Mack Days on track to set new record
Justin Bair with a nice catch at Mack Days. (Photo provided)
Spring Mack Days on Flathead Lake is on course for a new record of lake trout entries.
There are three weekends left in this event which is sponsored by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes. The event ends on Saturday May 10 with all fish entries in by 3 p.m.
The 2019 Spring Event holds the record of 40,362 lake trout entries turned in by 219 anglers over the 51 days of competition. Current total for this event is at 40,343, just 19 fish short of breaking the record.
The $10,000 tagged lake trout has continued to elude the lake trout anglers. He along with three $5,000, four $1,000 and over 9,000 with $100-$500 values are still out there in the depths of Flathead Lake.
Turning in $100 tagged lake trout were: Shaunda Albert of Ronan, Patrick Casey of Townsend, Nate Salmonsen of Kalispell, Dan Deutschman of Fergus Falls, Minn., and Julie Perkins of Kalispell. Clint Speer of Kalispell had a $200 tagged lake trout.
Top angler placings will probably not be decided until the end of the event. It is a close competition for the placings.
Jason Mahlen of Kalispell is in first place with a total of 1,712 entries. He turned in three limits of 100 per day over the weekend. His 18-day average at this time is 95.11. Jason is a seasoned seven-time winner of the event. His last win was in 2020 with a total of 1,381 entries and a 99.92 18-day average.
He and second place angler Kolton Turner hold the record for 100.0 18-day averages. Jason reached that average in the 2019 event with 2,134 entries and Kolton winning the 2024 event with 2,289 entries and 100 18-day average.
Kolton has claimed the 1st place Spring Event Top Angler award four times. This race for the 2025 Top Angler 1st place standing will likely continue until the last day of competition.
Coming in second is Kolton with 1,698, 3rd Bob Turner with 1,571, 4th David Myers with 1,550, and 5th Jerry Benson of Plains with 1,179.
Julie Perkins is leading the Ladies with 634. Jerry Benson leads in the 70 & Over with 1,179. Carter Lindsay of Pablo is first in the 12 & Under with 24.
Smallest lake trout entries are Gene Corne of Kalispell with a 155mm (6”) lake trout and Korey Heindahl of Kalispell with a 162mm small lake trout. Matt Brazda of Missoula still holds the largest fish category with a 36.25” 20.5 pound lake trout. The largest lake trout qualifies by the heaviest over 36” and 20 pounds.
Heaviest bucket of fish on the second day was a 25.1 pound bucket of four lake trout turned in by Britton Salois of Ronan, Shaunda Albert of Ronan, and up and coming angler Carter Lindsay of Pablo.