Wanted to end the year on a trip to rufus with my wifes dad. Left spokane at 6am and arrived at Seatons Grove around 9am after stopping at Airway Heights Micky D's for a breakfast gut bomb,

Fished the sandy beaches on the opposite side of the pens, in between the two sets. We were marking a ton of fish in this area so stayed on it for close to five hours. The catching was pretty good. Landed lots of fish between 2 and 3 pounds jigging the bottom on a 3/16th ounce jig head and various soft plastics including 4 inch Senkos and 3 inch Roboworms tipped with worm. All the fish we caught were natives. We kept two going 4 and 5 pounds. Super fun on light action rods and 8 pound fluorocarbon. Both fish put up an awesome fight making several short runs and did not want to give up. Beautiful fish too with a pretty bright gold hue.

With about an hour and a half of daylight left we ran out of worms. I wanted to try a technique we have been successful with at other trout lakes. So Mike tied on a River2Sea S waver swimbait, and I tied on a 6 inch Megabait Charlie swimbait and we headed up lake, same side, about 500 yards where we found some grass, chunk rock, and small trees in the water. My first cast to the shoreline I saw a nice trip follow my swimbait from the beach. I killed it about half way to the boat and she hammered it. Fish went about 7 pounds but did not put up half the battle as the big natives. Landed her and she had choked the bait so she went in the box. We caught 3 more small trips that came right off the beach, but wanted one more fatty for the smoker. Mike casted to a small tree just as we were gonna pick up and had a vicious strike in less than two feet of water. Have to love those swimbaits. The 4th fish kept was another 7 pound triploid that had some spunk and took flight a few times before entering the net.

Lots of boats on the water and everyone looked to be catching fish. Some trollers, but mostly jiggers from what I observed. Water surface temp was 41 degrees and what a nice day it was. Even nicer fishing this time of year with no top on the boat. Think we will come back in a week on my B-day with a couple boxes full of swimbaits. Happy New year to all. If you have never fished this fantastic fishery you are really missing out. This was only my 3rd time on this body of water and I am hooked. Oh and I actually remembered the camera but can't find the dang USB cord...ughhhh!

*Editor's Note - as noted in the report comments, limit is two and stop fishing when using bait on Rufus.

MotoBoat

1/2/2012 7:59:00 PM

Good action on the swimbaits! How long was the "River2Sea S waver"? A 6 inch Megabait Charlie swimbait..........wow what a mouthful !! Were the fish swallowing it or grabbing from the side and getting hooked?

spocanman

1/3/2012 8:58:00 AM

Oh boy.....Be careful out there. Selective Gear Rules: When using bait (worm) and scented artificial lures (Plastics) catch two fish and your done. There's no catch and release under those conditions.

riprap101

1/3/2012 9:30:00 AM

The fish were eating the swimbaits. If the fish never enters the boat and is safely released while in the water is it considered caught? We also pinched all the barbs off our jigs. I read reports all the time of persons catching and releasing on single barbless hooks that have applied some type of corn, scent, etc. People who fish this lake a whole lot more than I do. Perhaps should not have released the 3 hooked on swimbaits, however they were fine. Would not have released if not so. I will read up, thanks.

Bob R

1/3/2012 10:29:00 PM

Regs are pretty self explanatory, ANY scent or flavored plastic IS bait even those flavored with salt., also releasing fish by the side of the boat is catching, thus counts toward your two fish limit, no matter weather you use barbless hooks or not. As far as what folks post on this site being legal fishing practices I read folks posting breaking our laws all the time, esp. at Rufus. As a matter of fact that's what you just did.Bob R

riprap101

1/4/2012 9:30:00 AM

Well I guess we are just a bunch of self entitled A Holes. Thanks for your input Bob R.

