Mackinaw or Lake Trout in the winter

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

Many deeper high elevation lakes in Nor Cal have Lake Trout which are in the Char family and I hear are very good eating.

They are usually very deep all summer reported to be caught around 200 feet in lake Tahoe by deep line trolling or vertical jigging.

Pictured here is one of our part time fisheries students, Nick Buckmaster, who catches them in the winter months wadding in Donner Lake east up Hwy 80.

[Woodman]

Nice....one more thing to put on the to-do list.

Wife and kids skiing...dad casting for lakers. Sounds about right.

Streamers?

[Troutstalker55B]

There is an opportunity to hook some big macs during ice out at Gold Lake in May. My neighbor Jack Bouche holds the record there with a 22 pounder. Jack used to guide there and knows the lake very well and has been begging me to come join him to see if I could get one on a fly rod. He thinks a 24ft depth charge sink tip with a large double bunny minnow would work since the macs will hold about 20 feet down off the shoals. Maybe spring of 2011 will be my time to get out there.

Jon.

[Bill Kiene semi-retired]

This year I want to get a Striper in the Pacific surf.....maybe next winter/spring I will go for a Mackinaw?

[Scott V]

This year I want to get a Striper in the Pacific surf

That is on my list this coming year also Bill. Let me know when you go I would love to join you.

[1flyfisher]

They are there, right in the surf. soon as I can figure out wtf? is wrong with uploading a pic to photobucket I will show you some toads caught in the surf pacific o.


This year I want to get a Striper in the Pacific surf.....


http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m207/1flyfisher/Scan_Pic0170.jpg

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m207/1flyfisher/Scan_Pic0174.jpg

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m207/1flyfisher/Scan_Pic0171.jpg

http://i105.photobucket.com/albums/m207/1flyfisher/Scan_Pic0173.jpg

The above fish I caught in a few feet of water right behind the breakers flylining a chovie 3-4 feet deep, Pacific, San fran.

Stripers are right in the drop off behind the breakers Atlantic or pacific. As a wave washes up the beach, stripers will swim with that wave in 2 feet of water and chase peanut bunker up the beach and IF they aren't careful and don't ride that wave back correctly, strand themselves flopping on the beach along with the bunker waiting for the next wave to rescue them. I have picked up 20 pounders stripers and blues(free swimmers) right off the beach as a kid while casting to blitzing fish in the wash and drop off.
Like this, but this is blues.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hSfX8jg7mK0&feature=fvw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZSe19cKQuA



You can catch macs right now at any lake that has them . You do not need to wait for ice out. Well what I mean is is that any lake that has them.....and is ice free(which some are) you can catch macs right now you do not need to wait for spring. You not need a boat. Lake tahoe (all ways ice free) I have caught them(from a kayak) within easy casting distance from shore at different lakes. Caught them with the back of kayak on the beach@tahoe & elsewhere. Coulda used a floater and beadhead weighted bug from shore. Go walk the shorel tahoe or donner. But there are much better lakes to catch mac than tahoe and doner.
6 wt or 8wt is fine, any kind of fast sinking line, shooting head, uniform sink doesn't matter. I have caught them in less than 10 feet of water....coulda used a wf floater/weighted bug. You just have to figure out when and whewre. CLouser>>>make it look like a koke or bow. 2/0 gamakatsu hook, bug 6" long. I have caught them on wooly bugger fishing for bowsw, Doesn't matter they will eat any bugs.

[SHigSpeed]

There is an opportunity to hook some big macs during ice out at Gold Lake in May. My neighbor Jack Bouche holds the record there with a 22 pounder. Jack used to guide there and knows the lake very well and has been begging me to come join him to see if I could get one on a fly rod. He thinks a 24ft depth charge sink tip with a large double bunny minnow would work since the macs will hold about 20 feet down off the shoals. Maybe spring of 2011 will be my time to get out there.

Jon.

Take me! Take me!!:)

_SHig