MOSES LAKE — The word of the day was excitement for anglers as they returned to the water in waves on Tuesday as recreational fishing tentatively reopened across the state after the state closed fishing as a measure against the coronavirus.

Don Young and his wife, Sue Young, loaded their boat into the water at Potholes Reservoir on Tuesday morning. Don Young said getting back on the water was “really exciting.”

“I mean this is what we do, this is our pastime,” Don Young said. “We fish, we hunt, and to have the restrictions is nerve-wracking. We do this, and we’re social distanced.”

Not being able to get on the water has been horrible, he said.

“I’m retired, and (my wife) got laid off from her job, our kids are grown, they’re out of the house,” Don Young said. “So what do we do? Our pastime is forbidden.”

Neil Livingston came out to the reservoir on Tuesday with his boat and bow, looking to bow fish for carp. Livingston said he’s just excited to get back out on the water.

“I was even more excited the day they finally let us get back out here is such a nice day, not much wind and nice and warm,” Livingston said. “Yeah, I’m just excited to be able to get back out and get rid of a little bit of the cabin fever. It’s been a long time since you’ve been able to do anything outdoors.”

Livingston said it’s been tough not being able to do his typical outdoor activities but said he has kept himself busy working on the boat and doing different things to pass the time. Livingston said he and his friend John Higbee try to get out on the water any nice day they can, even if it’s just for a few hours.

Jerry, a retired fisherman who lives just up the road from MarDon Resort and declined to give his last name, said the feeling for him was “sheer exhilaration.” The local angler said he appreciated the protesting everyone did to “put a little pressure on Inslee” to open recreational fishing back up. Meanwhile, the bulk of the state’s stay-at-home restrictions remain in effect.

Working on the west side of the state for most of his life, Jerry said he could understand the restrictions in heavily populated areas. In Eastern Washington, he said, as long as everyone is using their head, there shouldn’t be an issue.

Marilyn Meseberg is an owner at MarDon Resort and said the fish seemed to be active after talking to some anglers as they came in. Meseberg said it’s been wonderful for people to be able to fish again.

“It’s very healthy, and boats are big,” Meseberg said. “The average boat is probably 19 feet long, so it’s pretty easy for people to keep their distance in a boat. I’ve always maintained that the majority of fishing partners are also the same people they’re sheltered with, they’re family members.”

Meseberg said the docks at MarDon are still being worked on but feels the 10-foot-wide dock should be all right for people to pass one another. Meseberg said they’ve added arrows on the floor of the store and office for social distancing.

While Meseberg said there weren’t enough people to cause an issue at the store Tuesday, she added that if it had been a holiday, such as Memorial Day, they certainly would have to keep someone outside to prevent overcrowding.