THE HALIBUT FISHERY has provided the first test for Brandon and Dawn Mason, the new owners of Olson’s Resort (360-963-2311) in Sekiu.
And so far things are working out well for the Idaho natives who counted 358 boats on their docks over the Memorial Day weekend.
“It’s been good,” Brandon Mason said of the change in ownership at the resort.
The Masons’ purchased the fishing resort last November from longtime owners Arlen and Donalyn Olson.
“Everybody’s heard about the new ownership, and they’ve wanted to come check us out,” Brandon Mason said.
A brand-new fuel pump on the Olson’s dock is the initial addition most customers are noticing and enjoying.
“We have non-ethanol gas or diesel on the water and a card-reader pump on land with non-ethanol gas and highway diesel, so we have 24/7 fuel out here,” Mason said.
Propane gas users can fill up cylinders or recreational vehicles.
The new pumps are the most prominent and expensive infrastructure improvement added so far.
“Anytime you put anything underwater, it’s super expensive,” Mason said.
But the investment is paying off with the return of some former customers, many who couldn’t lug jugs of fuel down to the docks.
“We are getting a lot of that older crowd that before it was tough for them to pack 5-gallon fuel cans down to fuel up their boats,” Mason said.
“Now that we have fuel on the docks it’s become a game changer.”
Other work has been smaller in scope.
“We’ve revamped some of the docks. Some that were needing some serious attention have been fixed up, and now we are just maintaining things through the fishing season,” Mason said.
A new food service booth offering hamburgers, corn dogs, onion rings and soft-serve ice cream has opened.
“It opens at 4 a.m. for fisherman, and we do biscuits and gravy for breakfast so they can grab and go and head down to their boats to go fishing,” Mason said.
Growing for the future
Other efforts have been of the big-picture variety.
“We just recently purchased Straitside Resort two or three weeks ago from Linda Palumbo, so that gives us eight more rooms,” Mason said.
Straitside includes two suites, two studios and three cabins.
“What I’m up to for this fall, once we’re done fishing, is to start renovating the cabins and motel rooms at both locations,” Mason said.
“They are a little rustic, so we will get them a little more modernized.”
The resort is working on creating a recognized scuba diving area right off the resort
“We are working on getting some dive buoys placed off the beach at Sekiu Point,” Mason said.
“Point Defiance [Zoo and] Aquarium has been out here and collected some fish for the public to see, so we are trying to build that up [because] the dive area is full of sea life down there.
“We’d like lots of scuba divers to come out for a day trip, set up on picnic tables, walk out on the ramps and go for it,” Mason said.
A future plan is to get the Sekiu harbor dredged for the first time in decades.
“I’ve been in quite a few meetings with the port commissioners and with [Clallam County Commissioner] Bill Peach and with the Clallam EDC [Economic Development Council], and they are giving me some ideas,” Mason said.
“We are seeing what’s out there, like applying for a grant or some kind of low-interest loan, to help us get it pushed through.
“And maybe in two years, if we can get things dredged we can bring in some commercial boats to off-load some fish off the docks and get some more full-time jobs out here in the Sekiu area.”
And some changes at Olson’s have been geared toward growing and sustaining a faithful customer base for the resort.
“Yeah, we’ve really spruced up the place and hired a lot of high school kids,” Mason said.
“We’ve got a lot young men and women working for us this year, and all the employees wear red shirts so customers can always find us if there are any questions or problems.
“Everybody’s been pretty happy with what we’ve done.”
A tradition that won’t change is the annual Sekiu Fun Days fireworks display off the Olson’s breakwater.
“Oh, yeah, that will be Saturday, July 11 at 10:30 p.m. right off the tip of the jetty,” Mason said.
“That will be the finale of Sekiu Fun Days.”
Olson’s derby
Olson’s will host a halibut derby from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday.
Buy-in is $15 at the resort, and all passengers on a boat must have a ticket.
First prize is $10 per pound (unlimited poundage).
The runner-up will take home $400 and third prize is $100.
The largest sea bass also will win a prize.
Crab season set
The state Department of Fish and Wildlife has released the 2015 crab fishing season schedule.
The season runs Thursdays through Mondays, from Thursday, July 2, through Monday, Sept. 7, in Marine Areas 4 (Neah Bay east of the Bonilla-Tatoosh line), 5 (Sekiu), 6 (eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca) and 9 (Admiralty Inlet)
The daily limit is five Dungeness crab, males only, in hard-shell condition with a minimum carapace width of 6 1/4 inches.
Fishers may catch six red rock crab of either sex per day, provided those crab measure at least 5 inches across.
Send photos, stories
Have a photograph, a fishing or hunting report, an anecdote about an outdoors experience or a tip on gear or technique?
Send it to sports@peninsuladailynews.com or P.O. Box 1330, Port Angeles, WA 98362.
________
Outdoors columnist Michael Carman appears here Thursdays and Fridays. He can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5152 or at mcarman@peninsuladailynews.com.
