Marina open, busy
Some POA facilities are still closed and some are open with a limited capacity, but one amenity hasn’t been affected very much by the covid-19 shutdown. Fishing and boating have always been good places to practice social distancing. The marina at Loch Lomond is open and busy.
A sign at the entrance advises that only 10 people at a time are allowed in the store. The small shop sells a variety of fishing gear, everything from live bait to fishing poles, as well as some rain gear, sunglasses, and logo T-shirts. It also dispenses a lot of information, Trey Anson, trails and outdoor recreation manager said. Customers come in with questions about fishing on the lake and the staff is always ready to help.
A bulletin board features photos of some of the fish that have been caught on the lake and the anglers who pulled them in.
There is a small fleet of rental boats at the marina, including five pontoon boats, one fishing boat with a trolling motor and a fish finder, kayaks, paddleboards and a couple of the new pedal kayaks, Anson said. He and his staff keep the boats clean. Even before the virus, the pontoon boats were getting extra cleaning and vinyl protection. The boats aren’t new, although in some cases,
the motors are new. Keeping the boats covered when not in use helps keep them looking good.
When the weather is nice, the boats are usually checked out all weekend. He recommends planning ahead to rent a pontoon boat. Try to get a reservation three weeks before you need it, he said.
There are usually people fishing along the edge of the lake on the dock that the Flytyer Club helped finance. Other people just walk along the paved path.
The marina is located right behind Lakepoint, the POA’s restaurant and event center. There’s a courtesy dock so members on the lake in their own boats can tie up and eat dinner at Lakepoint. Or, they can call ahead and have takeout meals delivered to the dock. Anson said Bella Vista is a small enough town that the boaters at the courtesy dock often know each other and socialize boat-to-boat while enjoying a Lakepoint meal.
For years the marina was leased to a local business, but since the POA took over the management last year, it’s been doing well, Anson said.
He’s worked there for about a year, but mostly in the summer. During the slow season for the marina, he keeps busy with the trails. Volunteers do much of the trail upkeep, but they aren’t allowed to use chain saws or heavy equipment. When storms knock down trees on the trails — often in the spring or fall, Anson is the one who cuts them up so they can be moved out of the way. Fortunately, his two jobs don’t share one busy season.