One more weekend to fish Fall Mack Days
Hey savvy news reader! Thanks for choosing local.
You are now reading
1 of 3 free articles.
News from the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes
FLATHEAD LAKE — The 2013 Fall Mack Days fishing event continues throughout this coming weekend, ending Sunday, Nov. 17. As of week five, organizers have received a total of 10,061 lake trout entries.
Up to $125,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded at the conclusion of the event on Nov. 17 with a fish fry beginning at 4 p.m. and awards at 5 p.m. at Blue Bay Campground. Entries continue to be taken until the last day. All it takes is one fish to receive a ticket for the lottery drawings.
Lake trout spawn in the fall and come into shallower areas along the shore. Shore anglers have been reporting some success using bait or casting with spinners. Boat anglers are catching lake trout jigging, casting, and trolling. Come out and try your luck.
There is still one $10,000 tagged lake trout out there, plus four worth $5,000, 10 with a $1,000 tag and more than 4,500 tagged trout with values from $100 to $500.
One $5,000 tagged lake trout was turned in on Oct. 26 by Roger Schiff of Kalispell. Anglers Tim Mooney and wife Jeanee were very lucky over the fifth weekend and turned in five $100 tagged lake trout on Friday, and then Jeanee caught another on Sunday. Casting towards shore in the steep rocky areas, their catch for Friday was 108 lake trout. Several other anglers turned in $100 tagged fish over the weekend. John Gauci-Missoula turned in $200 tagged fish.
Mike Benson of Lonepine continues to lead overall with a total of 681. Averages for an anglers best 15 days will be used to place the top ten anglers.
Smallest lake trout entries are still held by Deana Knipe of Polson and Dan Smith of Columbia Falls. There is no large lake trout entry so far in the event which is not unusual for a Fall event; The large lakers seem to be harder to find in the fall.
Last day of the three Bucket of Fish Days was Sunday, Nov. 10. The Kreis team leads with 18 points followed the team of Meredith/Schiff with 12 points, Dilts in third place with 8 points, and fourth place is a tie with Christensen, Mooney, and Krogstad. Ties will be decided by total bucket weights. Anglers place their four heaviest fish under 30 inches in a bucket for a weight. The heaviest bucket turned in by the Kreis team weighed 22 pounds, 10 ounces.
Youth angler Eric Sams of Polson continues his lead in the age 13-17 categories with 45 fish and Dylan Hodgson of Kalispell leads in the 12 and younger category with 23 fish.
Sponsored by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, Mack Days is used as a tool to reduce the non-native lake trout in Flathead Lake. Native bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout numbers have declined in numbers over the years from where their numbers historically once were. Bull trout were once very abundant in the Flathead system. Some travel up into high-mountain streams in the upper Flathead to spawn with a few that even make it into Canadian tributaries and others moving into Glacier Park streams and lakes. They are an important part of tribal history and an important part of the history of Western Montana. Mack Days is sanctioned by Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks.
More information about the event can be found at www.mackdays.com – fish identification, fishing tips, fishing recipes, videos, rules, entry form, etc. or telephone 406-883-2888 ex. 7294.
Results
Men top 10
1Mike Benson Lonepine 681
2Roger DiltsPolson667
3Scott BombardMissoula591
4Tim MooneyMissoula581
5Terry KrogstadKalispell542
6Steven BensonFour Lakes, WA 490
7Phil MeredithKalispell467
8Danny SmithHot Springs393
9Max MartzCorvallis321
10Larry AshwellMissoula288
$100 tagged fish
Steven BensonFour Lakes, WA (2)
Roger Dilts Polson (2)
Terry Krogstad Kalispell (2)
Mike Benson Lonepine (2)
Bill Swaney Missoula
Phil Meredith Kalispell
Bob Syvrud
Deana Knipe Polson
Richard Kreis Huson
Chad Woolstenhulme Driggs, Idaho
Craig Morigeau Polson
