Spring Mack Days: Krogstad, Perkins win Bucket Day competition
Julie Perkins with the winning Bucket Day entry she turned in with Terry Krogstad. (Courtesy of CSKT Natural Resource Department)
Terry Krogstad and Julie Perkins of Kalispell won the Bucket Day competition Saturday during Week 5 of Spring Mack Days at Flathead Lake. Anglers turn in a bucket with four lake trout under 30 inches for the one-day contest, and the heaviest buckets win. Krogstad and Perkins turned in the heaviest bucket at 30.3 pounds.
A total of 17,234 lake trout have been entered during the event’s first five weeks. There are four weeks left, and entries will be accepted through May 16.
Leading the anglers in the Top 10 category is Kolton Turner with 1,095 entries. Jason Mahlen, in second place, is closing in on Turner with 1,050 entries. Bob Turner is third with 914, followed by Sam Cusker (563), Steve Benson (544), Mike Benson of Lonepine (509), Ken Varga (499), Tyler Varga (468), Travis Banyai (454) and Scott Bombard of Missoula in 10th place with 413.
Final Top 10 winners will be determined by an average of their 18 best days over the course of the event. The 11th- to 20th-place anglers also qualify for cash awards.
“Jaws,” a tagged lake trout worth $10,000, is still swimming in the depths of the lake, along with three fish worth $5,000, five worth $1,000 and more 9,000 with values from $100 to $500.
Last week Bill Blixt of Ronan turned in a $100 tagged lake trout after fishing along the shoreline. Others who turned in tagged trout included $100 fish from Gene Corne of Kalispell, Steve Benson of Spokane Valley, Wash., Tyler Varga of Kalispell, Tristan Persico of Missoula, Sam Cusker of Bigfork and Jason Mahlen of Kalispell. Travis Banyai of Kalispell turned in a $200 fish.
Winners of the $100 drawings for the fifth weekend were: Tom Borr of Polson, Jerry Benson of Plains, Kolton Turner of Kalispell, Jack Kirkland of Missoula and Ken Varga of Kalispell. Current smallest lake trout leaders are Jack Kirkland: 175mm (7”); and Bob Turner: 177mm. The largest lake trout entry so far is one from Riley Anderson, 21.25-pound, 40-inch laker.
Julie Perkins leads the Ladies with 205 entries, followed by Connie Jones of Kalispell (52), Debbie Paine of Polson (30), Laurie Kreis of Huson (26), and Lisa Cloo of Clinton and Nicole Peters of Missoula with 25 each.
Matt Guckenberg Jr. of Kalispell has 221 to lead the 13-17 category, followed by Josey McIlhargey of Kalispell (31), Abby Hodgson of Kalispell (26), Colton Spacht of Culbertson (13) and Kalispell angler Bryce Harvey has 10.
Brodie Smith of Kalispell is first in the 12 & Under category with 175, followed by Issac Cole of Stevensville (14), and Tripp Bick of Arlee and Henry Phan of Kalispell with five each.
Friday's total catch was 1,251. There were 1,135 entries Saturday. Anglers turned in 673 Sunday before raging winds and snow hit the lake.