The traps are away and I’m back from Hawaii so im back to my spring routine of lakers on the fly. Its not an easy thing to do here and honestly I don’t think anyone else bothers, but I figured out how to catch some mackinaw on the fly. Macs are deep water fish and they like their water cold so its a spring a fall thing. There are bigger furrier critters to chase in the fall so spring time is a perfect time to chase fish.

Contrary to what most think, lakers do come up in the shallows. We have two strains(lean and dwarf). The dwarf like to stay low and eat the mysis shrimp. The leans are the bigger variety and they much prefer small fish for food. I find good shelves i can barely see the bottom from the bow of the boat. I fish a sinking line in the 6-7 ips but have caught them on 4 ips. Fishing simple clousers tied to imitate perch. Caught 6. Smallest was 25”. Dad picked a bad day to bail.

Impressive

Wicked Awesome !! Great fight of a fly rod.

8-9 Weight ?

Flat head ?

Those are beautiful Lakers! Congrats on their capture. Mackinaw is a nickname I very rarely hear except in the western states. That's odd to, because Mackinaw is here about 2 hours north of me. One of my Great Uncles lived up at the Straights of Mackinaw in the 1920's, and he caught big whopper Lakers there then, and I believe, according to my mother's stories, he used the term Mackinaw.

Not fished for lakers since I lived in NY. We would fish them deep, with downriggers. Fishing for Chinook, Coho, Lakers, Browns or Steelhead. We caught mostly Chinooks and Lakers with Coho being third. Better luck fishing browns off of piers, and Steelhead in the cricks.

Ness. I have a 8 and a 9 in the boat rigged with different lines. I like to have a full quiver. Flathead. Its nice as everyone is in the deep water and I have the shallows to myself

30. I used to fish up there a bit too though i was using the fly rod. I caught a tagged atlantic salmon on a wooly bugger when I was 15. That was a fight! Lots of browns and steelhead in the rivers.

Wow!!
I love to fly fish and that would be an exciting catch for sure. Thanks for sharing that.

I've only ever caught them trolling deep. Got to be a handful on fly rod.
Thanks for sharing.

Mac

Sweet! What's your favorite way to cook them?

Good going!!
I have never had any lock with clouser minnows, must be me?

I only flyfish any more.
I have caught a Laker on fly while fishing for rainbows in a river.
Not as big as yours, and its the only one I have caught on a fly.

picture of the release

To catch them here right now you would need to drill through 30 inches of ice and figure out how to get around in the 30 inches of snow on top of it.

I troll for Trout /Salmon with a 7 w TFO Rod...with lead core line..the newer lighter line. With a Okuma 10/11 reel....can't wait for ice out..

But early spring I use a 4w ...with full sink REO line

Flies only

I cant think of a fish i havent caught with a clouser. Keep the faith

Bernie. Wife is pregnant with #2 on the way so we filled the freezer with fillets. Thats what she wants, thats what she gets! We like to pan sear them and crisp up the skin. Ill be back out again and ill start smoking some. When im not in griz country smoked trout is a great treat in the woods. Im terrified of bringing those smelly treats along in the Bob though

I cant get on board with the trolling but i will say they like the slow steady retrieve. I like the 9 wt just incase. Never know what youll get. 16#

Smoke them, peel them off the skin and pack them in wide mouth pint jars with a teaspoon of vegetable oil and then pressure cook them. The bones will dissolve and you can have fresh smoked fish all year. We do it with suckers and salmon and you can't taste the difference.

I gave up on clousers, too late for them.

The big browns that we catch in the tribs love a stripped fly. I have been retrieving a fly for another cast and seen the water bulge behind the fly indicating a following brown, when that happens strip that fly back as fast as you can and hold on!
Steelheads go either way,just swung with the current or sometimes stripped.

I'm with you tho, no trolling for me, wading rivers is best way to fish. nothing more exciting than a big brown chasing a stripped fly and nailing it in an explosion of water.

Looks like as much fun as a guy could wanna have with rubber boots on!

Terrific!

Osky

Come to Pyramid and maybe we can change your mind with a 15 lb cutthroat.

Great pics and nice looking fish.

I'll be in Nevada in August. But down south near Vegas

I've never caught a cutthroat so I'd like to.
Maybe some year.