Big Mack Attack
By Shawn Arnold
The young angler was slowly reeling in his catch. Half-heartedly might be a better word. The boat’s captain barked at him “Son how old are you?” The boy sheepishly replied “15-1/2.” The captain then said, “ Well you need a fishing license when you are 16. And if you don’t reel that fish in a little faster, I am going to have to sell you a license before the fish makes it to the boat!”
Brad Sinclair of Lodi with a nice mackinaw caught in beautiful Lake Tahoe.
The young angler, Nick Sinclair of Lodi quickly changed gears. He started to bring the fish in like he meant it. Soon a 23-1/2” Mackinaw trout was being netted gently into the boat by the captain. The captain gleamed, as he knew that his message was received. If you are going to fish on my boat you are going to do it right.
Mickey Daniels is the captain. He owns Mickey’s Big Mack Charters in Carnelian Bay, California. Carnelian Bay is on the north shore of Lake Tahoe just a few minutes from the Nevada border. Daniels has been a guide on the lake since 1969. It could be assumed that he has some knowledge of the lake. And rightfully so.
The boat we fished on that beautiful July morning was the 43’Big Mack II. It is designed specifically for Lake Tahoe and equipped with the latest in electronics and gear. Downriggers are used to get down to depths as deep as 350 feet. Fish that can be caught include kokanee salmon, rainbow, brown and silver trout. It is the mackinaw though, that most anglers want to catch.
The author shows off a 5 pound mackinaw while Kyle (L) and Nick Sinclair look on.
Mackinaws were first introduced to Lake Tahoe in 1894 from Michigan. The lake record is 37 pounds 6 ounces. It was caught in 1974. Mickey has had many in the 30-pound class caught on his boat over the years. So far this year a 16-pound fish heads the list of big fish. Even though you catch them at depths of 150 to 350 feet I can attest that these fish can fight. I was lucky enough to catch the biggest fish on the day I went and the 5-pound plus fish let me know he was on the line. Viscous headshakes and line pulling strength made me really appreciate these fish.
The Big Mack II is nicer than many saltwater boats I have been on. A large heated cabin can seat 10 comfortably. The boat has to have this comfort to handle the sometimes-harsh conditions of the Lake Tahoe winters. Someone could conceivably wake up early, fish with Mickey and hit the ski slopes in the afternoon.
The day we went out we trolled with six rods. Four had lead core line and two got down to the required depths with downriggers. Three of the setups had lures while the other three had live minnows on. After fishing with a guide, it is my opinion that trying to fish this huge lake without a guide is harder than finding a needle in the haystack.
There were eight people on board and we caught about 20 mackinaws. They were all in the 2 to 5 pound range. All but 6 were carefully released. The Sinclair family from Lodi told me that mackinaws tasted great on the bar-b-que that night.
Mickey says that the lure of the nearby casinos has caused more than one customer to miss his reservation. Infact many have. The customer has good intentions the night before but maybe they have one too many drinks and come in at 1 or 2 o’clock a.m. When the alarm clock goes off at 4 a.m. it is easy to say the heck with it-I am sleeping in.
Captain Mickey Daniels (C) looks on during a double hook-up.
Most of the charter captains and guides at Lake Tahoe solve this potential problem by making customers pre-pay on their credit card with a non-refundable deposit. It may seem harsh when they ask for it but in reality they have to.
One of the most interesting things about catching mackinaws in Lake Tahoe is, because of the depth you fish for them when you bring them up they are bloated much like a rockfish in saltwater. When you release them you have to use a hypodermic needle to deflate them before you set them free. Most guides and charters are experts at this procedure. Mickey treated these fish with the utmost care. He also tags them and logs them into a logbook for his own reference. It makes him feel good to know that he sends the fish back in the water safe and sound.
In addition to fishing, Lake Tahoe has a long list of activities to do in the summer. Most people think of Lake Tahoe as a winter resort but there is plenty to do in the summer. There are numerous hiking trails along with bicycling, swimming, water skiing, kayaking, rafting down the Truckee River, site seeing or just lounging in the sun. And don’t forget about the casinos. There are five on the north shore and seven or eight on the south shore.
I prefer to stay on the north shore as it is not as crowded and more laid back. The south shore is the place to be if you want action. The casinos there are more like Vegas while the north shore ones are more casual and not nearly as glitzy.
If you have a large group or family there are numerous places where you can rent a house or cabin. If it is a smaller group I highly recommend Mourelatos’Resort in Kings Beach. It is right on the water with a private beach. The owners are very friendly and want to make sure that you have a good time.
If you decide to go to Lake Tahoe and plan to go fishing, go to bed at a decent time and don’t let the lure of the casinos keep you from a big Mack attack.
