Rod Meseberg remembered as Washington fishing advocate

OLYMPIA--The recent death of long-time Washington fishing advocate Rod Meseberg has Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) staff remembering his many efforts, especially with inland, warmwater fisheries.

Meseberg was the owner and operator of Mardon Resort on Potholes Reservoir in Grant County. He had served on WDFW's Inland Fish Citizen Advisory Committee since its inception in 1992. Meseberg led a campaign in the early ‘90's to secure state funding for the construction of the warmwater fish facility at Ringold Hatchery. He also helped convince the 1996 Washington State Legislature to authorize a warmwater fish enhancement fee to fund development of more statewide fishing opportunities for warmwater species such as bass, walleye, channel catfish, tiger muskie and crappie.

Earlier this year WDFW named the warmwater fish production section at the Ringold Hatchery after Meseberg. The facility is located on the banks of the Columbia River about 30 miles north of the Tri-Cities area.

"We honored Rod with that distinction because of his many years of tireless effort on behalf of Washington's warmwater anglers and for the vision and leadership he demonstrated in bringing the facility from dream to reality," said WDFW Warmwater Fish Program Manager Bill Zook of Olympia. "There is no doubt in my mind that the Ringold warmwater fish facility would not exist without the efforts of Rod Meseberg."