Mack Days’ anglers keep blowing away record
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A windy Sunday kept the window open, however slim, for somebody other than Pablo teenager Stephen Naethe winning the 2010 Spring Mack Days.
Naethe, who is also in the lead for largest fish, was trying to bring his 15-day average to the perfect 50-fish limit Sunday, but the winds put his plans on hold for at least another weekend. Nobody reached the 50-fish limit Sunday. Polson’s Craig Morigeau was the top angler Sunday with his 40 mackinaw.
Only 825 lake trout were turned in Sunday, a day after 1,317 fish were turned in and six anglers reached the 50-fish limit. The numbers were also high Friday, with 1,362 fish turned in and 11 anglers reached the 50-fish limit. The 11 anglers to turn in the 50-fish limit matched a Mack Days’ record set last week.
A total of 24,337 lake trout have been turned in through eight weeks. Naethe leads all anglers with 1,031 lake trout and a 49.7 15-day average. The top angler is determined by the 15-day average.
Naethe is followed by Steve Benson (48), David McDaniels (42.8), Michael Benson (41.1) and Charles Forgey (38.3).
The top angler prizes range from $200-$750.
Nicole Peters leads the lady anglers with 228 lake trout. She is followed by St. Ignatius’ Laurie Randall (137) and Debbie O’Hara (135).
In the youth 13-17 category, Naethe is followed by Brady Weible (111) and Connor Kowalski (53). Charlo’s Garett Vaughn leads the 12 and under anglers with 145 lake trout. He is followed by Tanner Murry (102) and Daniel Hunt (74).
Scot Bombard, Roger Smart, Craig Morigeau, Debbie O’Hara, Blaine Cos, Brandon Guilleard, Tim Folck, Darwin Zempel, Randy Hovet all caught $100 tagged fish. There are still more than 2,000 tagged fish worth $100-5,000 lurking in the lake.
Mack Days is sponsored by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and sanctioned by Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks as part of the Flathead Lake Co-Management Plan to balance the fishery of Flathead Lake by slowly reducing non-native lake trout and increasing numbers of native bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout. Anglers are competing for $100,000 in cash and prizes to be given away at the conclusion of the event.
As their totals go up anglers receive more in bonus amounts at the end of the event but all it takes is one ticket in the drawing to win one of the cash prizes that will be drawn for. The cash prizes begin at $1,000 and go to $200. There are several ways to win – smallest fish, largest fish, most fish. The event ends May 23 with a fish fry and the awards.
Check the Web site at www.mackdays.com for more information. For questions or comments call 883-2888, ext. 7294.
