Greetings, Beacon Nation! Two weeks into the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes’ fall Mack Days fishing derby on Flathead Lake, the lake trout are coming in at a faster clip. Anglers turned in 2,156 fish during week two, up from 1,827 in the opening week, for a running total of 3,983.
The nine-week derby began Sept. 10 and runs through Nov. 8. Like its spring counterpart, it’s part fishing contest and part conservation tool, aimed at thinning out the nonnative lake trout that outcompete Flathead Lake’s native bull trout and westslope cutthroat for food and territory. For context, the tribes’ goal is to remove about 143,000 lake trout from the lake each year.
Terry Krogstad holds the lead with 491 fish, followed by Jack Kirkland with 323 and Devon Bukowski with 302. Larry Karper (254) and Larry Ashwell (242) round out the top five.
Anglers are still dreaming of landing the $10,000 tagged fish, but it’s not the only prize out there. Three fish are tagged at $5,000, five at $1,000, and more than 9,000 carry values from $100 to $500. Corey Speer and Angie Morrow turned in $100 tags during week two. Weekend drawing winners were Felix Gauci ($200) and Shawnda Albert and Cory Schmautz ($100 each). No one has turned in a “large fish” yet.
Entries are accepted through the last day of the event, and every entry goes into the lottery drawing, so anglers can fish one day or several. Entry details, fish ID guides and fishing tips are at www.mackdays.com. And if you’re heading out on the lake this fall, CSKT reminds anglers to wear a life jacket, watch the weather and tell someone your plan.
I’m Tristan Scott, hooking your inbox with the latest Mack Days numbers in this Monday edition of the Daily Roundup.
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