Lake trout anglers have one weekend left to participate in the 2022 Spring Mack Days Event, which ends on May 15th on Flathead Lake. Up to $225,000 in Cash and Prizes will be awarded at the conclusion of the event. Get your name in the lottery drawings that begin at $2,000 and go to $100 by entering one lake trout in the event. Every lake trout entry gives you a chance to win! There are a lot of different ways to win. Smallest lake trout, largest lake trout, weekend drawings, etc. Go to the website www.mackdays.com for information, fishing tips, safety information, maps, etc. A total of 18,699 lake trout have been entered in the event so far. The weekend total was 1150.
“The Captain” is still eluding all of the anglers. He is out there somewhere lurking in the depths of Flathead Lake and is worth $10,000. There are also 3-$5,000, 5-$1,000 plus a $1,000 tagged lake trout sponsored by Bretz RV and Marine. Bretz have also sponsored the $500 prize for the largest lake trout entry.
Jade Smith of Charlo turned in a 41” lake trout that weighed in at 25.25 pounds and is in the number one spot for that prize so far. Julie Perkins of Kalispell turned in a $200 tagged lake trout. Smallest lake trout entries are Sam Cusker of Bigfork with a 126mm lake trout (5”) and Jason Mahlen of Kalispell with a 154mm (6”) entry. When asked how they catch a fish so small they said that it may just be a line twitch or bump that makes them bring the line in to check it or sometimes you don’t even know there is a small fish on the hook. They may think it is just time to change bait and bring the line in and there is a small lake trout on it.
Anglers earn bonus dollars once they have entered 10 lake trout entries. As their total goes up the amount of the bonus goes up. The amount goes up every 25 fish. There is a bonus chart on the website.
The eighth weekend drawing winners were: Tom Kemppainen of Columbia Falls-$200, Julie Duncan $100 X 2-Kalispell, Travis Banyai of Lakeside-$100, and Dwayne Whitaker-$100 of Kalispell.
Kolton Turner of Kalispell continues to lead the anglers in the Top Twenty Category. He and his dad Bob had a combined total of 471 lake trout entries for the weekend and 2593 total for the weekend fishing. Friday Kolton turned in 60, Saturday the perfect 100, and 96 on Sunday. He has a 68.72 18-day average. Top anglers are placed at the conclusion of the event by their best 18-day average. There are 27 weekend days in the event. Using the best 18 day average gives them the opportunity to miss a few days and still be in the competition as a Top Angler. Jason Mahlen of Kalispell is in second with 1230 entries. Jason had 0,42, & 52 for the weekend and he has a 60.94 avg. Bob Turner is third with 1145 and a 56.22 avg., 4thSam Cusker of Bigfork with 616 with 0,23,41 and 33.72 avg,, 5th Steven Benson of Spokane Valley with 612-12,16,17 and 31.50 avg., 6th Clint Speer of Kalispell with 602, with 2,25,28 and 31.17 avg., 7thJerry Benson of Plains with 550 with 15,19,20 and 27.5 avg., 8th Mike Benson of Lonepine with 526 with 13,11,34 and 28.22 avg., 9th Travis Banyai of Lakeside with 473-2,0,30 and 25.0 avg., Larry Karper of Florence is in 10th with 464 with no entries over the weekend. His average is 25.78. Scott Bombard of Missoula is in 11th with 427, 12th Hank McLeod of Kalispell with 408, Larry Ashwell of Missoula 13th with 392, 14th Andy Reed of Kalispell with 379, 15th Tom Kemppainen of Columbia Falls with 371, 16th Gene Corne of Kalispell with 345, 17th Jack Kirkland of Missoula with 344, 18th Larry Ludahl of Kalispell with 316, 19th Terry Krogstad of Kalispell with 286, and in 20th is Bryan Long of Kalispell with 282.
70 and Over Category leader is Mike Benson with 526, 2nd Larry Karper with 464, 3rd Larry Ashwell with 392, Jack Kirkland is 4th with 344, and 5th Marty Herak of Polson with 88.
Julie Perkins of Kalispell is the Ladies leader with 257, 2nd Connie Jones of Kalispell with 78, Rebecca Spring of Alberton has 18 for 3rd, 4th Ia Thao of Missoula with 11, Amanda Hobak of Arlee and Laurie Kreis of Huson each have 5 for 5th place.
Leading the 13-17 anglers is Matt Guckenberg Jr of Kalispell with 59, Brodie Smith of Kalispell has 47 entries, Karson Cox of Charlo–6, Otto Anderson of Columbia Falls and Thomas Airhart of Kalispell each have 5, and Michael Palmer of Kalispell has 2.
The 12 & Under leader is Wyatt Best of Florence with 6, Gage Spring-Alberton 4, Tripp Bick-Arlee, Martin Phan-Kalispell, Allydia Yang and Ava Yang of Missoula are at 2, Henry Phan-Kalispell and Bridgett Reed of Kalispell each have one entry.
There is no entry fee and entries continue to be taken until the last day of the event. Come out and enjoy some lake trout fishing on Flathead Lake
For More information, visit www.mackdays.com or call Cindy Benson @ (406) 270-3386.
Tight lines everyone!
––CSKT—
