Record number of fish caught during spring Mack Days
courtesy photo
Top ten anglers left to right are Kolton Turner, Felix Gauci, Bob Turner, Mike Benson, Jason Mahlen, Ken Varga, David McDaniel, Matt Guckenberg, Jerry Benson and Scott Mahlen.
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FLATHEAD LAKE – The 2019 Spring Mack Days fishing event sponsored by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and sanctioned by Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks concluded on May 19 with awards and a fish fry at the Blue Bay campground.
A record total of 40,357 lake trout entries caught by two hundred twenty anglers were brought in during the fifty-one days of the event. Anglers could fish Tuesdays through Sundays during the nine-week fishing event, or they could choose to fish only one day.
Mack Days was a week late, beginning on March 22 instead of the 15th because boat ramps were frozen, so the event ended a week late. The previous high number of 38,085 entries was from the 2012 spring event when three hundred thirty anglers caught one or more lake trout. The 2018 event had 36,318 entries, and 2017 had a total of 37,195 entries.
Kalispell angler Jason Mahlen blazed through the event with a record total of 2,134 lake trout entries, and a perfect record-setting 100 fifteen-day average. In 2018, his total was 2,028 and was the number to beat. Friday was a rough day on the water. He missed the 100 on that disappointing day, turning in fifty- five entries, which for most anglers would be a great day.
Saturday was a milder day on the water and Mahlen finished and turned in early with his last perfect one hundred fish day to finish out the event. He commented that he did not realize how important it was to him until he was done and had the last lake trout in the net and in the cooler.
Kolton Turner of Kalispell came in second with 1,822 and 91.8. David McDaniel of Polson was third with 1,680 and 79.33. Bob Turner of Kalispell was fourth with 1,490 and 77.47. Fifth place went to Mike Benson of Lonepine with 1,381 and 70.06. Ken Varga of Kalispell was sixth with 1,108 and 64.26. Jerry Benson of Plains was seventh with 1,126 and 63.8. Felix Gauci of Stevensville was eighth with 953 and 62.06. Ninth place went to Scott Mahlen of Kalispell with 1,142 and 61.93. Tenth places went to Matt Guckenberg of Kalispell with 1,030 and 57.4. The top-ten anglers are placed based on their fifteen-day average.
Another record was set by lady angler Julie Perkins of Kalispell with 589 entries in the ladies category. Second place went to youth angler Leah Banyai of Kalispell with 389. Third place went to Debbie Paine of Polson with 149. Connie Jones of Kalispell was fourth with 149. Lisa Cloo of Clinton came in fifth with 75.
Spirit of the Event awards went to Bob Turner, Kolton Turner and Tom Kemppainen of Kalispell. They were the three men in a boat who broke a path through the ice on March 22 at Yellow Bay, which gave anglers the opportunity to get out on the water the following day. They spent five and a half hours chipping through the ice to get out to open water. Mack Days would have been set back in fish totals if they had not forged their way out to the open water.
The Golden Angler first place award went to Larry Karper of Florence with 628 entries. Second place went to Larry Ashwell of Missoula with 543.
Future expert anglers were Matt Guckenberg Jr. of Kalispell with first place in the 13-17 category with 545, Emmett Ludahl of Kalispell with 32 and second place, Abby Hodgson of Kalispell with 20 and third place, Wyatt Thompson of Bigfork with five and fifth place and John Ross Jr. of Stevensville was fifth place and four.
The 12 and under category leader was Brodie Smith of Kalispell with 167. Fjord Borgen of Columbia Falls was second with 52, and Fisher Whitaker of Kalispell third with 33. The smallest lake trout winners were Kent Lowe of Polson with 145mm and Jerry Benson with a 176mm. There was no large lake trout entry.
Heaviest fish under 30-inches on the last day was won by Debby Sacchi of Thompson Falls with a six- pound lake trout. Second place went to Ben Carson of Stevensville with a 4.5-pound lake trout.
Darren Borgen of Columbia Falls won the early entry award.
For a list of winners and other information go to www.mackdays.com. Mack Days are used as a tool to reduce non-native lake trout in Flathead Lake. This is a plan supported by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and is used to increase the numbers of native fish for the future generations of the tribe and state of Montana. You cannot see fish like you can see other wildlife. It takes years of work and research to make a difference. The 2019 fall Mack Days will begin on Sept. 20 and will end on Nov. 17. We will be looking forward to setting more records and seeing new faces. Thank you to each and every angler who helped to make this event such a success. You make the events what they are. Tight lines everyone.
