Mack Days update, Week 2
<p>Travis Banyai and his daughter, Leah, of Lakeside, show off their Mack Days loot from over the weekend. The Banyais made a solid contribution to the more than 2,200 lake trout caught.</p>
FLATHEAD LAKE — Spring Mack Days fishing boats were covered in ice for much of the second weekend of the 2014 Spring Mack Days Fishing Event.
Fishing lines and reels were frozen along with anchor systems that were covered in ice. Even with the difficult conditions, anglers turned in 657 lake trout entries on Friday.
Saturday’s weather was warmer but the winds still were still brisk out over the cold water of Flathead Lake, but fishing conditions were better for the anglers. Saturday’s entries were 939 lake trout.
Sunday, the boats were covered in snow and ice in the early morning. Afternoon sun helped and Sunday’s total entries were 636. Total for the second weekend came to 2,232 lake trout and six-day total of 5,104 compared to 5,168 in 2013 Spring Mack Days.
Mack Days are sponsored by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and sanctioned by Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks and are used as a tool to reduce numbers of non-native lake trout in Flathead Lake. Up to $150,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded to lake trout anglers on the last day of the event.
Entering the event is free and all it takes is one fish to qualify for any of the lottery drawings. Entries will continue to be taken until the last day of the event.
Kalispell angler and 2013 Spring Mack Days defending champion Jason Mahlen continues his lead with 325 lake trout. Mike Benson of Lonepine is in second with 295. 3rd Scott Bombard of Missoula with 282, 4th Kevin Burns of Kalispell-258, 5th Jerry Benson-Plains-216, 6thTerry Krogstad-Kalispell-214, 7th Steven Benson-Four Lakes, WA.-203, 8th Larry Karper-Florence-129, and 10th place is a tie between Ryan Shima-Kalisepll and Felix Gauci of Stevensville with 128.
The ladies are led by Julie Vacca of Florence with 28 followed by Mellissa Gilleard of St. Ignatius with 3, Connie Jones-Kalispell 2, and Courtney Chisler of Bozeman with one.
The 13-17 age group contest is heating up with a great group of anglers. Danner Shima-Kalispell and Garett Vaughan-Charlo each have 78 entries. Following them is Kobe Cox of Charlo with 51, Keaton Turner of Kalispell with 31, and Roger Guillory of Kalispell with 29. Matt Guckenberg of Kalispell is leading in the 12 and under group with 14 and Abby Hodgson lady angler from Kalispell with 11 entries.
Lake trout with tag values of $10,000-(1), $5,000-(2), $1,000-(5), and over 5,000 with tagged values from $100-$500 have been released in Flathead Lake.
The tagged fish are scanned when turned in by anglers. The tags are not visible but the fish have been fin-clipped for identification. Anglers find out the values when the tagged numbers are scanned to a computer list with the values listed with an associated tag numbers.
Tagged lake trout with $100 tags were turned in over the second weekend by Darren Borgen-Columbia Falls, John Gauci of Florence (2), Steve Benson-Four Lakes, Wash. (2), Dean Vaughan-Charlo, Bill Scullion-Florence, and Mike Benson-Lonepine.
Craig Morigeau of Polson turned in a tagged fish worth $200. A total of 22 tagged lake trout have been entered.
For more information go to www.mackdays.com or call 406-883-2888.