Final week of Mack Days fall tourney

With just one week remaining in the 2019 Fall Mack Days Fishing Event, Lonepine’s Mike Benson continues to lead the top 10 anglers with 1,141 entries and a 68.27 average.

Nearly 500 anglers have entered the event with 152 entering one or more lake trout entries. Total lake trout entries are at 16,298 with week seven totaling 2,043. That total surpasses ending totals for 2018 (15,423) and 2017 (14,700) and will be close or over the 2016 total of (17,527).

Record total for a Fall Event is the 2015 total of 19,540 with 195 out of 494 anglers turning in entries.

The events are used as a tool to reduce non-native lake trout in Flathead Lake.

Marie Laveau the lovely $10,000 lake trout is still evading the anglers. Kim Mack of Helena thought she had her at the end of her fishing line on Friday but after struggling to bring her line in for several minutes she found an old trolling cable tangled with her line - Marie is still working her magic.

Avery and Arley Grandchamp of Polson tried their luck with Arley catching a laker Saturday from shore. Sunday, both young anglers each caught a lake trout from shore with Avery catching one with a clipped adipose fin that was worth $200.

Also bringing in $200 tags over the seventh week were Ken Rickert of Thompson Falls and Sam Cusker of Bigfork. Tags with $100 values were caught by Richard Kreis of Huson, Larry Karper and John Gauci of Florence, Mark McMillin, Kenny Garrett, and Scott Bombard (2) of Missoula, and Terry Krogstad and Julie Perkins of Kalispell.

Mack Days Events are sponsored by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes with up to $150,000 in cash and prizes that will be awarded to anglers Nov. 10.

There are three $5,000 fish and five $1,000 fish along with over 9,000 lake trout with values from $100-$500. Fishermen can cast their lines through Sunday to try and bring in one of the tagged lake trout.

Go to www.mackdays.com for information or telephone 406-270-3386. ¦