Anglers gear up for Spring Mack Days

Rumors are that some anglers have been seen in their dry land-locked boats while the weather is in the single-digit numbers, getting ready for the 59 days of lake trout fishing known as Mack Days.

Sponsored by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, this year’s event begins Thursday, March 16 and ends Saturday, May 13.

Up to $225,000 in cash and prizes are awarded to anglers and CSKT will offer a special Flathead Lake fishing stamp for the south half of the lake.

Mack Day anglers help reduce the non-native lake trout in Flathead Lake while helping increase the native bull trout and westslope cutthroat populations that once dominated the lake and were an important part of the fishing history of native people and all Montanans.

Lake trout abundance exploded in Flathead Lake in the 1980s after mysis shrimp arrived. These predators drove native fish numbers to very low levels. Mack Days are a critical tool for reducing lake trout abundance.

Anglers are dreaming of catching the $10,000 tagged fish, one of the three $5,000 fish, or one of the five $1,000 tagged lake trout. There is an additional $1,000 tagged lake trout sponsored by Bretz RV and Marine in Missoula.

There are also over 9,000 lake trout in Flathead Lake with $100-$500 tags. These tags are not visible – they are scanned and read when entered as the catch is counted at the end of the day by the CSKT Fisheries staff.

All anglers catching 11 or more lake trout receive bonus dollars. The higher their catch the higher the bonus dollars, ranging from $45 for 11-30 lake trout to $813 for 301-325 entries, and on up. No pooling of fish between anglers is allowed. Lake trout must be entered the same day they are caught. Go to the website www.mackdays.com under the events tab and click on the rules drop down page for more information and the bonus dollar chart.

The event is open to men, women, and children of all ages, with prizes awarded for Ladies, Golden Oldies (70 or Over), Youth 13-17, and Youth 12 and Under, as well as Top Twenty Anglers by total or average, Largest Lake Trout over 36” and 20 pounds, and Smallest Lake Trout. Lottery prizes are drawn from all of the entries and range from $50 to $2,000 drawings, and more.

The event concludes May 13, when all fish must be turned in by 3 p.m. An awards ceremony will follow.

It only takes one fish to qualify for the $200 Early Bird Drawing for entries received on or before March 15.

Visit the entry page at mackdays.com, call 406-270-3386, or email cindy.benson@cskt.org with your name, mailing address, telephone number, and age.