Anglers ply Flathead Lake during Spring Mack Days
Published: March 25, 2009
After the second weekend of Spring Mack Days, sponsored by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and sanctioned by Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks, one fish is all that separates the top two anglers who have turned in the highest totals.
Angler Paul Haines of Ronan is leading with 216 entries followed by youth angler Stephen Naethe of Pablo with 215 entries. A total of 3,323 fish had been entered by March 22 – the conclusion of the second weekend.
Weather cooperated, with warmer, calmer days – which some say gave the fish lock jaw, while others reported just enjoying some time spent fishing on the lake.
Fisherman ply Flathead Lake Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, March 13-April 26, during the annual derby. Over $45,000 in cash and prizes will be given away at the end of the event, which concludes with an awards ceremony and fish fry April 26 at Salish Point. All it takes is one fish to win in the lottery-style drawing.
Mack Days is a tool used by fisheries mangers to slowly reduce numbers of non-native lake trout in Flathead Lake and increase the numbers of native bull trout and west slope cutthroat, restoring a balance to the lake’s fishery.
The coveted tagged-fish entries range in value from $500 to $100, and as of week two, the two $5,000-tagged lake trout continued to elude anglers. Over 1,000 lake trout with tags remain in the lake.
The largest lake-trout entry continues to be a 43-inch, 31.1-lb. lake trout caught by Captain Bob Orusa of Mo Fisch Charters out of Lakeside.
Entries continue to be taken until the last day of the event. Check out the website at www.mackdays.com for information or call 406-883-2888 ex. 7294.
