Spring Mack Days week 5 results announced
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FLATHEAD LAKE - Mack Days fishing events on Flathead Lake are sponsored by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and are used as a tool to reduce the non-native lake trout and increase native bull trout and westslope cutthroat in Flathead Lake. The event continues until Saturday, May 10. There are up to $225,000 in cash and prizes that will be awarded at the conclusion of the event. Four weeks remain and entries are taken until the last day. Go to: www.mackdays.com for information on the event, fishing tips, rules, the bonus chart, etc. There is also a summary of activities from 2023 lake fisheries management with a lot of information on the tools being used in this effort.
Every angler in the event is helping in this conservation effort to reduce the non-native lake trout in Flathead Lake and increase the native bull trout and westslope cutthroat. The native fish cannot be replaced, genetics and instincts are imbedded in the fish bodies and their memory of where they originate, and it is important to sustain their populations for the future. They have been here for thousands of years and have earned the right to continue to live and thrive in Flathead Lake. The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes are leading this effort to restore the populations of these fish to higher levels. Thank you, anglers; you are leaders that care about this resource.
Kolton Turner of Kalispell has 14 - 100 fish days. He leads the Top Twenty with a total of 1,468 (Fridat - 100, Saturday - 100, and Sunday - 68).In second place is Bob Turner of Kalispell with 1,413 (100, 100, 55); in third place is Jason Mahlen of Kalispell with 1,412 (100 X 3); in fourth place is David Myers of Riverton, Wyoming, with 1,250 (100 X 3); in fifth place is Clint Speer of Kalispell with 1,056 (100, 43, 71); in sixth place is Jerry Benson of Plains with 990 (67, 40, 75); in seventh place is Patrick Casey of Townsend with 884 (100, 38, 55); in eighth place Gene Corne of Kalispell with 868 (100, 45, 46); in ninth place is Steve Andrachick of Kalispell with 840 (86, 45, 65); in 10th place is Michael Benson with 802 (72, 32, 58); in 11th place is Larry Ludahl of Kalispell with 741; in 12th place is Terry Krogstad of Kalispell with 676; 13th place is Jack Kirkland of Lolo with 660; in 14th place is Michael Stevenson of Kalispell with 625; in 15th place is Larry Ashwell of Missoula with 592; in 16th place is Bob Stewart of Kalispell with 562; in 17th place is Brodie Smith of Kalispell with 546; in 18th place is Bryan Long of Columbia Falls with 539; in 19th place is Julie Perkins of Kalispell with 529; and 20th place is Larry Karper of Florence with 518.
Julie Perkins leads the Ladies with 491; in second is Janet Myers of Riverton, Wyoming, with 319; in third and fourth place are Connie Jones of Kalispell and Shaunda Albert of Ronan, tied with 126 each; and in fifth place is Laurie Bouley of Columbia Falls with 41.
Friday’s total fish entries were 2,174; on Saturday they were 1,461; on Sunday it was 2,168; and from Monday to Thursday the total was 6,491. This brings the total so far for Monday to Sunday to 34,179. Strong winds and waves on Saturday brought many off the water early. Anglers were given a heads up by good weather advisories from the National Weather Service and were anticipating the wind coming up.
Michael Goven of Kalispell and Robert Turner each turned in $100 tagged lake trout. Willy the elusive lake trout with a $10,000 tag is still out there. There are also three $5,000, and four $1,000 tagged lake trout plus over 9,000 with values from $100 to $500. Tagged lake trout give information on growth rates of the fish. Everyone knows they move around in the lake but the tagged fish really show how they move from one end of the lake to the other end such as the $1,000 tagged fish caught by Michael Stevenson of Kalispell on April 5. It had been tagged in Skidoo Bay on March 4 and caught on the north end of the lake in the Delta area, showing that it moved the full length of the lake in that month.
Dave Myers of Riverton, Wyoming, has fished thirty-two days straight, every single day of the event. His lowest number of entries for a day is 21 and he has turned in 100 fish limits seven days out of the fifteen weekend fishing days. His wife Janet joins him out on the water most days fishing many hours on the lake. Dave sits in fourth place in the Top Twenty category with 1,250 entries and Janet is sitting in second place in the lady’s category with 371 entries.
Another rod and reel event happened Sunday when one was pulled overboard; this happens every so often and it’s an awful feeling when you watch your pole go down and fade out of sight. Fishing with two rods is tricky. Jeff Hale had a fish on one rod and was retrieving what he thought was a smaller lake trout when all of a sudden, he felt something hit the back of his leg. Looking around he realized it was his other pole with a fish on at the same time and he saw it whiz over the side of the boat. No retrieval was possible, and the pole was gone, sinking to the depths of the lake. His brother Scott had an extra pole he lent him so back to fishing he went. About an hour later he hooked onto something, that felt strange and then he realized it felt like a large lake trout at the end of his line. He started reeling it in and up came his lost pole with a big laker at the end of it and a smaller lake trout on the other line. By the time they had the big fish landed four lines were tangled up, which requires a lot of patience to untangle but Jeff added two lake trout to his entries for the day and was very happy to have his lost pole back.
Brodie Smith of Kalispell continues to bring in large numbers of entries. He has been fishing for several years and is first in the 13-17 category with 546 lake trout entries, in second place is Fjord Borgen of Kalispell with 14. David Gerspach of Kila and Sawyer Clark of Columbia Falls are tied for third with three entries. Benjamin Dieterich of Kalispell is in first place in the 12 & Under category with 22 entires; in second place is Carter Lindsay of Pablo with 14; and in third place is Mason Cusker of Bigfork with six; in fourth place is Wyatt Best of Florence with three; and Allyvia Yang of Missoula has two for fifth place.
Jerry Benson leads in the 70 & Over category with 990 lake trout entries; in second place is Michael Benson with 802; in third place is Terry Krogstad with 676; in fourth place is Jack Kirkland with 660; and in fifth place is Larry Ashwell with 592.
Smallest lake trout entries are Mike Colyer of Missoula with a 164mm 6.5” lake trout and Korey Heindahl of Kalispell with a 162mm small lake trout.
Matt Brazda of Missoula still holds first in the largest fish category with a 36.25 inch, 20.5 pound lake trout. The largest lake trout is determined by the heaviest fish over 36 inches and 20 pounds.
Weekend winners were Devon Burkowski of Kalispell with $200, $100 each went to David Kelch of Great Falls and Brodie Smith, David Myers, and Bob Stewart of Kalispell.
The second of the Bucket Days is Saturday April 19. The winner with the heaviest bucket receives $200.
Time to get out on the water and try your luck. The $10,000 lake trout may be waiting for you. All it takes is one fish to win in the lottery drawings. Bonus dollars begin when anglers’ entries get to 11 and go up as the total number of entries increase. Check out the bonus chart on the website.
Be safe and please follow all safety precautions and be aware of weather predictions, it’s spring in Montana, anything is possible.
Tight lines and good luck.