Bob R

1/4/2012 3:39:00 PM

I didn't say anything about you being self entitled,much less "A-Holes", but someone who is as uneducated about our fishing regs as you are, who goes fishing 3 times in a specific location without bothering to read the regs, (oh, I forgot, you get your regs off of other folks reports!) can't expect much empathy (or mercy, lol) from those of us who bother to find out BEFORE we fish.. Since you comment on how many reports you've read about using bait and releasing fish you certainly couldn't be unaware of the NUMEROUS posts concerning the problems with people catching and releasing fish from Rufus Woods while using bait or scent. GUIDES who are sponsers on this site have pointed it out numerous times. You are certainly welcome for my input,you should just hope that fisheries agents who troll this site don't point out your lack of knowledge with a hefty ticket. Bob R

Bob R

1/4/2012 3:42:00 PM

Oh, and the bit about taking a "poop" in Wilbur? My wife appreciated that (NOT), a little too much info maybe? BobR

riprap101

1/4/2012 4:00:00 PM

I think I'll be okay, however appreciate your concern. Sorry for offending your wife regarding my bowel movements, I really had to drop a double decker. It was nice of the other guy to point out my lack of knowledge so politely, unlike yourself with the statement breaking laws, just what you did, as if I have these ill intentions.....a real rebel I tell ya. It is posters such as yourself that steer persons away from commenting on this web site. Unfortunate. I would rather have SAFELY released those small fish to grow than kill them. Not knowing better is my fault, but perhaps you should take a moment to unwind and stop judging. Fish On Bob R

riprap101

1/4/2012 4:04:00 PM

Oh and that bit about the regs. being pretty self explanatory........what an opening statement, It made me feel so warm and fuzzy

Bob R

1/4/2012 4:42:00 PM

If you don't like what people say regarding posts that are so obviously written by someone who does't bother to read the regs. and kiills small fish needlessly (killing small fish your term, not mine). Grow thicker skin, or do a better job of reading regs. What a rediculous proposition, that if you release a fish by the boat it doesn't count.I didn't call you names, you did that yourself. Like I said, read the regs,My last post on this. BobR

riprap101

1/4/2012 9:13:00 PM

Nobody killed any fish Bob. Buh Bye

buc

1/5/2012 2:39:00 PM

Why so negative! Fishing is to get away and enjoy ! I dont understand people that police posts! Maybe we can see your badge! lol

spocanman

1/6/2012 12:21:00 PM

Personally, I not offended by an honest heads up. Hell, if it would save me from an expensive citation I'm down with that. I wouldn't think that a person who is intentionally and knowingly, disregarding the regs. would post their exploits. So, why not comment and maybe save someone grief down the road, especially if it's me.

bigyfish

1/6/2012 12:47:00 PM

nice post spocanman I agree with you.

hewesfisher

1/7/2012 10:33:00 AM

Since there's a LOT of misinformation in this report, here are the rules for Rufus Woods lake taken directly from the 2011/2012 WA Sportfishing Regs Pamphlet:

RUFUS WOODS LAKE (Douglas/Okanogan Co.)
CLOSED WATERS - from Grand Coulee Dam downstream to SR155 Bridge.
ALL SPECIES - chumming permitted.
Licensing Requirements - Douglas County shore (State license), on the water (either State or Tribal license accepted), Reservation (Tribal permit required or either license accepted at a signed "Designated Fishing Areas" (DFA) located and marked as such on the Colville Reservation shoreline).
TROUT Year-round No min. size. Daily limit 2. KOKANEE are included as part of the daily TROUT limit. Only uninjured TROUT caught using artificial lures or flies with single-point barbless hooks may be released.
Other Game Fish Year-round Statewide min. size/daily limit.
STURGEON CLOSED

Rufus Woods lake is NOT a selective gear rules lake per the 2011/2012 Reg pamphlet. If it were, it would say so in the listing for Rufus Woods which it does not.

Pleas READ the section about catch and release, PERMITTED with single point, barbless hooks and NOT limited to two only unless you are using bait, which per WA rules, includes scent. If you are fishing with single point, barbless, unscented lures or flies you may catch and release any and all unharmed trout until you retain a limit. That's the rule. If you pinch the barbs down on a treble hook (or multiple trebles) on an unscented artificial lure, you cannot catch and release more than two trout, must be single point to catch and release more than two.

Before someone brings it up, in WA, when fishing for trout WITH BAIT (see the definition of BAIT in the regs) ALL trout caught count toward the daily limit whether kept or released.

Mike Carey

1/7/2012 6:56:00 PM

wow, how did that first sentence get past me??? I need to read these reports closer. Honest, I try to not let reports get posted with obvious infractions in them, this one got past us. We'll leave it up as a good "teaching moment" and a reminder, as previously noted, you're responsible for knowing the regs of the water you are fishing, no excuses allowed...

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