Rufus woods

[alanger]

Went to rufus today and hit the lower pens. RIght off the bat our boat caught 2 nice ones about 2-3 lbs. then we lost about 6 of them and missed a few bites. then caught 3 more 7lb-ers and called it good. But that pud launch in bridgeport was a madhouse trying to load up.  No pics yet.

[diablo]

Alanger, and any others that would consider helping with advice..............

I am taking my boat and family over to Rufus Woods for two days next week. I have never been there before, and all the latest Ruckus over there around the pens looks to be a little more than I want to expose my two little kids to . Can you or any of the other regulars here give me any advice on other ways to fish RF? I am considering maybe trolling or plunking elsewheres so the kids don't have to see ugly combat fishing this early in their fishing careers. I have downriggers and good electronics, and a large safe boat ( not afraid of nasty weather is what I am getting at), if that makes any difference to success away from the pens. Also, I was planning on launching at Bridgeport both days and running up the lake. Is this a good idea as it sounds like the launch I was planning on using is a zoo right now? Sure would appreciate any help I can muster on this forum.

Thanks
Diablo

[mossback91]

You can catch fish anywhere on that lake!! I fish from the shore in bridgeport and catch limits...........place is covered with fish.....theres really no need to be right next to the pens.........Im all for escaping people also

[dirty.dan4]

I like to troll perch colored rapalas and plunk with powerbait.  Have caught lots of big fish both ways.  try fishing from the first pump station up to the third pump (they should be numbered).  Its a short jaunt in the boat from Bridgeport State park.  Also try trolling down by the buoy line.  Keep your boat as close to the buoys as possible.  Its pretty deep there 20-35 feet if I remember correctly.  If have had the most luck there with a crawdad plug.  This is what I have had the most success with.  Good Luck.   

[Big D]

Alanger, and any others that would consider helping with advice..............I am taking my boat and family over to Rufus Woods for two days next week. I have never been there before, and all the latest Ruckus over there around the pens looks to be a little more than I want to expose my two little kids to . Can you or any of the other regulars here give me any advice on other ways to fish RF? I am considering maybe trolling or plunking elsewheres so the kids don't have to see ugly combat fishing this early in their fishing careers. I have downriggers and good electronics, and a large safe boat ( not afraid of nasty weather is what I am getting at), if that makes any difference to success away from the pens. Also, I was planning on launching at Bridgeport both days and running up the lake. Is this a good idea as it sounds like the launch I was planning on using is a zoo right now? Sure would appreciate any help I can muster on this forum. Thanks Diablo

Hey Diablo,
Fishing Rufus Woods in a nut shell.
There's two boat launches behind Chief Jo dam in the Bridgeport area. Both are nice launches. The Bridgeport state park boat launch on the north side of the river is double lane and has a couple of docks, lots of traffic and (Launch Fees)
Pictured below:


I use the Corps of Engineers boat launch on the south side of the river and I believe it’s better. Single lane, less people, less boat traffic, lots of parking and (NO launch fees)

There are actually three sets of pens on Rufus Woods. The (Lower) set is about 33 miles upriver from Chief Jo dam.  The (Middle) set is the set that is closest to Nespelem and they are about 38 miles upriver from Chief Jo and the (Upper) set is about 45 miles upriver from Chief Jo. The upper set of pens has been getting the most traffic (Combat Fishing) because of the recent accidental release of 32,000 triploids. You will find the fishing around the lower set of pens to be much more relaxed because there are not as many people there. Bear in mind that there is over 100 miles of fishable shoreline on Rufus Woods so if you want to fish away from people it’s easy…just move.
The water on Rufus Woods is Gin clear so if you decide to troll make sure that you troll with your choice of hook setup along way behind the boat. I usually troll a large woolly bugger style fly behind a wiggle fin action disc (Pictured below) 100 or so yards behind the boat close to the shore on the surface at 1 to 2 mph and consistently get hook ups. If you want to fish for more than a couple of hours make sure to use single barbless hooks so that you can catch & release.  I have the most fun casting small jigs, spinners, Trout Pellet Flies and Super Rooster tails to the shore. Trout Pellet Flies (pictured below)are by far the most productive way to fish on Rufus Woods especially in the areas adjacent to the net pens.
There have been a few regulation changes on Rufus Woods recently, most importantly the use of bait or scent in regards to catch & release. (See Below)
Fishing Regs for Rufus Woods
• License Requirement - In waters of Rufus Woods Lake or within the Colville Tribal Designated Fishing Areas, either a tribal permit or state license shall be acceptable. A state license is still required when fishing from the Douglas County shoreline.
• Kokanee - are now included as part of Daily (2) TROUT limit.• All Species - Chumming is not permitted
Effective Date: May 1, 2009 until further notice.
Species affected: All species.
Location: Rufus Woods Lake (Douglas/Okanogan County)
Reason for action: Standardize regulations on boundary waters (Lake Rufus Woods) for cooperative enforcement per agreement with the Colville Tribe.
IMPORTANT ANGLER NOTES: When fishing with bait or scent, all TROUT are counted as part of the daily limit, whether kept or released. (See statewide rules for TROUT, Page 31 of pamphlet). Anglers are encouraged to use artificial lures or flies with single barbless hooks if intending to release fish and to release uninjured fish only. Fish hooked in the gills or tongue will generally die after release.

