Neah Bay's salmon resort neither gone nor forgotten
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Great news for sport anglers planning a fishing trip this season to Neah Bay on Washington's northern coastline.
The Makah Indian Tribe, which owns the Big Salmon Resort property, demolished the old rundown building last year and is putting final touches on a new one that opens April 1.
"We won a long-term lease on the facility, and plan to have it fully operational for the halibut fishing season (which starts May 1)," said John Lofquist, who lives in the Soleduck Valley and has teamed up with Joey Lawrence, a Makah tribal member, to manage the resort.
The new 1,800-square foot resort will keep its old name. Amenities include tackle, boat launching, dock moorage, bait, fuel, charter servicing, deli and general merchandise.
"I've been fishing around the North Coast since 1962, and we wanted to build on the legacy of the Big Salmon Resort, and we are going to expand from Al Seda's fine work," Lofquist said.
Last autumn, Seda closed the resort after operating it for 23 years. The resort has been in operation for more than 50 years.
"I loved the business and had such a great time," said Seda from Oahu, Hawaii, where he lives almost year-round. "The working hours were long, but I'll really miss it, and the good relation with the tribe and our customers."
Seda said it was time for him to move on, but he was very happy to have lived in such a beautiful part of the world.
The phone number to the new resort is 360-645-2374 or toll-free 866-787-1900. The Web site is www.bigsalmonresort.com.
Top fishing spots
1. Spring chinook in Columbia River and tributaries — "Lots of effort and a fair amount of fish are being caught in the clear-water zone from below Bonneville Dam to Longview," said Joe Hymer, a state Fish and Wildlife biologist.
Sport boat and bank anglers averaged one spring chinook caught or released per every 13.6 rods this past week. The commercial tangle net fishery caught 1,400 spring chinook between Sunday and Monday, and are fishing today through tomorrow.
Just a few spring chinook caught during last Saturday's opener at the Wind River mouth. Light fishing pressure at Drano Lake, and no reported catch of late. Reminders: Only springers with a missing adipose fin (on top near the tail) may be kept; and the popular Cascade Island, below Bonneville Dam's powerhouse, is closed for security concerns. Hamilton Island is open.
Fisheries is still in negotiations, but it is trying to get a spring chinook fishery going by mid-April in the Snake and Yakima rivers. Both were successful fisheries last year, and a Fisheries spokesman said phones were ringing off the hooks from inquiring anglers.
2. Blackmouth in open marine waters — The stormy weather kept most anglers on dry (wet or snowy) land through midweek, although fair catches were reported at Winter Hole off Port Angeles, and in Saratoga Passage off Hat Island, Camano Head, North Bluff north of Greenbank and Elger Bay.
Last Friday, Paul Peterson of Edmonds hauled in a 28-pound chinook mooching a herring off Slip Point at Sekiu. Lately, the buzz at Sekiu is a lack of anglers due to crummy weather.
The San Juan Island chain has been the best bet at Spring Pass, Fidalgo Head, Thatcher Pass, President Channel, Point Lawrence and west side of San Juan Island. Middle Bank and Coyote Bank have been good when the winds aren't howling.
3. Smelt in the Cowlitz River — "More fresh smelt have arrived, and they're in pretty good abundance," Hymer said. "At Carnival Market (in Kelso) dippers were getting a few fish per dip, but at Rocky Point it was more like 2 to 5 pounds per dip."
4. Trout in statewide lakes — "Fishing has been really good at Fourth of July and Hawk Canyon lakes, and it should hold up until they close at the end of this month," said Madonna Luers, a state Fish and Wildlife spokesman. "Coffeepot Lake is another good fishery, and once it warms up the perch and bass will come into the catch."
Amber Lake in Spokane County has been good for trout catch and release. Sprague Lake is decent for trout.
Sources report a 19-pound (32-inch, 11-inch wide) trout was caught last week by a 14-year-old girl at Dusty Lake in the Columbia Basin.
In Western Washington, lakes planted with trout are Green in North Seattle, Twelve, Kitsap, Morton, Bonney, Harts, Wapato, Waughop, Kapowsin, Spanaway and Ohop. In Mason County, Island Lake was planted with 4,417 trout; Isabella Lake got 4,018; and Nahwhatzel got 5,019.
In the southwest, Klineline Pond bank anglers averaged four trout per rod. Other lakes planted with trout averaging a half-pound each last week are: Battleground, 3,000 rainbows; and Lacamas, 7,500 browns and 5,000 rainbows.
5. Steelhead in north coastal rivers — "Fair numbers overall, and most of the traffic has been here (in the Hoh River)," said Bob Ball, owner of Piscatorial Pursuits Guide Service in Forks.
Bogachiel and Calawah are fair, but fishing slowed in the Soleduck.
Other fishing spots
Northern Puget Sound — Before the arctic blast, fishing was slow to fair for blackmouth at Midchannel Bank off Port Townsend, Double Bluff off the west side of Whidbey Island, Point No Point and Possession Bar.
Central and Southcentral Puget Sound — Lately nobody has been foolish enough to fish, but early on it was slow for blackmouth at Jefferson Head, Allen Bank off Blake Island, the Tacoma area, Southworth and Manchester.
Hood Canal — Slow for blackmouth.
Green River — Slow for steelhead.
Skagit River — Slow for steelhead in the catch-and-release areas.
Columbia River — Fair for steelhead in The Dalles Pool. Slow to fair for sturgeon from Longview to Vancouver. Fair for walleye in The Dalles Pool and John Day Pool.
Kalama River — Slow to fair for steelhead
Lewis River — Slow for steelhead.
Cowlitz River — Fair to good for steelhead.
Mark Yuasa can be reached at 206-464-8780, e-mail at myuasa@seattletimes.com or fax at 206-464-3255.