Banks lake, and some others

[medic1]

Well I have been working out of state since the middle of March. I know, I know, I have missed a lot of really good fishing. But I have six days at home before leaving again for another three weeks and I was planning to take the boat camping for four days while I am home . I think I have decided to head up to Banks for this trip. I have never been there before so I will be trying to figure it out. Also, Banks is so close to other places to fish that if the fish are not active there, which I hope they will be, it wouldn't be too hard to find somewhere else to go.

So figure before I head out I should check on the board and see if anyone has any suggestions. I know that there are a couple of places up there to camp, is one preferred over the other? I figure that the walleye fishing can't be too much different from the pot holes this time of year. Crank baits or worm harnesses right? And cranks and plastics for bass? I will have the misses with me and would like to get her into a school of perch or crappie, is that an option in the area? I have never fished Rufus Woods or Billy Clapp and was thinking about trying one of those two, any suggestions? I heard that Rufus has walleye to go along with those big trout

Thanks for the help guys and hope I get the chance to C&R a lot of fish. I will throw up some pics when I get back.

[returnofthefish]

Try contacting Big D for trout pellet flies. Big D has an ad in the classifieds. You can catch large trout Rufus Woods. I think the regs only allow two trout. Check the reg book to make sure though. Read the old reports for Rufus Woods.

[Big D]

Big D here,
Thanks returnofthefish.
Bottom bouncing from the shore at the foot of Wells dam is going good right now. Night time is the best time for fishing below Wells and the best way is using a couple of glow in the dark corkies and roe. I've got a friend that lives in Chelan and he's down there every night. He has pulled several kings already this season and reports that the boat fishermen are doing better than the shore fishermen using flashers & Brad's super baits baited with tuna off of the riggers. The fishing at Rufus Woods is also off the hook using Trout Pellet Flies and more than worth the trip.
Rainbows + 6lbs are very common.

[shock_me]

is there any place to fish for walleye in wetern wa

[shock_me]

is there any place in western wa to walleye fish

[G-Man]

Walleye in Western Washington can be found in the Columbia River, that's about it. There were a couple of good threads relating to Banks Lake and walleye started a while back, here is one of them.

http://www.washingtonlakes.com/forum/ya ... lleye.aspx

[Anglinarcher]

Like G-Man said, lower Columbia is it, and that is above the brackish water. I have not fished that area for about 10 years now, but it has always been a big fish, but very very few fish, fishery for Walleyes in that area.

I doubt that the State will ever start old marble eyes on your side of the state, considering that they might compete with native Salmon, Steelhead, etc., smolts.

I refuse to get into a debate over the merits of Walleye, pro or con. I am just stating that I remember the arguments about them when they started showing up in the Snake and Columbia Rivers when I was a kid. I lived in South Centeral Idaho, and yet, even the Idaho F&G magazine, along with the local papers, made dire predictions abou the potential results and what they WOULD DO to the Salmon and Steelhead.

To the best of my knowledge, Sprague was the last "stalked" lake in the state for Walleye, and they have been killed out. Roosevelt and Banks probably received their first stalks from a bucket biologist, maybe even just Roosevelt and then they were pumped into Banks. From irragation systems, they migrated into the remainder of the Columbia, into the lower Snake, and into Moses and Potholes.

Personally, I am considering a Walleye Trip this Saturday, so I like them, but....................... if old marble eyes are your prime target, you live in the wrong part of the state, and perhaps the wrong part of the country. Sorry.

[medic1]

Fished Banks on Monday and Tuesday, report posted

[jbball50]

Yeah it would be nice if they could turn a few of the westside lakes or reservoirs into a walleye or warmwater fishery, then we wouldn't have to drive 3 and a half hours to fish at potholes every year for walleye. Like AnglinArcher said though, the state will probably never do this because of salmon or the trout fishing which is what they are most concerned with.

[shock_me]

thank you all for your help i now know where to go