Blue Ribbon Fishing Charters

Went fishing with Gene last Saturday. From great communication to a limit of fish, I can’t say enough about how pleased we were. The first part of the day was very slow with no bites, but Gene was very confident with his fishing spots. The second location was slow until «FISH ON»! And the fish were BIG! Even if we had not caught anything, the time with Gene, education he provided about the lake and the fishing tips, would have been worth it. Everyone knows that just because your with a guide as good as Gene, it doesn’t mean the fish are biting. Be patient and enjoy your time on the water. Good luck and have fun. Thanks again to Gene and his wonderful wife! –Kevin & Tom :)

Grandson and I fished with Gene earlier this year. Fantastic guide and a fun time. Limits of Macs. Can’t wait to go again soon.

What a great time my brother and I had today withe Gene from Blue Ribbon fishing charters. We were wondering about the weather but Gene and his wife were in constant communication the week of our trip. The fishing was great and we ended up with our limits and came in ahead of the weather front. I’ve gone out on six different guided trips (separate guides and areas) and I would say this is probably my favorite trip. We got to learn about the lake and its history. The boat was comfortable and the heater was great in the 20 degree temps. I highly recommend Gene and Blue Ribbon. I would give 5 ½ stars if possible

Gene is awesome! I used Blue Ribbon Charters twice now and caught limits on both trips. Gene literally does all the work operating the downriggers like a conductor at an orchestra! If your into jigging you should prob jump on a party boat. Gene knows his stuff! He has dived to certain depths of Lake Tahoe and knows where the fish are because he’s seen them there!

Like many others who have discovered Gene and Blue Ribbon Fishing, I read the several great reviews online and decided to give it a try hoping to have a fantastic experience. Based on what actually occurred, unfortunately, I could not give Gene and Blue Ribbon Fishing the 5 stars that others have done before me. With all the positive reviews online, here is my story of a «not so good» experience. If you are a hopeful angler like I was, please read my experience below so you can properly set your expectations and understand the full range of possibilities before making the investment.
Prior to the fishing trip, I had carefully read the information on the Blue Ribbon Fishing website and confirmed our reservation with the lady who answered the phone (Barbara, Gene’s wife). Each time I tried to communicate with her, it took several tries as understandably, this is a family operation so please don’t get too frustrated about that. Barbara sounded very kind over the phone and reminded me about obtaining the proper 1-​day fishing license as well as bringing cash to pay Gene.
Right from the start (I had booked months in advance), my expectation, which I had confirmed with Barbara over the phone, was for a private fishing charter for our party of 3. The Blue Ribbon Fishing website also clearly advertized private fishing charters for groups of 2 to 4. However, on the day that we were picked up, there was already a party of 2 aboard and the 6 of us (5 plus Gene) had to sit crammed into this small, uncomfortable fishing vessel for the next 5 hours in search of fish. Needless to say, I was turned off by this setup before the trip even started. In the very least, I felt that I should have been notified of this «change» prior to boarding as I had hoped to spend some quality bonding time with my party (we hadn’t seen each other for years).
Upon seeing Gene and the cheerful individual that he was, however, I figured we could try putting up with this setup as long as he could work his magic and get us some fish. The other party of 2 was also definitely not thrilled about being crammed into a small vessel for the next 5 hours, but likely had the same attitude as us. Gene sounded highly confident that we would meet our catch limit for the day, which was 2 fish per person or a total of 10 fish. So let’s catch some Mackinaws!
About 3 hours into the fishing trip, it dawned upon us that we were not going to catch any fish. After Gene took us to his «secret fishing spot,» we pretty much camped there, dropped a couple lines, and kept moving in circles around the same spot. All 5 of us desperately hoped for some redeeming fish-​catching miracle event so that we could tell loved ones when we returned to shore that this was not a complete disaster. As Murphy’s Law dictates of course, you can probably figure where this is going. At one point, things got ridiculous as Gene splashed lake water onto our faces using his hat, chanted Native American blessings, sang to heaven, and made nervous sick jokes only to repeat the same fruitless gestures. The rest of the trip did become a sick joke. I had suggested that we try at least one other location for lack of a better alternative, but ultimately we placed total trust on Gene to know what to do and to make the best out of this fishing trip gone awry.
As the boredom and uncomfortable conditions wore on, Gene’s magic ran out and the only thing he could do was to keep telling us how «good» a party we were. For better for worse, we had remained extremely patient and put up with this sick comedy show, offering him encouragement whenever we could hoping for a miracle. Everyone grew quieter and quieter as time went on. Finally after an eternity of waiting for Godot, Gene told us that «it’s time for us to go.»
It had been a good day for Gene (5 paying customers who had not let out even a single whimper of a complaint) but a very disappointing day for us (5 pairs of empty hands who suffered through 5 hours of freak show crammed onto a little fishing vessel). We had nothing to show for other than our wet faces.

My dad and I went to tahoe for a fishing trip. I am so glad we found blue ribbon fishing charters. Gene was great! When we got to the fishing spot we had a fish on in 5 min. So if your looking to limit out and have a great time call them up there your best bet in tahoe!

Although my husband is highly against me dissipating our fishing secrets online, Gene with Blue Ribbon Fishing might be the best fisherman we have ever had the pleasure of fishing with!
He knows Lake Tahoe so well because he has been fishing it for over 20 years. He did not stand still at all during our charter, always looking at the depth, adjusting the rods, imparting some wisdom on the fisherman onboard.
For the first time ever, we limited out!
We have never met such a rambunctious, knowledgeable and skilled captain, and we have fished everywhere from Canada, to the US and Mexico.
Will definitely be only using Gene for future fishing trips in Tahoe.

Great day on the water with Captain Gene St. Denis.
Captain Gene knows Lake Tahoe and the fish in it like he has been fishing it his whole life (maybe he has!).
He knows where they are and what they are or are not eating and makes it fun and entertaining for everyone while he is at it.
Will go again, highly recommended!