Mack Days angler lands 50,000th lake trout

Who would ever dream of catching 50,000 lake trout, one at a time, over a span of 20 years? Mike Benson of Lonepine just passed that milestone.

When Benson began fishing the Mack Days events in Spring 2006 he was struggling to catch the lake trout numbers he wanted.

He fished 14 days of the event and turned in 158 entries, followed by 104 entries over nine days that fall, and just 76 in 11 days, Spring 2007.

He came into the fisheries office with a frustrated-angler face one day and said he had decided either he had to learn how to catch lake trout to get better numbers or he was done. 

The 2007 Fall Event began and he came in with 847 lake trout entries over 20 days and it has been a fishing marathon ever since. He’s won nine Top Angler titles in the process.

His 23rd fish on Saturday (which also marked his 1,275th day of fishing Mack Days events) was identifiable by a yellow electrical tag when it came in to be entered as lake trout number 50,000.

Congratulations Mike – how many more will be added to the fish total over the next few years?

There are other anglers whose totals are getting up there too: Terry Krogstad has reeled in 33,994 and Larry Ashwell, 19,696.

Just three weeks left in spring event

Week six of the 2026 Spring Mack Days Fishing Event wrapped up last weekend, leaving just three weeks in this biannual effort by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes to reduce non-native lake trout and increase native bull trout and Westslope cutthroat in the Flathead system. 

The total number of fish turned in by Sunday was 25,839 and weekend totals were 1,620 on Friday, 2,071 on Saturday and 1,513 on Sunday.

Every entry submitted by a registered angler offers chances to win in the lottery drawings that begin at $2,000 or to capture tagged lake trout, which have been caught from docks and the shoreline, not just from boats. Bonus amounts are payed once an angler reaches 11 entries.

The event wraps up May 9, when all fish must be turned in at Blue Bay by 3 p.m.

The $10,000 tagged lake trout “Chase” has evaded all the anglers’ lines so far. There are also three fish worth $5,000, five worth $1,000 and more than 10,000 tagged lake trout with values from $100 to $500. 

Mack Days angler Larry Ashwell of Missoula came in with two tagged lake trout on Sunday worth $200 and $500. Lucky day for him!

Bringing in $100 tagged lake trout this past week were: Steve Andrachick of Kalispell, Matthew Mitts of Kalispell, Jack Kirkland of Lolo, and Tristan Persico of Missoula.

Kolton Turner of Kalispell began fishing the Mack Days Events in 2022 and proved right in the beginning he would be someone to watch. He has won the Spring Event five times in the past and is leading the Top 10 category again with 1,487 lake trout entries, including 100-fish days on Friday and Sunday. Kolton has eight 100-fish days out of the first 18 days of fishing.

Bob Turner of Kalispell is in second with 1,289, followed by Patrick Casey of Townsend with 1,080, Larry Ashwell of Missoula with 984 and Jerry Benson of Plains with 983.

The anglers now have 18 days in if they have fished every day and Top 10 anglers are placed by the 18-day average.

Brodie Smith of Kalispell is an up-and-coming youth angler in the 13-17 Category and leads with 465; he’s followed by Ellis Stammers of Charlo with 6, and Charles Hogenson of Polson with 2.

Mason Persico of Missoula, who’s first in the 12 & Under group with 148, will also be someone to watch. He’s trailed by Lincoln Gauci of Florence with 45, Carter Lindsay of Pablo with 39, Eli Dutton of Kalispell at 12 and Allyvia Yang of Missoula with 11.

Larry Ashwell leads the 70 & Over crowd with 984, and Jerry Benson is just one fish behind with 983. Terry Krogstad has reeled in 873, Mike Benson 839, and Jack Kirkland 796.

Julie Perkins is first in the Ladies with 751; second is Shaunda Albert of Ronan with 292, followed by Angie Morrow of Kalispell with 274, Laurie Kreis of Huson with 83, and Connie Jones of Kalispell with 25.

Weather is warming up and it is a good time to go fishing on Flathead Lake. Be safe and be weather wise while on the water.

Check out the bonus chart and other prizes and categories, plus fishing and ID tips at www.mackdays.com.