The 2024 Fall Mack Days Fishing Event on Flathead Lake will end Nov. 3 after nine weeks of lake trout fishing.

Mack Days are a fish conservation tool used to decrease the population of voracious non-native lake trout in Flathead Lake, and hopefully increase native westslope cutthroat and bull trout populations. The effort is sponsored by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes and sanctioned by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, with up to $200,000 in cash and prizes awarded at the conclusion of the event.

Eight weeks of the event wrapped up Sunday with a total of 16,411 lake trout entered by 145 of the 431 anglers who have registered. Friday’s total was 554, Saturday’s was 473, and Sunday’s was 284.

Every lake trout entry gives anglers a chance in the lottery drawings that begin at $100 and go up to $2,000. There are several ways to win with different categories for all. Check out the rules, entry page, fish ID, etc. at www.mackdays.com. Entries continue to be taken until the last day of the event.

“Jonny Cash,” the most sought-after fish in the lake, has a tag worth $10,000 and he is still out there somewhere waiting for an angler to find him. There are also three fish worth $5,000, five worth $1,000 and more than 9,000 lake trout with tags worth $100-$500.

There were several tagged lake trout turned in this past week. Mike Benson of Lonepine, Charles Horejsi of Missoula, Steve Mack of Helena, Laurie Kreis of Huson (who turned in two), Missoula anglers Shawn Halstad, Charles Savoia and Larry Ashwell, Stevensville angler John Gauci and Polson’s Howard Nebaker all had tagged lake trout worth $100, and Michael Powell of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, turned in a $200 tag.

The Top Twenty Angler category is still a race to the finish between brothers Mike and Jerry Benson. Lonepine angler Mike leads in total entries at the end of eight weeks with 1,250 but his 18-day average of 58.22 is below brother Jerry of Plains who has 1,231 entries and a 60.22 average. Top Ten anglers are placed by their best 18-day average.

Third place angler is David McDaniel of Polson with a total of 859 and a 44.83 average; Larry Ashwell of Missoula has caught 689 and has a 32.33 average and Terry Krogstad of Kalispell is in fifth with 659 and a 33.33 average.

Julie Perkins leads the Ladies with a total catch of 469, followed by Laurie Kreis with 463, Debby Sacchi of Thompson Falls with 131, Kim Mack of Helena with 49, and Lorinda Freeman of Polson and Jolene Tatum of Missoula tied with 25.

James Kuchera of Kalispell has eight in the 13-17 age category. Blaine Helvey of Thompson Falls is first in the 12 & Under with 20, followed by Paisley Helvey with 18.

Mike Benson leads the 70 and Over category with 1,250, followed by Larry Ashwell with 689, Terry Krogstad with 659, Jack Kirkland with 602, and Larry Karper with 438.

All of the competitive categories will end on Saturday, Nov. 2. Sunday fishing is a separate day with separate prizes. Totals will be added together for the bonus amounts. All entries are to be turned in by 3p.m. Sunday with a small awards ceremony following at Blue Bay. The lottery drawings will be posted at that time.