# Mackinaw!!!



## Finnegan (Sep 7, 2007)

So, I'm seeing several reports about kokanee at the Gorge, and sure enough, the kokanee fishing there is red hot. Most fishermen are catching on average one every half hour. But let's get serious - any dummy can catch kokanee. :wink:

Lake trout are native only to the northern parts of North America and Canada. Also known as mackinaw, lake char (or charr), touladi, togue, and grey trout, they are actually a breed of char.

First, I boated from Mustang Ridge into a sheltered campsite. Good thing, too - it rained almost constantly for the 4 days I was there.










I love Mustang because it's a beautiful area, completely unlike the Wyoming side of the Gorge. Deer, elk, bighorn sheep, herons, osprey...plenty to see while waiting for the next fish.














































And the "Gorge" part of Flaming Gorge is all in Utah, where you can troll in 150 feet of water and still be within a few feet of the cliffs that make up it's shore. Not much more than a hand's reach from swallow's nests.










But this is supposed to be a fishing report. Okay...surface water water temp is 61 degrees. I used a #9 broken back Rapala in brown trout imitation (looks just like a mackinaw fry) with lead core line running 40-80 feet deep at 1 1/2 - 2 mph. The result was a whole bunch of BIG macks, none less than 10 lbs and the biggest running 32" and about 18 lbs.



















The camera is zoomed back as far as it will go - the fish almost don't fit in the frame. 8)














































FWIW, rainbow and smallmouth bass action is also red hot right now. From time to time, (just to give my arms a rest from fighting macks), I tossed a shad rap and/or a Berkeley Gulp silver shiner (Carolina rig) and either took a rainbow or a smallie on just about every cast. Mid-day action for smallies is good in deeper water using senkos. Shore fishermen are catching 12-14" rainbows using crawlers in the morning.

Burbot fishermen are taking lots of fish with anything that stinks, fishing on the bottom in 60 to 100 feet of water from 8:30-Midnight.










Bottom line: get your butt to Flaming Gorge!


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## plottrunner (Apr 3, 2008)

Nice Haul Finn..... --\O


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## .45 (Sep 21, 2007)

Finn.... :shock: :shock: 

An excellent report !! Just excellent !!

Man, you got really got into them and it looks like you had a heck of a good time..................thanks for the report !!


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## Nor-tah (Dec 16, 2007)

Very nice report!! That campsite looked sweet!! Way to go on the macks too! Reports from mods are always enjoyable.


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## LOAH (Sep 29, 2007)

Great report, I enjoyed it. Very informative and useful. Thanks.


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## tuffluckdriller (May 27, 2009)

I live just 1hr. 15 min. away from the Gorge. I wish I had time, energy, and means to get into macs like that. Good Job!!


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## Grandpa D (Sep 7, 2007)

Great report Fin.
My trip to the Gorge won't be till early July.
I can't wait!


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## fixed blade XC-3 (Sep 11, 2007)

Nice job finn, you really gave em hell.


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## Christopher30 (Nov 9, 2007)

it's good to see a mack report on here, those look like some nice fat macks...


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## orvis1 (Sep 7, 2007)

Some very nice fish porn for a Monday morning, looks like a great trip despite the rain!


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## mcc9 (May 20, 2008)

Nice fish! Hopefully you left some for the rest of us!!


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## Artoxx (Nov 12, 2008)

Nice fish and great report.
I do however have a question.
What the heck is a Burbot?
I looked them up via my search engine and came up with pics of a long snakey looking fish that looks like one of those snakeheads that they have all the problems with back east.

http://www.classicnatureprints.com/pr.D ... burbot.jpg

Is that what a Burbot really looks like HERE? Or is this another episode of local name not agreeing with general definition?

Never seen one, never caught one, and as far as I can remember, first time I have ever even HEARD of one.

Are they good to eat? Sounds like catfishing method to catch them, other than the depth.
??????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????

There are lots of things I haven't caught, but not that many I haven't HEARD of, at least I rarely get surprised by something the way this did. :?:


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## ntrl_brn_rebel (Sep 7, 2007)

Artox

That is exactly what they are, they are interesting to say the least, but they are great on the table!! I have only caught them jigging through the ice, but I sure have been itching to try this summer, I would imagine catfishing techniques would work well.

Great Report Finnegan, looks like an awesome trip to the Gorge, I gotta get over there!!


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## Hellsangler69 (Sep 26, 2007)

Good report . I need to get my boat wet there


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## sfy2004 (Jun 2, 2008)

i'm jealous, have not been to the Gorge in many, many years.
those are some nice macks you caught, well done.

maybe if we ever get a sunny weekend i can finally get back up there


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