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This week your Host Downrigger Dale talks with Mack Days Tournament Manager Cindy Benson and her husband Mike Benson who has fished the Mack Days tourneys for many years! Cindy will give you all the details about this incredible Tournament which gets underway on March 13th and goes through May 10th on Flathead Lake in Northwest Montana. Downrigger referrs to the Mack Days Tournaments as the most unique fishing tournaments you will ever fish in and are the richest Tournaments in Montana and for Lake Trout tournaments, likely the richest in the world! Just wait until you hear Mike talk about how much money he won in Spring Mack Days just a few years ago. It is in the 5-digit range and the winner of last year’s Spring Mack Days won quite a bit more than that! How much? Click that play button above and find out. Mike will also give you great advice about how to fish for the Lake Trout, also known as Mackinaw or Macks. It’s all explained in the Podcast from what lures to use, where to go on the lake and much more. So, click that play button and get to listening!
Links:
• Click here to go to the Spring Mack Days website! (https://www.mackdays.com)
• Know how to identify the fish in Flathead Lake. The website above has that info or use the Fishes of Montana App. Click here (https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.emountainworks.android.fishesofmontana&hl=en_SG&pli=1) to get that on Google Play. Or click here (https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/fishes-of-montana/id1410853911?ls=1&mt=8) to get it for Apple.
• Lures that Mike talked about:
• Leadagator (https://zimmertackle.com/product-category/flat-jigs/leadagator/)
• Rattle-d-Zastor (https://zimmertackle.com/product-category/flat-jigs/mouse-jigrattle-d-zastor/)
• Glowing Jigs (https://zimmertackle.com/product-category/lh-plastic-jigs/glow-grub/)
• Paul’s Jigs – Call 309-678-6160 to order.
• PlugIt Tackle (https://plugit-tackle.com)
• Or talk to local tackle shops in area.
• Campgrounds Cindy talked about.
• Blue Bay (https://cskt.org/natural-resources/blue-bay/)
• Wayfarers (https://fwp.mt.gov/stateparks/wayfarers)
• Big Arm (https://fwp.mt.gov/stateparks/big-arm)
• Flathead Lake Map (https://cskt.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Flathead-Lake-Map-and-Regulations.pdf)
• Montana Fishing Regulations (https://fwp.mt.gov/binaries/content/assets/fwp/fish/regulations/2025_2026-fishing-regulations-final-for-web.pdf)
• Flathead Indian Reservation Fishing Regulations (https://fwp.mt.gov/binaries/content/assets/fwp/hunt/regulations/2025/2025.2026_nonmember-regs.pdf) (South Half of Flathead Lake)
• To email Cindy and Mike click here (mailto:cindy.benson@cskt.org?subject=MT%20Outdoor%20Podcast) .
• To email Downrigger click here (mailto:downrigger@montanaoutdoor.com?subject=MT%20Outdoor%20Podcast)
Remember to tune in to The Montana Outdoor Radio Show, live every Saturday from 6:00AM to 8:00AM MT. The show airs on 30 radio stations across the State of Montana. You can get a list of our affiliated radio stations on our website (https://www.montanaoutdoor.com/radio-show/our-crew/) . You can also listen to recordings of past shows, get fishing and and hunting information and much more at that website (https://www.montanaoutdoor.com/) or on our Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/montanaoutdoor) . You can also watch our radio show there as well.
More notes and links below.
