UPDATED 10.7.18 My 39/39 Challenge has ended.

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8theB8
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Re: UPDATED 7.8.18 My 39/39 Challenge has begun!

Post by 8theB8 » Fri Jun 29, 2018 8:07 pm

Island County...the land that bass fishing forgot....at least when I go there ](*,)

I fished Cranberry in the Deception Pass State Park and while I caught two dinks that count towards my overall total, I snapped off the one that should have gone a pound + in the pads. I don't know how a lake can look this bassy and be this devoid of bass?? Caught several perch and one crappie. Went through about 15 different rigs and techniques and the ONLY thing that got bit was a white Beetle Spin I downsized to. Probably because there are fry balls surfacing everywhere?! I fished inside edges, outside edges, middle of the pads and drop offs. The only thing that produced bass was inside. I also decided that once I catch a one pound bass off Island County I am putting it in my rear view mirror never to return...

Thanks to the NAS I got treated to a nice air show while I struggled through the evening though, that was cool [thumbup]
Last edited by 8theB8 on Sun Jul 08, 2018 4:02 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: UPDATED 6.29.18 My 39/39 Challenge has begun!

Post by 8theB8 » Sun Jul 01, 2018 4:28 pm

Execution....that is the word for this challenge!

I have been close to punching the card on my first trip to three different counties now. Chelan County, first trip lost the fish that would have counted. Island County, broke off the fish that would have counted. Pierce County, lost the fish that would have counted on the first two lakes, then punched the card on the third lake! This tells me that my bait choices are working, my progressions are good, I'm just failing to execute at the critical moment. Give the fish an extra second to take it and don't rush the landing and I'm three for three on first trips!

Today I ran down to Pierce County. First stop was Clear Lake and boy is it ever clear! I started throwing a small 3" swimbait after seeing a school of small perch swim by. This produced all three of my bass in the one hot lap I made. The first fish would have counted but flipped off as I went to flip it in. All the rest were dinks except for the 6lb largie that turned tail and disappeared into the pads. Off to Tanwax! Not kidding, third cast and I had the 'one'! Fish jumped, smacked against the side of the boat and spit me. Didn't touch anything over a half pound the next three hours! Third lake, Ohop. Fished across from the launch and east. First dock past all the nasty grass and lily pads and hooked into a fish that easily went the required pound and one jump from the boat it spit me. Next cast and of course I land the half pounder that was with it. Got tired of bobbing around in the washing machine caused by all the ski boats so I cut back across to fish my way back to the launch. Made a cast into a laydown and felt the pop on my Rage Tail before the bait hit the bottom, good one!! Fish fought good and came unbuttoned as I was lifting it out of the water...this time it fell IN the boat!! Game over! Pierce County CHECK! Ohop will see me again in the future with the big boat as it is one sweet looking body of water that I barely scratched the surface of in the JB [thumbup]

I was hoping to hit Thurston County or Lewis County today as well but my lack of execution cost me too much time. Oh well, one more checked off and the big east trip is only three weeks away! [thumbsup]
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Re: UPDATED 7.1.18 My 39/39 Challenge has begun!

Post by The Quadfather » Sun Jul 01, 2018 6:03 pm

I might be misinterpreting your map.. but where did you fish in King County? Just curiously

I enjoy your reports. It is interesting, because I know that you can rock the bass in Skagit and Wharton county, but interesting to see you struggle sometimes in unknown waters in unknown counties.
(Kinda validated me when I can’t get a bass worthy of tourney weigh-in, in new lakes to me.
Keep at it!

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Re: UPDATED 7.1.18 My 39/39 Challenge has begun!

Post by 8theB8 » Sun Jul 01, 2018 6:15 pm

King County and others are places I fished in previous years. I fished Beaver, Angle, Meridian, Sammamish and others years ago, they count lol.

My struggles are mostly mental. Sure weather, conditions and unfamiliar waters play their parts but I am fishing to quickly, trying to bang em out instead of just fishing. It is interesting self analyzing myself while I'm on the water. I probably look like a crazy person talking myself through things at times but it's fun... doesn't sound like it probably but it is. Thanks for following along, I'm hoping to run down to Thurston County Tuesday night but work will dictate that. I would like to complete Thurston, Mason and Douglas before I leave on my big run East!

Another nice thing is that even the fish that I boat, but miss the 1lb mark, count towards the overall total of lakes I've caught bass in. So I've managed to add four more lakes to that list in the process and it is definitely cool to see a lot of lakes I've only read reports about over the years [thumbup]

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Re: UPDATED 7.1.18 My 39/39 Challenge has begun!

Post by Mike Carey » Mon Jul 02, 2018 6:47 pm

pace yourself... :-)
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"Takers get the honey, Givers sing the blues".

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Re: UPDATED 7.1.18 My 39/39 Challenge has begun!

