Mack Days tourney enters the final stretch
2012 Fall Mack Days is in its final days and lake trout anglers are reeling in the fish. Total entries in the event are at 11,940. The seventh weekend total was 2,672, which is just nine shy of the best three-day weekend in 2011. Anglers turned in 1,029 lake trout entries on Friday, 928 on Saturday, and 715 on Sunday.
The typical fall weather in Montana threw a little bit of everything at the anglers-but most of the hours out on the lake were good ones. Temperatures were mild with a few rain showers and slight breezes off and on throughout the weekend.
Max Martz of Corvallis continues to lead with a total of 964 and a 56.8 15-day average. Martz turned in a total of 100 lake trout entries on Friday, 56 on Saturday, and 36 on Sunday.
Mike Benson Lonepine is second with 855 and a 49.8 average, his weekend numbers are 53, 21, and 49. Scott Bombard of Missoula is third with 822 entries and a 45.9 average; his weekend numbers are 72, 28, and 44. Craig Morigeau of Polson is fourth with 559 and a 33 average. Morigeau’s weekend numbers are 23, 28, and 27.
Phil Meredith of Polson is fifth with 553 entries and an average of 31.5. His weekend numbers are 48, 53, and 14. Steve Benson of Four Lakes, Wash. is sixth with 473 and an average of 31.5. Seventh place is Don Beville of Lakeside with 441, eighth is Nick Fister of Kalispell with 410, ninth is Terry Krogstad of Kalispell, and 10th is Tyson Cottet of Charlo.
Ladies leader Jeanee Mooney of Missoula has a total of 104 followed by Julie Vacca of Florence with 82, Deana Knipe of Polson with 62, Kim McMillie of Ronan with 54, and Susanne Albrecht of Polson with 46.
Garett Vaughan of Charlo is first in the 12-and-under division with 39 and Mark Herzog of Missoula has 20. Eric Sams continues to lead the 13-17 group with 36.
Connie Jones of Kalispell, Tim Mooney of Missoula, Larry Karper of Florence, Bill Swaney of Missoula, Pete Hillberry of Oak Harbor, Wash., Alfred DeRouche of Arlee, John Gauci of Florence, Jeff Montgomery of Hamilton, Beville, Mooney and Fister caught tagged fish worth $100. Knipe caught two $100 fish.
Cody Woolstenhulme of Driggs, Ida., Larry Karper, and Don Young of Polson each caught $200 tagged fish.
Entries will continue to be taken until the last day of the contest, Nov. 10. For more information, go to www.mackdays.com or call 982-3142 or 883-2888.
This Sunday is a separate day and has prizes only for that day. Totals count for bonus amounts but not for average points in the top angler contest. All lake trout entries are to be turned in by 4 p.m. at Blue Bay. There are no fish pickups on that day in Big Arm, Polson, Wayfarers, or Somers.
Mack Days ends on Sunday, Nov. 11 with a fish fry at the Blue Bay boathouse for friends and families of the anglers. The fish fry will begin at 4 p.m. and the awards will begin at 5 p.m. Guests should bring their lawn chairs.
Mack Days is sponsored by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and is sanctioned by Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks. The competition is used as a management tool to slowly reduce numbers of non-native lake trout in Flathead Lake and increase the numbers of native fish — westslope cutthroat trout and bull trout.