Mack Days ends with fish fry

Fall Mack Days ended Sunday Nov. 11 with a record number of lake trout being harvested in the 21-day event. The number of lake trout in the seven weekends of the Fall Mack Days Fishing Event totaled 14,415. Mack Days featured 487 anglers entered in the event with 219 turning in entries.

As expected, Mike Benson of Hot Springs held onto his big lead and came away with top prize with 847 lake trout.

The end of the competition was celebrated last Sunday at Blue Bay campground where awards were handed out and fishermen and women could taste the fruits of their labor. While a great time was had by all over the weeks of the tournament, the weather on Sunday made many glad they were off the water, as chilly winds swept across the campground leaving many to take refuge close to the campfire.

"It was a great time," said youth division winner and Stephen Naethe, who also took sixth in the overall competition, "but it might have been a little rough out on the water today."

Naethe ran away with the youth award, catching 498 fish, almost 300 more than the runner up.

Anglers lined up for a buffet style afternoon dinner of fish and all the fixings. The fish were battered and deep fried and a good time was had by all.

Competing in the 21 day event requires some anglers to spend three weeks fishing 10-12 hours per day in all kinds of weather and lake conditions. Top angler awards were given on the best 12-day average but the competitive nature of the anglers kept several of them out there more than 12 days.

"Every day of the event there were boats going out on the water before dawn and coming in after dark. Mack Days is made a success by the dedication and effort that they put into the contest," said Cynthia Bras, Tribal fisheries specialist and Mack Days organizer.

Top angler awards went to Mike Benson-$500, Don Schaffer-$400, Brandt Hammernick-$300, Rod Belcher-$200, and Bernd Albrecht-$100.

Smallest lake trout winners:

$250 were 191mm-Dick Zimmer-Pablo and 194mm-Brandt Hammernick-Missoula.

Daily limits of 50 were turned in during the event by Bill Swaney-Arlee, Robert Parot and Bernd Albrecht-Polson, Mike Benson-Hot Springs-(12), Paul Haines-Ronan, Marty Noyd and Brandt Hammernick-(4)-Missoula, Paul Lebert, Don Schaffer-(10), and Rod Belcher-(4)-Kalispell.

Receiving $250 Captains Prizes (each trip out every person on a boat who turned in lake trout entered the boat captain in this drawing) were Brandt Hammernick-Missoula, Jeff Gould-Columbia Falls, & Greg Karlson-Missoula.

Ladies Only prize of $150 was won by Hannah Madsen of Polson. Lady anglers qualified for this award by turning in 20 or more entries. Hannah turned in 31 lake trout in the youth division. Another youth angler, Mikayla Lebert of Kalispell, won the $100 door prize.

Cash awards in a lottery style drawing were $500-Marty Noyd-Missoula, Kevin Sparks-Thompson Falls, Jim Auger-Missoula, Don Peters-Missoula, Roger Smart-Ronan, $400-Robert Parot Sr.-Polson, C.R. Blem-Polson, $300-Keith Wock-Polson, Dean Vaughn-Charlo, Bobbi Hereford-Missoula, $250-Robert Parot Sr.-Polson, Sid Bitney-Kalispell, Reed Blackburn-Whitefish, Mikayla Lebert-Kalispell, $200-Paul Haines-Ronan, Regina Parot-Polson, Don Peters-Missoula, $100-Don Schaffer-Columbia Falls, Keegan Noyd-Missoula, and Sid Bitney-Kalispell.

Winning $200 for top youth angler was Stephen Naethe of Pablo and $150 went to Heidi Hereford of Missoula.

Lady anglers contributed a great deal to this event. Ending the contest with high numbers and leading the ladies was Nicole Peters of Missoula with 205 lake trout entries, youth anglers Heidi Hereford of Missoula added 203 and Mikayla Lebert of Kalispell 167, Aubree Benson-Lolo-145, Dolly Fleck of Bigfork added 136, Bobbie Hereford-Missoula-135, Susanne Albrecht-Polson-101, Victoria Parot of Polson-87, Leann Blem-Poslon-67, Amanda Foster-Missoula-55, Regina Parot-Polson-37, and Jeanee Mooney-Missoula-33.

Fall Mack Days was sponsored by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and sanctioned by Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks and is designed to help restore a balance to the fishery of Flathead Lake by lowering the non-native lake trout numbers and increasing the native bull trout and Westslope cutthroat trout numbers.

Final numbers for the leaders:

Overall:

Mike Benson Hot Springs 847 Don Schaeffer Columbia Falls 723 Brandt Hammernick Missoula 651 Rod Belcher Kalispell 608 Bernd Albrech Polson 556 Stephen Naethe Pablo 498 Paul Lebert Kalispell 491 Robert Parot Sr. Polson 457 Kevin Sparks Thompson Falls 447 Marty Noyd Missoula 431 Sid Bitney Kalispell 366 Dean Vaughn Charlo 357 Don Peters Missoula 353 Bill McIntrye Kila 326 Paul Haines Ronan 316 Bud Howe Kalispell 270 Bill Swaney Arlee 238 Kelly Kovarick Thompson Falls 237 Richard Zimmer Pablo 236

Tagged fish winners:

$500-Dave Sparks-Thompson Falls

$100-Keith Wock-Polson

$100-Mike Benson-Hot Springs

$100 Kevin Sparks-Thompson Falls

$100 to Dolly Fleck of Bigfork

Youth anglers:

Stephen Naethe Pablo 498 Heidi Hereford Missoula 203 Mikayla Lebert Kalispell 167 Brett Hereford Missoula 138 Maura Soukup Ronan 61 Keegan Noyd Missoula 57

Hanna Madsen Polson 32 Linnea Madsen Polson 31 Garett Vaughn Charlo 31 Travis Phelps Bigfork 19 Daniel Hunt St. Ignatius 13 Austin Moran Arlee 13