Post by 8theB8 » Wed Jul 04, 2018 11:28 am

Happy 4th of July everyone!! :salut:

Knowing I was going to have the day off Wednesday and my work day was going to end in Renton on Tuesday, I decided to load up the JB and just keep heading south after work Tuesday. I also unexpectedly got off before noon so this worked out great! My original plan was to fish and check off Thurston County. IF, I caught one there, and had time, I would head for Mason County and try for a bonus county on my "way home". Of course plans changed once I got off work and started heading south. I remembered in my research some small ponds thirty minutes south of Offut Lake in Lewis County, did I dare try for the hat trick?! Of course I did lol. I pulled over and reoriented myself on the navigation and headed for little Carlisle Pond, just outside of Onalaska in Lewis County. First off, what an absolutely beautiful area! I could live down there in a minute, my kind of scenery! I arrived at little Carlisle figuring I could run a fast lap and just boat that pounder, but that didn't happen. First off, it helps when you don't hook your trolling motor leads up backwards...this was fairly hilarious and really messed my brain up for a second! LOL Got that figured out and had a "bite" on my first cast under a shaded tree. Had to be a three incher! What I realized later is that the shoreline was teaming with miniature pumpkinseeds who's lives were consumed with the relentless pursuit of dragonflies. The other issue was the weed growth, it was very bad in spots and a mix of milfoil and what I call 'spaghetti grass', the stuff that stops any trolling motor in it's tracks. I moved out even farther trying the weed edges and flipping the clumps, but never got a nibble. Went out by the rearing pens in the deepest water and still nothing. Saw a couple decent jumpers but they were obviously trout. I bailed, opting to save time for Thurston and possibly Mason Counties?

On the way back north I stopped off to look at two other small ponds in Centralia (Lewis County). Plummer 'Lake' has a foot only access area at Wagner Park. From Google Earth it looks doable, from the top of the hill you stand on looking down the dirt chute twenty feet below it does not! Now I see why everyone fishes it in float tubes, nothing else is coming back up that hill and if you fall on your way down at least you have something soft to land on ha ha!

Hayes 'Lake' is just to the north and the fence behind Goodwill on the access road is gated and padlocked. You have to carry or drag your boat and it's about 30-40 yards to the water I would guess? That fact and the occupied homeless camp next to the launch sent me back to my truck and north to Thurston County. No way I could drag my JB by myself to that launch and since that's what I had and I was by myself, I bagged it. Lewis County wasn't on my original list this trip anyways and I was going to make it part of my big south trip in August so I had no problem walking away at this time.

Once northbound I headed straight for Offut Lake. I wanted to fish this lake and Ohop about 20 years ago but ran into technical difficulties and never completed the journey. I arrived at the lake and launched. I had already done topo research and knew exactly where I wanted to start. Once there, the water clarity and conditions didn't hamper that decision so I was off. I started throwing a Senko around docks just to get an idea and after a couple small bites and a boated half pounder I decided the fish were possibly suspending under docks and just above the grass. I switched to a larger profile bait, a swim jig, and started slow rolling it to keep it above the grass and hopefully ward off the 'dinks'. On about my third cast, thunk! Fight was on! I knew it would count if I boated it so I gave it all the time it needed and it fought good. Finally, I managed to reach down and grab it just as it went to jump out from under the boat, DONE! Thurston County, CHECK! It was bittersweet as this is an amazing looking lake and I was only twelve minutes into my trip, however, it's not that far from home, it was only 3:30 pm and I was only 30 minutes from Lake Limerick in Mason County...so it was officially go time!

I arrived to Mason County and more speed boats than I thought should be allowed on a lake the size of Limerick?! I launched anyways, still excited by the quick success on Offut, I thought maybe I could get this done within a hundred yards of the launch and leave? Wasn't the case. The farther down the bank I got the more boats there seemed to be and there was no way I was going to try to cross over to where I wanted to be in the JB, not with that much boat activity and the potential alcohol fueling the fun. I spun around and tried to fish some shaded brush from the launch to the other side of the lake but it's the 4th of July after all, just a lot of people out having a blast and I didn't feel like weaving my way through them trying to fish so I bagged out. I did some quick parking lot research as I tried to map my back-up choice Nahwatzel. I found that Island Lake claims it has smallmouth and largemouth? It's basically across the street so I opted for that instead. Keep in mind I get up for work at 0230 so by this point in the day and with the driving, hefting the JB in and out of the truck and the warmer weather, I was starting to feel the internal battery drain a bit.

I am pretty sure they meant to say that Island Lake has a lot of 'small' largemouth, not smallmouth AND largemouth lol. I never touched a smallie but the half pound largemouth were almost every cast and at almost every depth! From one foot to twenty feet, if I got bit it was a little fish, regardless of bait or lure size! I talked to two other boats out there bass fishing and they had the same results...should have just gone to Nahwatzel I guess. I loaded up and headed home. I got the one County done I wanted to so I was happy, anything else would have just been a bonus. I look forward to return trips to Ohop and Offut in the future as they are definitely on my short list of follow up lakes!

