Spring Mack Days Third Week
Three weekends of lake trout fishing in typical Montana spring weather-wind, snow, rain, and cold temperatures has anglers anxiously awaiting sunny skies. Sunday morning it was wet snow, cold wind, and then cold rain and it took its toll. There was no complaining but many felt that there will be better days to fish. Anglers are usually staying out 10-13 hours a day-they leave in the dark and come back in the dark. Sundays weather had several in before noon.
Mack Days are sponsored by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and sanctioned by Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks. Up to $150,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded to anglers at the end of the event by CSKT. This event is used as a management tool to slowly reduce the numbers of non-native lake trout and increase the numbers of native bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout in Flathead Lake.
One $10,000 lake trout is still waiting out there along with three $5,000 and nine $1,000 valuable companions. Over 2,500 lake trout with values from $100-$500 are also waiting for a lucky anglers hook. The anticipation of catching a tagged lake trout is part of the enjoyment of fishing the Mack Days Events. Turning in tagged fish the third weekend were Bill Swaney-Pablo, Bryce Finley-Arlee, Greg Greenwell-Missoula, Chad Cottet-Polson, Robert Johnson-Kalispell, Rusty Hunt-St. Ignatius, Bret Thompson-Charlo, Jason Kowalski-Florence, Dan Smith-Columbia Falls, Scott Smith-Kalispell-$100 tags. Brian Lipscomb-Polson turned in a $200 tagged lake trout.
A total of 7,531 lake trout have been entered in the event. Anglers can enter up to 100 lake trout per day using two fishing lines.
Leading in the event is Charles Forgey of Arlee with 469, Scott Bombard-Missoula-331, Wes Shockley-Plains-254, Jerry Benson-Plains-241, Michael Benson-Lonepine-226, Steven Benson-Columbia Falls-219, Bret Thompson-Charlo-213, Steve Biere-Butte-213, Tyson Cottert-Charlo-160, and Craig Morigeau-Polson-156.
Nicole Peters leads the ladies with 67, Debra Pike-Kalispell-48, Kathryn Cox-Rollins-37, Debbie O’Hara-St.Ignatius-28, and Deana Knipe-Polson-27.
Youth anglers are amazing in Mack Days. They put in just as much time as their parents or friends and have the same fishing excitement about events, tags, techniques, etc. In the 17-13 age group-Connor Kowalski-Florence-87, Brady Weible-Charlo-72, Garett Vaughan-fishing with two broken bones in his hand from wrestling-which slowed him down but not stopped him-Charlo-45, Tanner Murry-Columbia Falls-41, Terry Biere-Butte-37, and Stetson Stipe-Charlo-31. Age 12 & under-Benton Adams-Ravalli-8, Daniel Hunt-St.Ignatius-7, Kimberley Biere-Butte-6, Bailey Weible-Charlo-5.
All it takes is one fish to win in the lottery style drawing or win with a smallest fish you have to beat-198mm-Eric Sams-Polson or 223mm-Dean Vaughan-Charlo. The largest lake trout in the lead is still Jim Bilodeau’s with a l005mm 25.7# fish.