Spring Mack Days off to strong start

The first weekend of 2008 Spring Mack Days was a fishing success for some and a trying time for others. Once anglers were able to locate lake trout and get anchored above them several anglers were able to enter their limits on Friday and Saturday. Six anglers turned in limits on Friday and Saturday — Don Peters, Paul Haines, Mike Benson, Bill Swaney, Marty Noyd and Bryon Zempel. Breezy conditions on Sunday hampered the limits and numbers were lower for some of the anglers.

The top 10 anglers are the first weekend with their totals:

1, Don Peters, Florence, 150 (lake trout); 2, Paul Haines, Ronan, 150; 3, Mike Benson, Hot Springs, 136; 4, Bill Swaney, Arlee, 128; 5, Dean Vaughan, Charlo, 116; 6, Marty Noyd, Missoula, 114; 7, Bryon Zempel, St. Ignatius, 100; 8, Nicole Peters, Florence, 86; 9, Keegan Noyd, Missoula, 85; 10, Bud Howe, Kalispell, 70.

The smallest lake trout category is currently held by Dick Zimmer with a 244mm (9+") lake trout, and second place is a 247mm fish that Don Peters caught, both on Sunday. There have been no large lake trout entries. The large fish are measured and weighed out on the lake and can be released.

The youth anglers are lead by Keegan Noyd with 85 entries. Rounding out the top five are Stephen Naethe, Pablo, 29; Garett Vaughan, Charlo, 27; Tanner Murray, Columbia Falls, 9 and Phillip Malatare, Arlee, 3.

Lady angler Nicole Peters has a great start with 86 entries followed by Lou Moore of Hamilton with 16, and Emily Schock of St. Ignatius with 10.

Mack Days are sponsored by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and sanctioned by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks as part of the Flathead Lake Co-Management Plan to slowly reduce numbers of the non-native lake trout and increase the native westslope cutthroat trout and bull trout in the lake. Two fishing events per year are used as a tool to help bring a balance to the fishery in the lake.

More than $81,000 in cash and prizes are available in the event. There are 770 tagged lake trout in the lake with tags valued from $10 to $5,000. Pick your best 12 day totals out of the 21 days of fishing to count for the lottery cash prize drawings and top angler prizes. All it takes is one fish to win and entries are taken at any time. Check out the Web site at www.mackdays.com or call (406) 883-2888, ext. 7294 for information.

Lake trout entered in the event are distributed to area food banks from Whitefish to Missoula.

Mack Days will end with a fish fry for participants and awards at Salish Point in Polson on April 27 beginning at 4 p.m. with the "Captain" of the Montana Outdoor Radio Show, Mark Ward, as MC.