Brookings, Or rock cod trip

[Bill B]

I booked a trip for Wednesday, July 10, for a 6 hour ling/rock cod trip.  I need to fill the freezer after someone  emptied the freezer in hopes of filling it with bluefin on the June 3 day.

I booked with brookings fishing charters, price was $185 out the door. Anyone interested in joining me?  Bill

[Brewcrafter]

Go get 'em Bill! - john

[Bill B]

Checked the Windy app forecast.  10 knot NW winds with 5' swells at 6 seconds.  Not great but much better than three June 3 day.  Hoping to put a couple ling cod on the menu.   Bill

[Gfish]

Don't know if that's the same company, or personnel, but I'd check back with 'em just before you leave. Back in the early '90's, I paid a day in advance and at the last minute they canceled bottom fishing in favor of Salmon only. Unethical, because I believe, it was a purely a $ thing.

A bunch of tourists showed-up that AM and I guess wanted Salmon(or were talked into it). Smallish Coho's were just outside the breakwater and the limit was one. Easy Peasy, as the Captain could save on time and fuel. They offered to buy me a Salmon stamp, but I disembarked without a word and went up to get a c. card refund, got apologies up there too, but my look shut 'em down.

Have fun and get fishy Brother Bill!

[Bill B]

Good to know. I'm supposed to get a call the day before to confirm. After getting blanked I'm June I'm ready to catch anything. So far the reports are a few Kings being caught and good bottom fishing. Bill

[Keta]

Lingcod fishing out of Brookings is usualy hot.

[MarkT]

5' @ 6 seconds doesn't sound fun!

[Bill B]

Trip report:

I was contacted yesterday to confirm my booking and instructed to be at the landing by 0600 hrs for check in.  You know my mantra, Early is on time, on time is late, late is unacceptable. So I left the house in Crescent City at 0500 hrs for the 25 minute drive, which was actually about 40 minutes due to dark highways and unfamiliar roads.

At the landing, guys were already checking in.  When my turn came up the clerk stated I owed $165 for my booking.  Damn, I made my booking online and though I paid the whole ticket.  Well a quick check of my reservation showed the website only collects a deposit.  No worries paid the remainder and was assigned to the 6 pack "Miss Brooke"  a 29' all aluminum boat (KingFisher) with twin 150hp Mercury's and a kicker hanging off the back. 

Now I will admit I'm a noob when it comes to fishing out of Brookings, OR and 6 packs.  This was to be a rock cod/ling cod trip.  Well heck, I've fished for those plenty of times, so I packed a Penn 310GTI with 30lb mono and a 114H YTS with 80 braid backing and 40lb topshot of mono.  Plus an assortment of shrimp flys, hooks, and diamond jigs.  When I boarded the boat I got disapproving looks from the dechand and Captain Travis.  The deckie took my rods and said "Hmmmm, mono" and shook his head.  Well heck if a mono topshot is good enough for yellowtail, why not rock cod.  Guess I should have read the fine print that stated this was a full service charter with ALL gear supplied.  Looking around I saw Penn Squalls in the overhead rocket launchers and a stack of trout rods piled in the corner.  Rods were 6' Diawa Trevally and the reels were budget Okuma spinners filled to the top with 50lb (?) Yellow braid.  The deckie offered to set up the 310GTI for me.  Heck why not, this will be a learning experience.  He pulled out a pre-tied 30" leader with shrimp flys and 4oz of lead.  OK, roll with the flow.

While I waited for the rest of the group to show up, waiting for 4, I met an old timer, Captain Scotty.  A medically retired crab boat skipper, who is confined to a wheelchair.  He was set up in a jumpseat on the port rail and never left that spot for the entire trip.  Around 0630 hrs the rest of the group showed up, grandpa, son, and 2 grandkids. Not a friendly group.

