Fall Mack Days on Flathead Lake to begin Sept. 21
Autumn in Western Montana is right around the corner. That means the 2012 Fall Mack Days Fishing Event is fast approaching and anglers are encouraged to get their fishing equipment ready to go.
Fall Mack Days on Flathead Lake will begin Sept. 21 and end on Nov. 11. Up to $125,000 in cash and prizes will be awarded to anglers at the conclusion of the 28-day event. Anglers can fish any number of Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays for eight weekends plus fish for 10 straight days Nov. 2-11 for lake trout. They can choose to fish every day, several days, or just one day.
Every lake trout entered equals an entry in the lottery style drawing for prizes from $100-1,000.
The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes sponsor the event and it is sanctioned by Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks. Mack Days Events are used as a tool to slowly reduce the number of non-native lake trout in Flathead Lake.
Native fish — bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout — numbers are just a fraction of where they once were in the Flathead system and are an important part of Montana’s cultural heritage.
These fish have been a part of the Flathead for thousands of years and it is important that their legacy continue on for future generations.
Anglers compete several ways to win cash prizes in the event. There are over 3,500 tagged lake trout in the lake. One lake trout will have a $10,000 tag, five will have a $5,000 tag, and 10 will have $1,000 tags and the remainder will be worth from $100-500.
Fish with the higher dollar values are tagged close to each event. You cannot see the tags, the tags are inserted in the muscle of the fish and the adipose fin is clipped.
As the lake trout are counted or entered in the event fisheries staff watches for clipped fins, anglers sometimes will tie an electrical tie or use a rubber band around a tail or gill plate to mark them.
A scanner is used to read the tags and the number is then matched to a value associated with the numbers. The fisheries biologists use information from the tags, such as movement and growth, along with population estimates.
The smallest lake trout entry will continue this fall with two $250 prizes. There is a largest lake trout prize of $500 for the heaviest entry. The largest lake trout has to be over 36” and 24 pounds to qualify.
The ladies-only category attracts more ladies every season. Top prize for the ladies is $300 with $200 going to second and $100 to the third place female angler based on overall totals at the end of the event.
Other categories are the Youth, Captains, Weekend, and Golden Angler for participants over 70 years old.
The last day has separate prizes from $100-500. There are also prizes for the top ten anglers based on their best 15 out of 27 days of fishing.
The last day of the tournament does not count for top ten but does count for bonuses.
Top ten cash prizes are from $200-700. Bonuses accumulate as the angler’s total goes up. The higher the number of lake trout entered, the more anglers will receive for a bonus amount.
A new event is being worked on for the fall Mack Days tournament, a single/team competition for three days. On Sept. 28, Oct. 20, and Nov. 4 prizes will be given for the four heaviest fish under 30-inches long.
The four fish entries are to be tagged or identified with some kind of marking before coming through the door. Fish will be put in a bucket and one weight per boat will be taken.
Due to time limits only one weight per boat will be taken and no changes will be made to the entries. The top weight on those three days will win $200 and overall prizes of $500, $400 and $300 will be given at the end of the tournament.
Participants are encouraged to share their thoughts on this new addition by contacting the tribes at 883-2888 extension 7294 or by emailing cindyb@cskt.org.
There is no entry fee to participate and the entry form can be found on the website www.mackdays.com, click on events or watch for entry forms at local sporting goods stores.
The website has information on prizes, rules, fish catch and release techniques, fishing access, fishing tips, weather, management, Flathead Lake maps, and lake trout recipes.