Missoula angler lands 23-pound Mack Days entry
Tristin Persico of Missoula pulled this 23-pound fish out of Flathead Lake. (CSKT photo)
The 2022 Spring Mack Days fishing event kicked off last week, and Tristin Persico of Missoula wasted no time in landing a whopper. Persico turned in a lake trout that measured 38.25 inches and weighed in at 23 pounds. So far this season, Persico’s entry leads the Largest Lake Trout category.
While Persico was getting a workout landing his monster, 2021 Spring Mack Days winner Kolton Turner of Kalispell was hauling in a Smallest Lake Trout entry, a 6.5-inch fish. Mike Benson of Lonepine also turned in a runt that measured 8 inches.
The spring event kicked off March 17 and runs through May 15. Anglers turned in 669 entries on the first day, followed by 1,077 Saturday and 528 Sunday. Ninety-two anglers turned in at least one lake trout.
The first weekend $200 drawing was won by angler Sam Cusker of Bigfork. Winning $100 were: Bob Turner, Kolton Turner, Hank McLeod and Jason Mahlen all of Kalispell. There will be lottery drawings at the end of the event with prizes from $50 up to $2,000 being drawn from all entries.
Winning $200 with tagged lake trout so far are: Missoula anglers Scott Bombard and Chris Demmons; Kalispell anglers Jimmy Jones and Jason Mahlen; Kobe Cox from Charlo; and Justin Spring of Alberton. Jim Bilodeau of Kalispell turned in a $100 tagged lake trout.
All of the prizes that are available are listed on the website www.mackdays.com.
Seven-time Spring Mack Days winner Jason Mahlen of Kalispell turned in two perfect 100 fish days Friday and Saturday and another 40 fish entries on Sunday to lead in the event with a total of 240. Kolton Turner of Kalispell is in second place with 210 entries.
Julie Perkins of Kalispell leads the Ladies with 12 lake trout entries. Wyatt Best of Florence has entries to lead the 12 and Under category. The 13-17 category leader is Matt Guckenberg Jr. of Kalispell with 12 fish.
The 40th Mack Days Event is sponsored by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. Mack Days began in 2002 and are used as a tool to reduce the numbers of non-native lake trout in Flathead Lake to increase numbers of the native bull trout and westslope cutthroat. Flathead Lake was historically a bull trout and westslope trout fishery. Now those fish populations are a small portion of where they once were.