The 2021 Fall Mack Days Fishing Event on Flathead Lake concluded with a total of 14,036 lake trout entries. There was a total of nine weeks of lake trout fishing with a total of four hundred fifty-five anglers entered.  One hundred twenty-eight anglers turned in one or more lake trout entries and qualified for the prize drawings with at least one entry. 

These annual Mack Days Fishing Events are sponsored by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. There was Up to $200,000 in Cash and Prizes that the anglers were competing for. The last weekend of the event was plagued by cold, wind, rough water, and rain.  The total for the last weekend was 878 with Friday’s count of 342, Saturday counts of 400, and Sunday’s count of 136 lake trout entries. 

After nine weeks of lake trout fishing, Lonepine angler Mike Benson was the Top Angler with a total of 1,068 lake trout entries.  Mike had an eighteen-day average of 52.89. He fished twenty-six days of the twenty-seven total weekend fishing days.  2nd place was Felix Gauci of Stevensville with 902 entries and a 49.94 average and nineteen fishing days, 3rd place was Larry Karper of Florence with 751 entries a 37.56 average and twenty five fishing days, 4th place was Sam Cusker of Bigfork with 600 entries and 32.5 average with twenty three fishing  days, 5th place was Jack Kirkland of Missoula with 631 entries and a 31.78 average, with twenty four fishing days, 6th place was Terry Krogstad of Kalispell with a 675 average and 31.61 average with twenty seven fishing days, 7th place was Julie Perkins of Kalispell with 669 entries and 30.94 average with twenty seven fishing days, 8th place was Scott Bombard of Missoula with 640 entries and 30.83 average and twenty six fishing days, 9th place was Larry Ashwell of Missoula with 564 entries and 28.0 average and twenty four fishing days, 10th places was Richard Kreis of Huson with 557 entries and 26.89 average with twenty five fishing days. 

Laurie Kreis was the winner of the Ladies with 352 lake trout entries, 2nd place was Kim Mack of Helena with 102 entries, 3rd place was Gina Schiff of Whitefish with 76 entries, 4th place was Nicole Peters of Missoula with 55 entries, and 5th place was Debby Sacchi of Thompson Falls with 51 entries.  

John Gauci of Florence won the 70 and Over Category with 524 lake trout entries and Paul Grove of Wyoming, IL was 2nd with 101 entries. Winning the two drawings in the category were Larry Ashwell and Bernie Olsen.

There was a tie in the 13-17 Category with 9 lake trout entries each 1st and 2nd Alison Putzler of Kalispell and Blake Williams of Big Arm, and Ashlin Peters of Polson is third with two entries.  Wyatt Best of Florence won the 12 & Under with five entries and second is Brynn Blowers of Missoula with three.

Siberian Cooler winners were Laurie Kreis, Mike Benson, and Kim Mack of Helena.  Weekend 9 winners were: Julie Perkins-$200, Sam Cusker X 2, Nicole Peters, and Larry Karper-$100 winners

Mark McMillin of Missoula won the Spirit of the Event Award. 

A list of lottery winners is on the website www.mackdays.com on the Stats page. Click on the awards tab at the top of the page.

A Big thank you to the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes who sponsor these events to help the native trout species in Flathead Lake.  The lake trout anglers in these events are an awesome group of men, ladies, and a few young up and coming anglers. They make the events successful!  

See you in March for the 2022 Spring Mack Days Event!

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