WOW tnga! Nice, Thanks for the report. I live a mile from the resort; will have to put the boat in and give it a whirl. - Alan

Nice size crappie, what launch location would you recommend for someone who has never fished the area? State location or private Keith me. Thanks, mtngrizz

Nice size crappie, what launch location would you recommend for someone who has never fished the area? State location or private Keith me. Thanks, mtngrizz

SLABS! nicely done!

You can launch at the old Nine Mile Resort, which is now part of State Parks, for a launching fee and Discovery Pass. You may want to call them first to see when they open, since they were not open when we fished there. Also, Willow Bay Resort near Tum Tum is also allowing fisherman and non-members to launch a boat for $15. On this particular trip, we launched my friend's boat at his buddy's private residence near Sun crest.

A common misconception is that you need a Discovery pass to use a water access site. The vehicle pass that comes with your fishing license will do just fine if you make it visible inside your car. I would think even if you don't have a fishing access or discovery pass you would be fine at a fee launch because you are already paying a fee to launch. It's the same at a campground if you pay a camping fee at a state park you don't need a discovery pass to camp there.

Thanks for bringing up a good point about the Discover Pass vs Vehicle Access Pass since there seems to be a lot of confusion. I called the WA State Parks & Rec and they said that the vehicle pass alone is not valid if you pay for just the daily launch fee, and needs to be accompanied with a Discover Pass. However, you do not need a Discover Pass to launch if you have an annual Natural Investment Permit. Our Nine Mile Recreation Area near Spokane is ran by Riverside State Park so it may be different in other areas of the state.

Nice SLABS!!

The Natural Investment Permit is $80 and can be purchased on line ( http://www.parks.wa.gov/469/Launching) or at the Riverside Park office in Nine Mile Falls. It takes the place of the Discovery Pass and Launch fee. There is still so much confusion over this issue! The Natural Investment pass is NOT sold by the outlets that provide fishing/hunting licenses ...go figure.

The boat launch at the Nine Mile Resort opens at 8:00 AM. The launch at the confluence is not gated but watch out for the buoys that guide you to the river channel; there's stumps in there! Ask me how I know this.

Hope this helps - Alan

Thank you for the info. Alan. I am learning a lot about the Discover Pass and where you can and cannot use it being a fisherman who just wants to launch a boat for a fair price and not get fined. I must say though the regulations are quite confusing.

I just have to say holy crappie... nice fish tnga! Very jealous. I've been wanting to hit Long for crappie, how much longer do you think the fish will be on the bite?