and February we were getting them when the ocean was flat enough to fish. It doesn't show any sign of slowing down either.
Unlike some of the other charters out of Brookings, we specifically target lingcod, and it has been paying off. We use baits and lures with the sole intent of catching lings, and are fishing reefs where they are likely to be holding. Lingcod are extremely aggressive fish, and very territorial, and we take advantage of that to trick them into biting.
The quality of the rockfish (black rockfish, blue rockfish, canary rockfish and vermilion rockfish) also has improved in recent weeks. We are finding bigger fish and coming back with limits of them as well. Sometimes rockfish are referred to as black bass, sea bass, rock cod, snapper or black bombers. For them, we use light spinning rods, which makes the fight much more enjoyable.
The last week we've dealt with some extremely strong northwest winds, but we have still managed to find the lingcod close to the harbor and get limits. It looks like the ocean will be laying down beginning Thursday and with lighter winds in the morning we are hopeful of pushing north a little to fish some reefs that haven't been hit in a while.
Salmon season is open out of Brookings now, but the winds have kept us in close. Typically the kings are in deeper water early in the season, and it's been too rough to get that far out. They will move closer to shore as the baitfish push toward the beach. That will happen soon as the krill already is thick just outside of the harbor. The rockfish we are catching are stuffed with krill.
We have open seats throughout the month for both lingcod/rockfish trips, and salmon/bottom fishing combos.
Please call or email if you want to get in on the action. Visit www.brookingsfishing.com, (541) 813-1082 or (206) 388-8988 (my cell), or email wildriversfishing@yahoo.com.
- Capt. Andy Martin
Brookings Fishing and Wild Rivers Fishing
www.brookingsfishing.comn
www.wildriversfishing.com
(541) 813-1082
(206) 388-8988 cell

Here are a few photos from our last trip.

Mike with a nice lingcod caught just outside of the jetties at the Port of Brookings Harbor on May 4.

Terry with a beautiful green-colored lingcod.

A nice tote full of lingcod and rockfish makes for some great Fish and Chips!

Mike, Mike, Don and Terry with some of the lingcod we caught May 4. We also released several smaller ones. The limit in Oregon is two lingcod a day at least 22 inches long.

We have been finding a very nice grade of black rockfish, also known as sea bass, black snapper, rock cod or black bombers. These fish have a nice firm, white fillet that is excellent for deep frying or for fish tacos.

A very nice catch of lingcod.