I arrived home at 11 pm and stayed up talking with my wife until about midnight...I don't remember anything after that ha ha.
Attachments
Thurston.County.Offut.7.3.18.jpg
Thurston.County.Offut.7.3.18.2.jpg
2018.County.Challenge.Map.4.jpg
Last edited by 8theB8 on Thu Jul 05, 2018 5:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: UPDATED 7.4.18 My 39/39 Challenge has begun!

Post by grubowski » Thu Jul 05, 2018 5:58 pm

Nahwatzel would have likely been more of the same with the little guys. The last time I went there I caught 147 fish (10 were trout, the rest largemouth), but the big ones were 12-14” and even those weren’t too common. Still fun when you just want a lot of action, but I need to spend some more time there to figure out the big girls that are rumored to be in that lake.

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Re: UPDATED 7.4.18 My 39/39 Challenge has begun!

Post by 8theB8 » Thu Jul 05, 2018 6:05 pm

Good to know, thank you!

Typically you can up-size your way out of them but nipping the tails off my 5" swim-jigs gets spendy! I agree, they are a blast either way but there's a time and place lol. I've narrowed Mason County down to Limerick, Spencer or Benson, I'm pretty sure one of those will provide the check-mark I'm looking for but only one of them is Jon Boat friendly so I will more than likely bring the RT next trip? [thumbsup] Need to watch the weather, maybe hit Spencer or Limerick in the rain so there's less boat traffic?

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Re: UPDATED 7.4.18 My 39/39 Challenge has begun!

Post by grubowski » Thu Jul 05, 2018 8:09 pm

I’m still quite new to the area so I’m learning it myself. I fished Benson about two weeks ago but didn’t catch any of size. I did see a couple of nice ones that looked to be in maybe the 4lb range but they seemed extremely neutral and uninterested in my offerings. There were thousands of extremely aggressive pumpkinseed on nests though that would latch onto my plastics and tear their appendages off. I found them clear out in 30+ feet of water. There was no escaping them. Water is extremely clear and it’s a nice little lake with no motors allowed, so I’ll be back.

Limerick is on my list to try but being a float tube fisherman I don’t like ski boats so I’ve avoided it. Sounds like for good reason. I’ll try it on a cooler, wetter day though.

Lake Isabella has some big pad fields and lots of woody cover too. It might be a good option for larger bass.

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Re: UPDATED 7.4.18 My 39/39 Challenge has begun!

Post by 8theB8 » Sun Jul 08, 2018 3:58 pm

7.7.18: I got on a roll [thumbsup]

Alarm off at 0230.
Left house at 0300.
Arrived at Spencer Lake at 0530.
Screwed around for 90 minutes.
Went to the point I wanted to fish at 0700
Off Spencer after boating a 2.2lb smallie on a DT6 at 0730!

I headed for Riffe in Lewis County and launched at the Mossyrock Park because I didn't do the research on this lake and didn't know I should have launched at the east end for better smallmouth fishing! I messed around a couple creek arms and a lot of rocks and stumps for maybe an hour or more before pulling the plug! I'll need way more time to research and explore this lake so it is on the b-back list! Super cool reservoir though! [thumbup]

Left Riffe and headed up the road to Mineral lake. Very pretty lake with decent parking (I got the last spot for trailers, whew) Messed around by the launch and only attracted a couple dinks so across the launch towards the resort I went..but never made it...a 5.2 largemouth put the brakes on my spinnerbait and that was that!
Launched at Mineral 1145.
Caught bass at 1233.
Off Mineral at 1240.

Since it was still early and I had plenty of adrenaline pumping I headed south for Cowlitz County and the notorious Silver Lake! I pounded the no wake area for a couple hours only spooking what I am still trying to convince myself were carp lol! Huge boils and away they went! [scared]

I finally bagged out on that area and headed out to the main lake and left over to an outlet. Fished the pads in there and all the way back to the outlet before deciding I needed food (forgot snacks at the house). I decided to just spinnerbait my way back out to open water and if it happened, it happened...then it happened! Got a good thunk only a few casts into the spinnerbait, three casts later I was hooked up with what I knew would count if I landed it...I flipped it into the boat as soon as he let me and that was that. Three counties in one day and I seriously contemplated running for Clark and Vancouver Lake but since some counties down there will require a small boat I opted to save it and the others for another trip.
Launched on silver at 1320.
Caught bass at 1712.
Off Silver at 1745.
Home at 2100.

