Chetco River - OR

When the Chetco River gets blown out and has a chocolate-brown coloration, as this photo shows at 4,000 cfs on Friday, it is unfishable. All anglers can do is watch-and-wait for the river to drop and clear. Photo by Larry Ellis

Nate and Dennis Alexander were fishing with David Castellanos from brookingsoceanfishing.com last week when they put the hurtin' on some large black rockfish as well as some China cod while fishing out of the Port of Brookings Harbor. Photo by Larry Ellis

With no rain in the forecast, boaters continued to troll the Chetco bay last Thursday in the hopes of one solid take-down from a big king. Photo by Larry Ellis.

Employees of the Port of Brookings Harbor trowel off a cement pad, an addition to the cleaning station - a place where anglers can conveniently wash out and clean their ice chests. Photo by Larry Ellis.

When Chetco bay trollers went 4 or more hours without a strike, they stuck gold in the form of big lingcod outside the entrance to the Port of Brookings Harbor in 40 feet of water or less. Photo by Larry Ellis.

Scott Gunn and Craig Chisum from Nevada nailed these two chrome-bright kings last week while trolling the Chetco bay with guide Jack Hanson of Jack's Guide Service.

Boats troll the Chetco bay in the hopes of getting one savage take-down from a fresh Chinook.

Anglers are missing out on some spectacular rockfishing out of the Port of Brookings Harbor. This gentleman is holding up two huge copper rockfish, part of a limit of other large rockfish species that he and two other passengers slew on Thursday.

Getting a large, heavy Chinook in a boot to the hatchery truck has to be an assembly line project, being handed to the first person at the bottom of the line. Photo by Larry Ellis.

A booted Chinook is passed from person to person up the line until it reaches its final destination, being put into the hatchery truck, while the people on the line eagerly anticipate the next salmon. Photo by Larry Ellis.

Members of Oregon South Coast Fishermen and ODFW pull a seine full of 50 thrashing Chinook at Social Security Bar on the Chetco River last Thursday. Photo by Larry Ellis.