Fall Mack Days: Top anglers surpass 18 days of fishing

Six of the 2024 Top Ten anglers in the Mack Days Fishing Event have fished 18 straight days of weekend fishing on Flathead Lake.

Top Ten Anglers are ranked on their best 18-day average at the conclusion of the event. As they fish past the 18 days, their lowest total is dropped and replaced by the higher total. They lose tickets on those days, but they do receive tickets for the difference between the low number and the new high number which helps to give other anglers more of a chance in the lottery drawings. The total of their fish count does not change and they get credit for it in the bonus amounts paid out.

Up to $200,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded at the end of the event on Nov. 3.  Mack Days fishing events are sponsored by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and sanctioned by Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks. The fisheries management tool helps reduce the non-native lake trout in Flathead Lake and preserve and increase the native bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout populations.

Anglers asked for the opportunity to help with this fish conservation effort and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes became the sponsors of the events to ensure the future of these native fish continues for many generations.

Total entries at the end of six weeks are 12,762; with 2,499 fish brought in from Monday to Thursday and 10,263 harvested from Friday to Sunday.

Last weekend’s totals were: Friday, 591; Saturday, 514; and Sunday, 532. Patrick Casey of Townsend hauled in the biggest number Friday at 84 and again Saturday with 43, and Mike Benson of Lonepine had the highest Sunday total at 62.

Jerry Benson is still leading all anglers with a total of 1,015 lake trout entries; his 18-day average is 56.39. Mike Benson is in a close second with 1,009 and an 18-day average of 56.06, followed by David McDaniel of Polson with 655; Terry Krogstad of Kalispell with 518 and Larry Ashwell of Missoula with 495.

Lady angler Laurie Kreis is first in the Ladies Category with 353, followed by Julie Perkins with 340, Debby Sacchi with 95, Kim Mack with 49, and Lorinda Freeman with 25.

James Kuchera of Kalispell has eight in the 13-17 age category and Blaine Helvey of Thompson Falls is first in the 12 and Under with 20, followed by Paisley Helvey of Thompson Falls with 18.

Mike Benson has 1,009 in the 70 and Over, followed by Terry Krogstad at 518, Larry Ashwell with 495,  Jack Kirkland with 472, and Larry Karper with 363.

Julie Perkings won $200 in the weekend drawings while Terry Krogstad, Clint Speer and Laurie Kreis won $100 drawings.

The third and final day of the Bucket of Fish competition is Sunday, Oct. 20.

Three weeks are left in the event, but organizers say it is not too late to catch and enter fish in the competition for lottery drawings.

The $10,000 tagged lake trout “Johnny Cash” is still swimming in the depths of the lake. There was one $200 tagged lake trout turned in by Todd Wood of Ronan during the sixth week. In addition to Johnny Cash, three fish are valued at $5,000, five are worth $1,000, and 9,000 have values from $100-$500. A tagged fish has a clipped adipose fin (anglers can’t see the tag).

Cooler weather is on its way and anglers are encouraged to be prepared and have all safety equipment on board.

All entries are to be turned in by 3 p.m. Nov. 3 at Blue Bay. Learn more at www.mackdays.com/.