This week on the Montana Outdoor Podcast your host Downrigger Dale was on a quest to answer a question that not only he has been pondering but so have several other podcast viewers and listeners. Can someone who has never fished in any Mack Days Lake Trout Fishing Tournaments on Flathead Lake, make a decent amount of money fishing their first Mack Days tournament? Rigger got a hold of Tournament Director Cindy Benson and posed that question to her and asked her to find some first timers and ask them to come on the Podcast. When you watch here will find out that what Rigger wanted to know if someone with reasonable knowledge of fishing could just go out and give a try at fishing during the tournament and not necessarily get lucky catching a high dollar tagged fish but just go enter the tournament and try to catch some Lake Trout or as many folks around Flathead Lake call them, Mackinaw or Macks. So, Cindy introduced Rigger to Ryker Bair and Patrick Casey, two different fishermen who’s first time giving Mack Days a try was last year during Fall Mack Days. And well, you just need to watch! Yes, Rigger got the answer to his question, but he also got a lot more than that. He got two different approaches to competing in Fall Mack Days for the first time. This Podcast is perfect for anyone that wants to learn a ton about making some money fishing in the Mack Days Tournament that is going on right now through Sunday November 2nd. And yes, you can join in the tournament anytime you want between now and November 2nd. Find out all the different ways you can make money and how to do it whether you have never fished the tournament before or maybe you haven’t tried it in a while, you will learn you don’t have fish everyday by any means to make some dang good money. Plus, this tournament is without a doubt the most fun you will ever have fishing in a tournament! In fact, you will find out the word “fun” gets mentioned a whole lot in this Podcast! So, watch here and then go make some money while having a blast fishing!
Links:
Click the link below to learn all the details about Fall Mack Days on their website.
https://www.mackdays.com
If you want a quick look at the basics of when and where and such click this link:
https://www.mackdays.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/2025-Fall-Poster.docab11bh-002.doc6_.4.25.pdf
Patrick recommended you stop in and chat with Dick Zimmer, The Mackman, at his tackle shop. Click below for more info:
https://zimmertackle.com
Click below to learn about campgrounds around the lake.
https://fwp.mt.gov/stateparks/flathead-lake
Cindy Benson is an incredible Tournament Director, and she is happy to answer your Questions. Click below to email her or give her a call at (406) 270-3386.
cindy.benson@cskt.org
Downrigger Dale is happy to help find info for you as well! Click below to email him:
Downrigger@MontanaOutdoor.com
More notes and links below.
