Mack Days tournament underway

The Fall Mack Days fishing tournament kicked off on Flathead Lake last weekend, with familiar faces already moving into the top of the angler rankings.

A biannual, 45-day event held by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, Mack Days serves as a conservation tool for the tribes, removing non-native lake trout to protect the lake’s threatened populations of bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout.

Those participating in this year’s fall contest will compete for up to $150,000 in cash and prizes. The tournament’s leaders are scored on the number of lake trout reeled in on Friday, Saturday and Sunday each weekend.

Terry Krogstad is currently in first place after turning in 233 fish during the first three days of fishing, followed by Felix Gauci, with 205. Mike Benson was the only angler to reach the single-day lake trout limit of 100 — a feat he accomplished Friday — and finished out the weekend with a total of 194 entries.

Tied for first place in the ladies’ division is Laurie Kries and Julie Vacca, each with 16 lake trout. Brandy Hilde took third with 15.

In the 70-and-over age group, Larry Karper leads with 92 entries, followed by Glenn Hoffman and Leonard Lewis, who caught 50 and 34 lake trout, respectively.

Terry Krogstad turned in the smallest mack last weekend, with a fish measuring 7 inches long. No angler has yet caught a qualifying entry for the large lake trout category, which must measure at least 36 inches and weigh 24 pounds.

The 13-17 age category has only one participant so far: Tyler Varga, who has reeled in 29 lake trout.

A total of 2,099 lake trout entries were turned in during the first weekend. Fall Mack Days ends Nov. 13.

For more information on the fishing contest, call 406-270-3386 or visit www.mackdays.com.