Six of the 2024 Top Ten anglers in the Mack Days Fishing Event have fished 18 straight days of weekend fishing on Flathead Lake. Top Ten Anglers are ranked on their best 18-day average at the conclusion of the event. As they fish past the eighteen days their lowest total is dropped and replaced by the higher total. They lose tickets on those days-but they do receive tickets for the difference between the low number and the new high number which helps to give other anglers more of a chance in the lottery drawings. The total of their fish count does not change and they get credit for it in the bonus amounts paid out. There is Up to $200,000 in Cash and Prizes that will be awarded at the end of the event on November 3rd. Mack Days Fishing Events are sponsored by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and sanctioned by Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks. Categories are designed to cover every angler with several different categories. Youth categories include age 12 & Under and ages 13-17, Ladies, Golden Oldies (age 70 & Over), Top Twenty Anglers, Weekend Drawings, Weekday Drawings, Largest and Smallest Lake Trout, etc. Check out the rules page on the website www.mackdays.com for information. The events are used as a fisheries management tool to reduce the non-native lake trout in Flathead Lake and preserve and increase the native bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout populations. Native fish are at a disadvantage when it comes to competing with the non-native lake trout. Lake trout spawn most every year once they are of age and they produce many, many small lake trout. Slowly decreasing their numbers is the reason for the events. As the years go by it is hoped that native fish populations will respond by increasing and their populations become more stable for future generations from using this management tool. Anglers asked for the opportunity to help with this fish conservation effort and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes became the sponsors of the events to ensure the future of these native fish continues for many generations.
Total entries at the end of six weeks is 12,762. Monday-Thursday total is 2,499, Friday to Sunday 10,263. Fridays total was 591, Saturday 514, and Sunday 532. Daily top numbers were: Monday-Lyndon Lee of Canada with 47, Tuesday-Bob Stewart of Kalispell 37, Wednesday Lyndon Lee 21, and Thursday Jerry Benson of Plains 48. The Friday top numbers was Patrick Casey of Townsend with 84, Saturday Patrick with 43, and Sunday Mike Benson of Lonepine with 62.
Jerry Benson is still leading the anglers with a total of 1,015 lake trout entries. Friday his total was 35, Saturday 14, and Sunday 30. His eighteen-day average is 56.39. Mike Benson is in 2nd with 1,009-37,34,62-56.06 avg., 3rd David McDaniel of Polson 655-25,22,32-36.39 avg., 4th Terry Krogstad of Kalispell 518-35,9,15-28.78, 5th Larry Ashwell of Missoula 495-28,27,42-27.5, 6th Richard Kreis of Huson 483-12,13,0-28.41 (17 days), 7th Jack Kirkland of Lolo 472-28,41,26-29.5 (16 days), 8th Patrick Casey 453-84,43,8-25.17, 9th Larry Karper of Florence 363, 0,0,0, 10th Laurie Kreis of Huson 353-19,0,0-23.53(15 days). Julie Perkins of Kalispell is in 11th with 340, 12th Carey Hauser of Lakeside 277, 13th Dan Deutschman of Fergus Falls, MN 267, 14th Felix Gauci of Stevensville 257, 15th Clint Speer of Kalispell 212, 16th Bryan Long of Columbia Falls-209, 17th Mark McMillin of Missoula 205, 18th Joe Minnehan of Kalispell 175, 19th Steve Mack of Helena 167, and 20th Lyndon Lee of B.C. with 156.
Lady angler Laurie Kreis is 1st in the Ladies Category with 353, 2nd Julie Perkins with 340, 3rd Debby Sacchi of Thompson Falls has 95, 4th Kim Mack of Helena with 49, and 5th Lorinda Freeman of Polson with 25.
James Kuchera of Kalispell has 8 in the 13-17 age category. Blaine Helvey of Thompson Falls is 1st in the 12 & Under with 20, 2nd Paisley Helvey of Thompson Falls with 18, 3rd Bear Yarrow of Frenchtown with 6, Eli Yang,-Bucky Yarrow-Tayzee Whimper of Frenchtown-Zander Oliver of Missoula all have 2, Payton Kuchera from Kalispell and Lindsay Carter of Pable each have one entry.
Mike Benson has 1009 in the 70 & Over, 2nd Terry Krogstad 518, 3rd Larry Ashwell 495, 4th Jack Kirkland 472, and 5th Larry Karper with 363.
Winning weekend drawings were: $200-Julie Perkins-$100 Terry Krogstad X 2, Clint Speer, & Laurie Kreis.
Sunday October 20th is the third and final day of the Bucket of Fish competition.
There are three weeks of the event left but it is not too late to come out and get some entries in the competition for the lottery drawings.
The $10,000 tagged lake trout “Johnny Cash” is still swimming in the depths of the lake. There was one $200 tagged lake trout turned in by Todd Wood of Ronan over the sixth week. Every angler would like to catch the $10,000 tagged lake trout or even one of 3-$5,000, 5-$1,000, or one of the 9,000 with values from $100-$500. A tagged fish has a clipped adipose fin. You cannot see the tag.
Be safe out there. Cooler weather is coming-be prepared. Have all safety equipment on board.
November 3rd is the last day of the event. All entries are to be turned in by 3:00 at Blue Bay.
Good luck and tight lines everyone!
Photo-Shaunda Albert-Ronan, Lindsay Carter & Britton Salois of Pablo with one of their nice lake trout entries in 2024 Fall Mack Days on Flathead Lake.
