Mack Days: Anglers reel in nearly 9,000 lake trout by week 5

There are still five weeks left in the 2024 Fall Mack Days Fishing Event on Flathead Lake. A total of 8,730 lake trout entries have been entered so far in this event.

Up to $200,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded on Nov. 3, the last day of the event. These events are sponsored by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and are used as a management tool in a fish conservation effort to reduce non-native lake trout in Flathead Lake and increase the native bull trout and westslope cutthroat. The events are designed to give everyone who catches even one lake trout the ability to win in the lottery drawings. 

A total of 366 lake trout anglers are entered in the event, which is up from the 2023 number of 343. Of those, 105 anglers have caught one or more lake trout.

Monday there were 133 lake trout entries with Terry Krogstad of Kalispell being high angler with 24 entries; Tuesday 96 lake trout entered with Lyndon Lee of Canada turning in the high of 45; Wednesday brought 204 entries and Patrick Casey of Townsend was highest with 92; Thursday’s total came to 130 and Mike Benson of Lonepine was high with 46. The Monday-Thursday total came to 1,725.

On Friday, the first day of the fourth weekend of fishing, Mike Benson turned in 72 for the high out of 559 entered. Jerry Benson of Plains was highest on Saturday with 53 out of a total of 620 entries.

On Sunday, the lake was rocking and rolling all day from wind gusts expected to exceed 30 mph. Still, a total of 315 lake trout were tallied and Jerry Benson again was high angler with 79 entries.

The $10,000 tagged lake trout is still out there, along with three $5,000 fish, five $1,000 and more than 9,000 valued from $100-$500. Turning in $100 tagged lake trout were Bob Stewart of Kalispell, Dan Deutschman of Fergus Falls, Minn., and Julie Perkins of Kalispell.

Blaine Helvey of Thompson Falls is leading the 12 and Under Category with 13 entries followed by Paisley Helvey with 12. They helped their grandfather Ken Rickert of Thompson Falls celebrate his birthday by going fishing with him. The lone angler in the 13-17 category is James Kuchera of Kalispell who has eight.

Angler Laurie Kreis of Huson is first in the Ladies Category with 304, followed by Julie Perkins of Kalispell with 219, Debby Sacchi of Thompson Falls with 39, 4Kim Mack of Helena with 29, and Lorinda Freeman of Polson with 25.

The competition in the Top Ten Angler Category is continuing to move back and forth. With the daily limit of 100 lake trout under 30 inches, totals change fast. Jerry Benson moved into first with a total of 766 after having a good weekend of fishing, reeling in 63 Friday, 53 on Saturday and 79 on Sunday. Mike Benson moved down into second with 754, followed by David McDaniel of Polson with a total of 460, Richard Kreis of Huson with 384 and Terry Krogstad of Kalispell in fifth with 371.

Mike Benson leads the 70 & Over group with 754, followed by Terry Krogstad with 371, Larry Karper with 344, Jack Kirkland with 335, and Larry Ashwell with 316. Six of the Top Ten Anglers are also 70 & Over.

Jerry Benson turned in a 149mm (six inch) small lake trout on Sunday, which puts him in the running for one of two $250 prizes for smallest lake trout. Julie Perkins also holds a place in that category with a 176mm (seven inch) lake trout.

The second of the Bucket Days is coming up on Saturday. Anglers put their four largest lake trout under 30 inches in a bucket and a weight is taken for a $200 prize.

There is no large lake trout entry so far in the event. The Largest Lake Trout Prize of $500 is given by Bretz RV and Marine of Missoula for the heaviest lake trout that tops 36 inches and 20 pounds.

There is still time to come out and try out your fishing skills catching lake trout in Flathead Lake. Check out all of the ways to win at www.mackdays.com. There are fishing tips, fish ID, rules, entry page, stats, and lots more on the website.