2016 Fall Mack Days – FINAL UPDATE 11.14.16
By angelamontana

Posted: November 14, 2016

Four hundred sixty nine anglers registered for the 2016 Fall Mack Days Fishing Event sponsored by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes on Flathead Lake with Up to $150,000 in Cash and Prizes. One hundred seventy eight anglers turned in a total of 17,527 lake trout entries in forty five days of lake trout fishing. The 2016 Fall Event ranked third highest in numbers entered for a Fall Event since the events began in 2002. The highest total of 19,525 were turned in in 2015 and second highest of 18,357 was turned in in the 2011 Fall Event.

Kalispell angler Terry Krogstad was Top Angler of the event with a total of 1,341 entries and a fifteen day average of 72.9 setting a new average high record. The old record was a 68.2 average set by the same three time Fall Event winner when he won the 2013 Fall Event with 956 entries. He also won 2015 Fall Event with a 65.07 average and 1,251 entries. Mike Benson of Lonepine was second with a 65.6 average and 1,292 entries. Benson was former winner in the 2014 Fall Event with a 45.8 average and 1,037 entries. His previous best average of a Fall Event was in 2010 winning that event with a 48.7 average and 915 entries. Felix Gauci of Stevensville was 3rd with 777 and 44.8, 4th Larry Karper of Florence with 648 and 39.0, 5th Sam Cusker of Whitefish 597 and 35.6, 6th Larry Ashwell of Missoula with 533 and 32.9, 7th Scott Bombard of Missoula with 607 and 32.8, Bob Stewart of Kalispell was 8th with 454 and 28.3, 9th Richard Kreis of Huson with 510 and 27.8, 10th a tie between Danny Smith 388 and 20.07 and Greg Karlson 386 and 20.07.

Laurie Kries of Huson turned in 190 entries to win the Ladies Category. Brandy Hilde of Whitefish was second with 142, 3rd Jeanee Mooney of Missoula with 127, 4th Gina Schiff of Whitefish with 82, and Deb Amdahl of Kalispell 5th with 53.

Tyler Varga of Kalispell won the 13-17 Category with 53, 2nd Danner Shima of Kalispell 12, 3rd Carson McDaniel of Polson 9, Justin Line of Missoula 4th with 8, and Ayden Tripp of Missoula 5th with 1.

Winning the 12 and Under Category was Dawson Adley of Pablo with 10, 2nd Matt Kreis of Huson-8, 3rd Hayden Hall of Missoula with 3.

Golden Angler Larry Karper with 648 entries placed in the Top Ten which disqualified him from winning a cash award in the 70 and Over Category. Winning 1st was angler Bob Christensen of Missoula with 240 and 2nd went to Glenn Hoffman of Missoula with 175. Bear Malatare of Arlee won a 3rd place drawing and Gail Parsons of Kalispell won a 4th place drawing.

David Kanniainen of Lolo won one of the two smallest fish prizes with a 153mm lake trout and Randy Collins of Kalispell won with a 163mm laker.

Spirit of the Event winners of custom made knives by Bob Crowder of Thompson Falls were Randy Hovet of Charlo and Bobbi Hereford of Missoula.

Powell Rods sponsored special rods for the overall numbers of lake trout caught by a male and female angler Tuesday through Sunday. Winning those rods were Mike Benson with 2,111 and Laurie Kries with 190.

Top winners in the lottery drawings were John Malatare of Arlee, Larry Ashwell, Felix Gauci, George Thompson of Missoula, Jeanee Mooney, Sam Cusker-for a full list of the twenty seven cash winners go to www.mackdays.com.

A total of 93 tagged fish were turned in during the event with values from $100-$500. The 2016 top value fish will be revalued for the 2017 Spring Event and new high dollar tagged fish will be tagged before that event begins on March 17, 2017. Mack Days Spring 2017 will end May 14, 2017.

Mack Days is made a success by the hard work, dedication, and commitment of every angler who fishes the event. They are out on the lake every day of the event on the sunny nice days, rainy days, and windy rough water days. They are who bring in the numbers of fish with hours and hours of fishing on Flathead Lake as their workplace. Thank you to all of them for the success of the event that is sponsored by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes to reduce the non-native lake trout in Flathead Lake.

(via Cynthia Bras)
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