The deckie gave the safety briefing while the motors warmed up and we pulled out.  We already knew it was going to be a "sporty" trip so the group of 4 sought refuge in the cabin while the deckie, Captain Scotty, and I made small talk.  The harbor was calm as we always expect, but as we neared the harbor mouth Captain Travis told us "to hold on".  Crossing  the sandbar was technical and for about a mile further it was REALLY technical.  Quite a few times he powered down as we crashed into the swells.  He was going to try to head north to Mack's Arch (?) But as we rounded the point it wasn't happening. A quick U-Turn to calmer waters.  And by calmer it was typical AT.com swells, 5-8 on 6 seconds in a 29' boat.

We pulled up on a reef approximately 60' dropped in and started jigging. Depths ranged from 22' to 98'. The bottom of the whole area we fished was really grabby, with sharp drop offs.  The first couple drifts cost me a couple rigs with few fish to show.  The rest of the group were putting 1's and 2's on the board. After losing my second rig, the deckie offered me a trout pole and I accepted. Finally getting the hang of this I put 3 keepers on the board with plenty of dinks released.  The boat did catch 2 silver salmon and 1 coho.  All were released due to barbless restrictions. They were around 5lbs each.  Limits of blue and black bass were caught ranging from Golden Carp Award candidates to about 4lbs. No ling cod were caught.  As 1130 hrs approached we could see white caps in the distance and started for the barn.

At the dock we all disembarked to use the head while fish were cleaned.  I made it back to the boat as Captain Scotty was being wheeled up in his chair and before the group of 4 returned.  I stuffed $50 in the tip jar and was handed a limit of filets.  Funny how that happened.

My wife, Lee, was in Brookings prowling the antique stores so we met up for Classic Italian subs at the Railroad Street Market and Deli, highly recommend their subs BTW.  Made it back to Crescent City by 1530hrs, cleaned the gear, vacuum packed the fish and took a nap.

The boat was fast and comfortable, Captain Travis was knowledgeable, the deck hand was efficient. Weather conditions really limited where we could fish. It was a good trip with lots learned.  Bill

[JasonGotaProblem]

I love reading trip reports from fisheries on the polar opposite corner of the country from me. Some would say the most valuable thing in the world is perspective. And detailed writeups like this help me improve mine. So thank you.

[Mjg378]

Bill, thanks for the report.  I have to admit the bar sounded very interesting!! 
  I would have thought at those depths a 310 with 30lb mono would have been a good choice.  Was it that sensitive of a bite the braid made it easier to detect?
Mike

[Keta]

Oregon has depth restrictions with "all depth" days.

Too bad you couldn't get to Mack Arch.  The rock stinks of guano but the fishing is fantastic.  On the rare calm days you can get large lingcod in the kelp beds behind the wash rocks and the rockfish average 4 pounds.

[Hardy Boy]

Fishing is always fun and always different. Good times. Good report.

Todd

[Bill B]

Bill, thanks for the report.  I have to admit the bar sounded very interesting!! 
  I would have thought at those depths a 310 with 30lb mono would have been a good choice.  Was it that sensitive of a bite the braid made it easier to detect?
Mike

Mike not a sensitive bite at all, the braid seemed to help getting your rig back from the rocks.

Lee, according the boat capt, the water has been too rough for the kelp to grow and not get pulled off the bottom.

[Keta]

The area behind the wash rocks is dangerous most of the time too, it takes a very flat ocean to go behind them.  One person has to be at the helm always and I fish 100-130 pound line on HX and FTH40 size reels due to fishing in the normal heavy kelp beds.  I replace the 30 foot 50 pound topshots with 40 feet of the heavy spectra on top of the 60 pound Spectra the reels are spooled with and use a  3 foot  80-100 pound mono topshot. 

Lots of good habitat on the outside though but it gets fished often. When fishing outside much lighter gear is best, 30 pound on a Surfmaster 100 size reel works well (I fish it on a 30 pound rod but the reels are spooles with 60 pound Spectra).   I use 3 foot 50 pound chafing leaders when fishing for lingcod and 12-16 inch swimbaits on the same rigs.

[Gfish]

Great narrative Bill.
100' or less, using a Bass or trout rod with 2oz. or less, is my favorite way to get them Rockfish and Cabezon. Lingers are a bit much for that lite a rig. Also, rough-moving boat conditions can mess-up lite rig fishin.