BLUE BAY – Anglers will be sprawled across Flathead Lake for the subsequent 9 weeks as Spring Mack Days is officially underway.
The fishing occasion set on by the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) presents absent hard cash prizes for catching lake trout, in an effort to cut down non-native fish in Flathead Lake.
“It’s receiving to the place we’re looking at persons fishing as grown ups that ended up small young children when we very first begun, but which is pretty great,” explained CSKT Fisheries Professional Cindy Benson.
Mack Times on Flathead Lake has grown exponentially given that its inception in 2002.
Sean Wells/MTN Information
“We experienced 888 fish turned in. Currently, we get extra than that in single times,” Benson mentioned.
Benson said invasive lake trout had been introduced into Flathead Lake in the 1900s.
The lake trout prey on native fish these kinds of as the bull and westslope cutthroat trout, decimating their populations over the yrs.
“As this reduction plan proceeds, what we’re hoping to see is an enhance in the populations of the indigenous fish,” Benson famous.
Sean Wells/MTN News
That’s where by Mack Days will come into play.
CSKT places on the fishing function two times a calendar year, providing away funds prizes, and encouraging anglers to assistance them deal with the lake trout inhabitants.
“The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes is aware of that it’s pricey to go out in this article and fish and do this,” Benson mentioned. “They respect the assist, they know that anglers are a huge portion of this reduction application.”
CSKT gives hard cash prizes for the party and this year’s purse totals $225,000 in a selection of categories.
Sean Wells/MTN News
“Youth classes, ladies’ category, we have an in excess of 70 classification, individuals guys are also stating we want about 80 now,” Benson reported.
The event appeals to anglers to northwest Montana and retains them coming back again.
“People appear from several different states and fish in this occasion, folks are setting up their vacations close to the gatherings, you know they are inquiring a year ahead of time,” Benson informed MTN Information.
Benson hopes this year’s Spring Mack Days brings in up to 30,000 lake trout, serving to protect native fish populations in Flathead Lake for generations to arrive.
Sean Wells/MTN News
“This is a lovely place, it’s someplace that we need to have to acquire treatment of, we have to have to treasure it,” Benson explained. “And I think that in accomplishing this conservation exertion to assistance our native fish, it will make it a improved spot to be.”
Fish can be turned in at Blue Bay Monday via Thursday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Friday via Sunday at a half-hour in advance of dark or 9 p.m. — whichever will come initial.
There will be fish pickups at the next areas in the course of Spring Mack Days:
- Big Arm Point out Boat Ramp: 5 p.m. right until 5:30 p.m.
- Salish Stage: 6 p.m. right up until 6:15 p.m.
- Somers Point out Boat Ramp: 3 p.m. to 4 p.m.
- Wayfarers Boat Ramp: 4:30 p.m. right up until 5 p.m.
Supplemental info about Spring Mack Days can be observed at https://mackdays.com/.
