Coos Bay / Charleston, Oregon
Welcome to the 2023 fishing season in Coos Bay and Charleston, Oregon. The first few months of 2023 has proven to be great for deep water lingcod and rockfish trips.
We had some great days on the ocean already this year. The Lingcod were snapping up everything we showed them in March and the rockfish were hungry too. Pacific Charter Services has been very successful in achieving Lingcod and rockfish limits and we’ve been pretty successful at getting a boatload of smiles as well.
Everyone seems to be having a Super fun time, including a group of our plumber friends from eastern Oregon. We caught everyone’s limit of long leader rockfish and everyone’s limit of Crab to go with all the fish. Little bit wet out there but we still had a ton of fun.
2023 Season Updates
Rockfishing has been particularly fruitful this year, reeling in limits of rockfish species including vermilion, canary, and black rockfish. Many of the rockfishing charters have reported good numbers of fish being caught and some impressive sizes too.
Our Deep Water Lingcod charters have also been successful in 2023, with some monster lingcod being landed. These predatory fish are a popular target for our customers.
Halibut season for 2023 is just around the corner and anglers are getting eager for May to arrive. We’re already filling seats and expect a great season which opens May 1st and many of the charters are already booking up for those first few weeks. Halibut are a challenge to catch but are also very rewarding, with some weighing in at over 80 pounds.
Southern Oregon Subarea (OR/CA Border to Humbug Mountain)
Quota = 8,000 pounds
Opens May 1, seven days per week, through the earlier of the quota or Oct. 31
Statewide regulations
- May be taken by angling with a single line, no more than 2 hooks, and by spear.
- It is mandatory to have a descending device onboard the vessel when fishing for Pacific halibut, and to use a device when releasing any rockfish species when fishing outside of 30 fathoms.
- Daily bag limit: 1 Pacific halibut. Annual limit: 6. No length limit.
- Pacific halibut possession limit: 1 daily limit at sea, 3 daily limits on land.
- Fathom lines and conservation areas are defined by waypoints.
- Pacific halibut seasons are managed and enforced based on port of landing. Halibut may only be landed into ports located within areas currently open to halibut retention, regardless of area of catch.
- During all-depth halibut days, longleader gear fishing OR the traditional general marine bottomfish fishery (lingcod and black rockfish) may be combined with all-depth halibut during days when the bottomfish fishery is not depth restricted. The longleader fishery and traditional bottomfish fishery cannot be combined on the same trip.
- Sablefish, Pacific cod & other flatfish species can be combined with all-depth halibut and the longleader gear or traditional bottomfish fishery. When retained, sablefish and Pacific cod will count towards any bottomfish and/or longleader bag limit.
- When angling for Pacific halibut outside of the 40-fm curve only salmon (as regulations allow), bottomfish as regulations below allow, tuna and most other offshore pelagic species may be in possession or landed when Pacific halibut are onboard the vessel.
- It is unlawful to fish for or take and retain any species while possessing onboard any species not allowed to be taken in that area at the time.
- Anglers are advised to consult the 2023 Oregon Sport Fishing Regulations for General (statewide), Zone, and Special Regulations prior to fishing.
Overall, the 2023 fishing season for rockfishing, lingcod, and ocean crabbing has been off to a great start, with plenty of limits being reported. Anglers are encouraged to book their charters early this year to ensure they get their preferred dates. Tight lines and happy fishing!