Great day! Can't wait to revisit some of these lakes next year! [thumbsup]
Attachments
7.7.18.Lewis.County.Mineral.Lake.4.5.2.jpg
7.7.18.Cowlitz..County.Silver.Lake.jpg
2018.County.Challenge.Map.5.jpg

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Re: UPDATED 7.8.18 My 39/39 Challenge has begun!

Post by Amx » Sun Jul 08, 2018 4:37 pm

That's a great day. Congrats. Some day I'll get back to Silver. I use to have LOADS of fun on that lake. Riffe I did good the one time I was there, but it was VERY windy and the electric motor batteries went south, but caught SOME good fish on a rattle trap around the stumps by the island away from the dam. It was a club outing back in the '90s. I dn't think it was a club tourney, but coulda been.
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Re: UPDATED 7.22.18 My 39/39 Challenge has begun!

Post by 8theB8 » Sun Jul 22, 2018 5:50 pm

Well, my five day Eastern Washington trip ended at two and a half days...

Stop #1 was Ferry County and Curlew Lake. 5.5 hours and 279 miles in and I was there! I made a reservation for the State Park but was hoping not to use it. The day started and ended with technical difficulties as first I had to reset all of my Lowrance units after the Navionics chip I loaded reset my other units overlay data through the Ethernet cables, that was frustrating and time consuming! Then, I didn't realize that the GoPro's SD card filled up and stopped working some time before my catch and I was so excited to move on I didn't pause to take a picture of the fish! Once I started fishing and catching my share of the ten million dinks that inhabit this beautiful lake, I grew concerned I may have to look elsewhere or I could be there the whole five days?! Fortunately, about 3 hours in, I nabbed a giant 1.1 pound largemouth bass and I couldn't get out of there fast enough! This lake is a Senko's worst nightmare! [scared]

From there it was off to Sacheen Lake in Pend Oreille County. The timing of the GoPro malfunction here is truly unbelievable and I have no idea what happened as I had just swapped SD cards out before leaving Curlew??! Fortunately, I snapped a photo of the fish this time! Unfortunately, I missed filming an awesome Senko bite as the 1.9 pound bass ripped the slack tight as soon as the bait hit the water! I also missed filming the three other fish I caught off the same dock!! (they were all smaller) Bummer but lessons learned and I began doubling down on the pics and vids the rest of the trip! The GoPro stopped literally the second the winning cast hit the water??!! [cursing] [cursing]

Sacheen happened in sixteen minutes, so I decided to make the 3+ hour drive to Clarkston Washington in Asotin County, where I was fortunate to find an open R.V. site for the night! Woke up literally two miles from the launch. :)

The video of Ferry County has been loaded to YouTube, Pend Oreille County will load tomorrow, the rest are still being edited... [thumbup]
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2018.County.Challenge.Map.6.jpg
7.19.18.Pend.Oreille.County.jpg
2018.County.Challenge.Map.7.jpg

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Re: UPDATED 7.23.18 My 39/39 Challenge has begun!

Post by 8theB8 » Mon Jul 23, 2018 6:02 pm

Videos are posting as I type.

Here's the standings thus far...

No photo's for Whitman and Asotin Counties (see video #3 on YouTube)
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2018.County.Challenge.Map.8.jpg
2018.County.Challenge.Map.9.jpg

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Re: UPDATED 7.22.18 My 39/39 Challenge has begun!

Post by 8theB8 » Mon Jul 23, 2018 6:05 pm

Then it was Garfield County...
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Re: UPDATED 7.22.18 My 39/39 Challenge has begun!

Post by 8theB8 » Mon Jul 23, 2018 6:06 pm

Then Columbia County...and 6 for 6 so far on the trip!
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Re: UPDATED 7.22.18 My 39/39 Challenge has begun!

Post by Amx » Mon Jul 23, 2018 9:46 pm

Movin right along filling in that map. =D>
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Re: UPDATED 7.24.18 My 39/39 Challenge has begun!

Post by 8theB8 » Tue Jul 24, 2018 2:23 pm

Here's the rest...

Garfield and Columbia video posted.

Walla Walla, Franklin, Benton and Klickitat Counties are in the editing process. [thumbsup]
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2018.County.Challenge.Map.12.jpg

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Re: UPDATED 7.24.18 My 39/39 Challenge has begun!

Post by 8theB8 » Tue Jul 24, 2018 2:24 pm

Franklin County
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Re: UPDATED 7.24.18 My 39/39 Challenge has begun!

Post by 8theB8 » Tue Jul 24, 2018 2:27 pm

Benton (Tried to kill me...)
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Re: UPDATED 7.24.18 My 39/39 Challenge has begun!

Post by 8theB8 » Tue Jul 24, 2018 2:30 pm

And finally Klickitat

***Update*** Upon further review while editing video, Klickitat County was out of bounds and does not count!

The County Challenge stands at:
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2018.County.Challenge.Map.14.Benton.jpg

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