# Flaming Gorge macs



## 30-06-hunter (Sep 22, 2013)

I was invited by my friend Tim's dad to go out on his boat along with another buddy named Mark, so we planned it and we had the opportunity to spend Friday and Saturday fishing for mackinaw. He told me his dad was good at catching macs but I had no idea how good. The plan was to go after the bigger macs in the early morning and then the smaller macs mid-morning. We were on the water at 6:05 and I caught the first fish of the day on Friday kind of by accident, we were reeling our lines in to move to another spot and this little mac hit my lure on the way up. I was excited and of course had to give it a kiss being the first mac I had ever caught, funny thing was the smaller macs are typically not found in that part of the lake and are sometimes eaten by the bigger macs. 

My friend Tim caught the first bigger mac of the day, it was around 33 inches and 20 pounds, his dove 3 times before getting it to the boat. I had 2 nice hits but both broke off after 5-10 seconds. Around 10 we moved over to a spot to jig for smaller macs and I caught 2 more before we got the downriggers and pop gear set up. Pop gear caught us a couple more before going in for an early dinner so we could come back out and go after the bigger macs before dark.

About 20 minutes after we got back on the water I hooked my big mac, it fought hard and dove 5 times between 40 and 105 feet before getting it to the boat. It was a bit shorter but fatter than Tim's with mine being around 31 inches and 20-21 pounds. The sad thing was that even though it was strong and healthy it had what appeared to be whirling disease or some other issue that caused a curve in its back.

After this Tim and I kept our lines out of the water in hopes that Mark could get a big one, but after about an hour it was time to head back to shore.

Early Saturday morning it was all about trying to get a big one on Mark's line, he had a few nice hits but none stayed on. Around 9:30 we went back over to the jigging spot for smaller macs and I landed 3 in about 20 minutes. Then the pop gear came out and we knocked them dead, between catching them and resetting/re-baiting the downriggers/pop gear I barely had time to make a sandwich for 2 hours.

We came home with 23 macs between 3-5 pounds that gave each of us about 10 pounds of fillets. The bigger macs are back where they belong to hopefully breed for many years to come, although maybe I should have kept mine out of the gene pool. For my first time ever fishing for macs I caught 9 including my big one. Some might call it beginners luck, but I know a lot of it is because I had a great coach who spent hundreds of hours mapping out almost every part of the lake and recording gps points where the fish are, he has also spent time and money with a few of the guides up there. For that reason I have been vague about where on the lake we fished and the exact methods/lures we used, so please do not ask.

I will post more pictures once Tim sends them over, but here are a couple. You will see the picture of me with my first mac and kissing it, then in the other picture you will see me in the middle holding/hugging my big mac with Mark on the left and Tim on the right. Mark and Tim are friends I go to church with so it was also a good bonding experience as well. Although Mark didn't catch a big one, he still caught 4 or 5 smaller ones that made him light up and was smiling the entire time. Some of the 20+ inch smaller macs were still bigger than any fish Mark or I had ever caught, so it made his day.

Needless to say I may be buying a boat sooner than I had planned, but I will never give up stream or small lake fishing for brook trout, it will just be nice to go after the brook trout's much bigger brother.


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## troller (Jun 27, 2013)

looks like you had fun 
I like fishing for kokes.


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## 30-06-hunter (Sep 22, 2013)

So tonight I threw a couple fillets on the grill with some barbecue sauce, was the best dang fish I have ever eaten. Another great thing is that one fillet will feed 2 people and I can make fish tacos for lunch tomorrow with the other fillet, mmm!!


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## 30-06-hunter (Sep 22, 2013)

troller said:


> looks like you had fun
> I like fishing for kokes.


We had a blast, were you up there this weekend as well? Aside from catching fish the best part was learning how to jig and set up the downriggers, I had never done either before and was good training for when I buy my own boat.


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## troller (Jun 27, 2013)

we were at FG Mon the 11th to wed the 13th, I can't catch a Lake trout over 8 lbs, we did good catching kokes and laker pups., I have been with a guide and got a 20 lber. 
I need to take you out in my boat, because you gave me a hard time about a fishfinder.


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## 30-06-hunter (Sep 22, 2013)

troller said:


> we were at FG Mon the 11th to wed the 13th, I can't catch a Lake trout over 8 lbs, we did good catching kokes and laker pups., I have been with a guide and got a 20 lber.
> I need to take you out in my boat, because you gave me a hard time about a fishfinder.


I don't recall giving you a hard time, but will never turn down a chance to fish.


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## 12many (Apr 14, 2008)

very cool post thanks for sharing, I sure do miss the gorge that is one of my and my wife's favorite places to go.


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