Rufus Woods Fishing

[rasbo]

is there good fishing from the bank?Never been there

[mossback91]

is there good fishing from the bank?Never been there

Thats all i ever do and it seems to work for me

[SHANE(WA)]

Banks are best, the fish cruise the shelf closest to shore near the net pens, we only cast about 15-20 ft from shore.

[Skyvalhunter]

What do you usually use for bait? Green sparkly power bait?

[stout]

Drift sinker, about 3-4 feet of leader, and a great big glob of power bait (approximately 1/2-3/4" diameter sphere slightly teardrop shaped to cover the hook).

I have used multiple power bait colors including white, offwhite, yellow, orange, red, and green.  All have worked, but have had the best luck on the offwhite-yellow colors(mimicing what I assume the pen food coloring is).

All of this is from last year, I live in Electric City and work at the Grand Coulee Dam, and I haven't made it out yet this year

Oh, and if you want to wait it out for larger fish, you will need to debarb your hook and not use bait (anything that attracts fish using scent or taste) so that you can release the smaller ones back.

-Stout

[Antlershed]

Oh, and if you want to wait it out for larger fish, you will need to debarb your hook so that you can release the smaller ones back.

If you are using bait, you CAN NOT catch and release fish. With bait, even the ones you release count as part of your daily limit. So, you could cnr 2 on bait, but then you would be done fishing. The tribal cops have been out in force I have heard and they will write you a ticket for it.

When I go, I like to use three marshmallows and a chunk of Nightcrawler. Rig up with just a sliding egg sinker (size dependant on the current), a barrel swivel, and about a 3-4' leader and a #4 or #6 baitholder hook. Run the three mallows up your leader, put the worm on, pump it full of air, and then slide your mallows back down on top of the worm. Like was mentioned, you don't have to cast very far. Then set your rod in a holder (I just stack rocks around mine), and wait for the bite. The mallows don't last long in the water, so check your stuff if you don't have a bite after maybe 30 minutes. I have had the best luck on just Kraft mallows you buy at the grocery store, but I have also caught fish using the garlic flavored Atlas mallows.

[Camo]

Do the larger fish move back down towards the dam at all in the winter? I read that usually they catch some good fish down by the dam (though not as good as the pens). However, last summer the boats that fished down low, myself included, caught plenty fish but nothing over about 3#.

[mossback91]

biggest I have caught by the dam was 9 pounds

[Camo]

Mossback- That's all the trout I need, was that in the summer? Are you able to catch fish 3-6# down there with any consistency?

[mossback91]

Winter months....is the only time I go!! that was all last year I have only gone once this year and it was so cold I quit and came home after one small fish that was maybe 2 pounds......my dad and I went down quite often last year catching our limits everytime! most were around the 5 pound range......I will also use lures with barbless hooks most of the time so I can throw small ones back.......I havent been down there enough this year to tell you how consistant it is this year but last year was awesome! always from shore though. I need to get back down there....maybe Ill do that next week sometime

[rasbo]

Drift sinker, about 3-4 feet of leader, and a great big glob of power bait (approximately 1/2-3/4" diameter sphere slightly teardrop shaped to cover the hook).

I have used multiple power bait colors including white, offwhite, yellow, orange, red, and green.  All have worked, but have had the best luck on the offwhite-yellow colors(mimicing what I assume the pen food coloring is).

All of this is from last year, I live in Electric City and work at the Grand Coulee Dam, and I haven't made it out yet this year

Oh, and if you want to wait it out for larger fish, you will need to debarb your hook so that you can release the smaller ones back.

-Stout

HOW BOUT FILLET AND RELEASE

[TeacherMan]

There have been lots of game wardens around down there under cover. They are looking for guys taking more than two fish and even more often guys catching them with non artificial baits and letting them go. I hate to say it, but if you catch it you keep it unless it is with artificial. Try a black jig with a red neck, no bobber and just bounce it on the bottom with the drift. 1/4 ounce.

[stout]

Thanks for the clarification Antlershed, you are correct, you can't use bait if you want to hold out for bigger fish.  I edited my original post with bold to hopefully prevent misinformation.

-Stout

[Antlershed]

No worries. When we went over last year we cnr'd a few trolling steelhead spoons around by the upper pens. I'm thinking about planning another trip over there sometime, but will probably leave the sled at home.

[rasbo]

how long does it take to get there from graham area,