2014 Spring Mack Days finishes third week
courtesy photo
Danner Shima shows off a fish he caught. Shima leads the 13-17 youth category in spring Mack Days. Three generations of Shimas caught fish during the third weekend of Mack Days.
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The bucket almost wasn’t big enough for the four fish entries of Bob Christensen of Missoula. Friday March 28 was the first of the three- day competition for the largest Bucket of Fish during 2014 Spring Mack Days on Flathead Lake. Anglers mark or pick out what they believe is their four heaviest fish to be put in a bucket and a weight taken. Coming in at 28 pounds, 13 ounces (7 pounds, 3 ounces average per fish) Christensen easily won the $200 prize and 10 points. The bucket lake trout have to measure in under 30 inches to qualify.The largest fish has to measure over 36 inches and weigh over 24 pounds. So far, there have been no large fish entries. One lake trout of the winning bucket fish measured in at 29 and three-quarter inches. Second place and winning only 8 points went to Russ Hadley, of Kalispell, with another heavy weight of 23 pounds, 9 ounces and third place (6 points) went to the team of Dave Hobeck and T.J. Haynes of Arlee with bucket weight of 19 pounds, one ounce. Team Bryan Long and Darren Borgen of Columbia Falls came in fourth (4 points) with 18 pounds, 11 ounces and fifth place went to Kevin Burns of Kalispell with 16 pounds, 7 ounces (2 points). The next Bucket of Fish Day will be Saturday, April 12, and the third day is Sunday, May 11. Top weight wins $200 on each of those days. Overall winners, first to third, at the end of the three specific days will be decided by highest number of points. A tie would be broken by total weight. First place overall wins $300, second $200 and third $100.
Anglers have turned in a total of 7,589 lake trout entries in the first nine days of the event. Fridays total was 848, Saturday 678, and Sunday 959. Stormy spring weather that included wind, rain, snow, and sleet swept across the water, hampering the fishermen and ladies most of the weekend.
Jason Mahlen of Kalispell leads the top 10 anglers with a total of 481, 2nd-Scott Bombard, Missoula, with 403; 3rd-Mike Benson-Lonepine, 388; 4th-Kevin Burns, Kalispell-346; 5th-Terry Krogstad, Kalispell, 338; 6th-Steven Benson, Four Lakes, Wash.,304; 7th-Jerry Benson, Plains, 299; 8th-Robert Turner, Kalispell, 244; 9th-Larry Karper, Florence, 217; and 10th-Danny Smith, Hot Springs, 200.
Other category leaders: Julie Vacca, Florence, Ladies, with 39 fish and 2nd-Connie Jones, Kalispell, with 7. Youth 13-17 leader is Danner Shima, Kalispell, 117; Garett Vaughan, Charlo, 94; Roger Guillory, Kalispell, 75; Kobe Cox, Charlo, 65; and Keaton Turner, Kalispell, 47. The 12 and under category leader is Matthew Guckenberg, Kalispell, with 50 and Abby Hodgson, Kalispell, second. Over 70 leader is Larry Karper with 217. Second is Conn Hodgson, Kalispell, 68, and third is Roger Smart, Ronan, 36.
Tagged fish with values of $100 were turned in by Conn Hodgson, Steven Benson with three, Scott Bombard, Kevin Guillory, Bob Turner with two fish, Jerry Devinney and Bret Bundrick of Kalispell, Danner Shima, Bryan Long, and Weston Turner-Kalispell. The high dollar $10,000 lake trout along with two-$5,000, and five-$1,000 fish are still out there along with over 5,000 with values from $100-$500.
Mack Day’s goal is to slowly reduce non-native lake trout and see an increase in the populations of native bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout, which once were the dominant fish of Flathead Lake.
The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes sponsor the 34-day event with more than $150,000 in cash and prizes awarded at the conclusion of the event. Mack Days is also sanctioned by Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks.
Entry in the fishing event is free and continues to be taken until the last day of the event. For more information, go to www.mackdays.com or telephone (406) 883-2888 ex. 7294.
