2024 Spring Mack Days_Week 9 Final Results
The 2024 Spring Mack Days Event on Flathead Lake sponsored by the
Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes ended Saturday May 11 th . A total of
35,089 were entered during the nine-week long fishing event. Making a
difference for the future of native fish in Flathead lake is the goal behind these
fishing events that focus on reducing the non-native lake trout. Native bull trout
and westslope cutthroat populations are just a fraction of what they once were.
Anglers are part of the management plan tool box to reduce non-native fish
numbers and the anglers put an enormous amount of time and effort on the lake
doing the work to help in this effort. We send out a huge thank you to each and
everyone who participates with one or thousands of lake trout entries each Mack
Days event.
The leader in the Top Twenty category was Kolton Turner of Kalispell. He turned
in a total of 2,283 lake trout entries and had an 18-day average of 100. He also
set a new record in fish total for a Spring Event. Top Ten anglers are placed by
their best 18-day average. Second place angler Jason Mahlen of Kalispell held
the fish total record since the 2019 Spring Event with his entry total of 2,134.
Jason’s total for 2024 Spring came to 2,073 and his average for 18 days was
98.67. Robert Turner of Kalispell came in 3 rd with 2,094-97.11, 4 th Clint Speer of
Kalispell with 1,257-60.61, 5 th Gene Corne of Kalispell 1,076 and 53.39, 6 th Jerry
Benson of Plains with 1,025-53.0, 7 th Ken Varga of Kalispell 1,005-52.61, 8 th Mike
Benson of Lonepine-989-51.22, 9 th Travis Banyai of Kalispell 934-50.83, 10 th
Tyler Varga of Kalispell 866 and 47.61, 11 th Bryan Long of Kalispell 818, 12 th
Larry Ashwell of Missoula 805, 13 th David McDaniel of Polson 775, 14 th David
Kelch of Great Falls 744, 15 th Larry Ludahl of Kalispell 733, 16 th Nate Dieterich of
Kalispell 714, 17 th Felix Gauci of Stevensville 673, 18 th Jack Kirkland of Lolo 651,
19 th Terry Krogstad of Kalispell 556, and 20 th Dan Deutschman of Missoula 509
lake trout entries.
Ladies leader was Julie Perkins of Kalispell with 310. Shirley Batz of Kalispell
came in 2 nd with 129, 3 rd Corrine McCubbins of Kalispell 79, Laurie Kreis of Huson
4 th 49, and 5 th Melissa Triano of Bigfork 24.
Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes
Natural Resources Department
Division of Fish, Wildlife, Recreation & Conservation
P.O. Box 278
Pablo, MT 59855
(406) 675-2700 extension 7241
Winner of the 70 & Over was Larry Ashwell, 2 nd Felix Gauci, and 3 rd Jack
Kirkland. If an angler is in the Top Ten they choose which category they want to
be placed in.
Brodie Smith of Kalispell was 1 st in the 13-17 Category with 442. Kennedy Yang
of Missoula 2 nd with 31, and Matthew Mitts of Kalispell 23.
Eli Yang of Missoula was 1 st in the 12 & Under with 31, Mason Cusker of Bigfork
2 nd with 4, and Gage Spring of Alberton 3 rd with 3.
Jack Kirkland of Missoula won the Largest Lake Trout award sponsored by Bretz
RV and Marine with a 42” 24.4 lb. lake trout entry. Smallest lake trout winner was
Gene Corne with a 164mm-6.5” lake trout. Three-way tie for 2 nd place with entries
of 166mm were Gene Corne, Jason Mahlen, and Kolton Turner.
Spirit of the Event Awards went to Sou Thao of Missoula and Tyler Varga. They
exemplify good anglers, are respectful to staff, and are good sportsmen.
Week 9 tagged fish winners were: $200-Marty Herak of Polson $100-Mike
Benson, Larry Ashwell, Travis Banyai, and Terry Krogstad.
Jerry Benson won first in the lottery drawing, David Kelch of Great Falls-2 nd , 3 rd
Jason Mahlen, 4 th Felix Gauci, 5 th Kolton Turner—there were 40 drawings—and
many other categories with winners.
Again “Thank you anglers” have a great summer! 2024 Fall Mack Days will
begin September 5 th and end November 3 rd .
Tight lines everyone!!