[alanger]

Diablo--

I would go to the pens just too see them. you want to be at the boat launch as early  as you can get there and be at the lower net pens by 730- 8:00. It takes about 40 minute boat ride to the pens going like 35. So that's just what we do because in the early hours before ten you cant keep them off your line. Those times are just by our preference. if we hadnt lost those few fish we would have limited out and been home by noon.

Still at the lower net pens
go to where the blue pens and drift thru the black ones and flip black rooster tails with shiny silver is what they hit. i claimed the bow of the boat and i stood on the end and you can see huge ones just swimming by or chasing your bait to the boat.
rapalas work great there. just trolling them works really good.

Good luck.

[diablo]

To all you guys that chimed in with advice, you have my thanks for sharing. Great to see a tool like this used for greater good instead of sniping, like I have seen on other sites!

Once again, much appreciated! If you see a Black on White Seasport out there on Saturday or Sunday, swing by and give me a howdy.......

Diablo

[alanger]

YUp. no prob.

Anyone else been up there??

[diablo]

Alanger, Big D, et al,

Men,
The family and I prettty much struck out. 6 small trout for 2 full days of fishing ( 14 hrs the first day, when it was approaching 100 degrees. Wife unit was not overly pleased with me). We ran to the net pens later on Saturday, just to see them and troll by them. There was one boat in the area and that's it. Talked to several folks fishing and they said it was slow all over the lake, but then I come home as seen Duckfvr slayed 'em the same day I was there. Appears some have it and some don't

Guess I better stick to saltwater! I don't appear to have the freshwater knack. Thanks again for the advice though, I really appreciated it, and the 6 we caught sure smoked up nice.

Diablo

[alanger]

Dang. well we are going up again after we get back from the ocean. Theres certain bite times up there.

And of course the all famous Notellem spin tail.

[TeacherMan]

We fished it this last weekend and 3 of us limited, it seemed slower than past year, and the fish where not as big. We trolled dodgers and double orange whammies. The biggest was about 4.5 pounds the rest where 2-3 pounds. Overall a fun day.

[rainshadow1]

Fished at the Nespelem pens last evening... depressing. The current was smoking through there, probably 5kts. Lots of fish around, but couldn't get them to bite.

Ended up sight fishing 3 or 4 fish hanging downstream of the lower pens, got one to take the bait but the hook set didn't stick to anything. That was IT !

Went to Banks today instead. Got the boys into some tiny perch and bass. Going back tonight to try the rocky edges for bass and to find more (hopefully bigger) perch.

Sweltering! Siesta time right now!

Would like to try Rufus again but I'd have an aweful tims selling it to the rest of the expedition... Might end up just playing at Banks tomorrow AM too before heading home.


 

[JackOfAllTrades]

MossBack,  (your pm inbox is full)

I made a run to Bridgeport st park last evening. So... just down stream from the swim area is a good place to cast a bobber from the shore for these Triploids?

Think I'm gonna take a run up to take a look at the Okanogon river for some Steelhead and Salmon fishing this evening. Do you know of a bait shop that I should stop in at to ask questions about that river?

-Steve  -Jackalope has my cell number if you'd like to sent me a text. 

[Alchase]

My son and I ran over to Rufus from Sun Lakes weekend before last. For some reason I was under the impression that it was a "no bait " fishery? 
Saturday we trolled around within a mile either side of Bridge Port State Park in the 95 degree temps and only had two strikes, both missed. We saw many huge fish caught. A rain squall came through so we headed back to the launch at Bridgeport. After pulling the boat out we watched a man with his six year old daughter. She caught an 11 pound trip and his was around 4 pounds. Next boat comes in with a stringer of four, with three over ten pounds and one around 4-5, that thirty five pounds of trout!!
I asked him what he was using and he says wedding ring with nightcrawler. 
Now I am pissed, that is my usual rig, and I realize I was stupid and wasted the whole morning without bait. We make the mad dash to the little store across the bridge to buy some night crawlers and head back out. A couple more hours of fishing and we head back skunked for the day. We came back up again the next morning. the lake was noticeably lower and no one was catching fish. It seems the bite is directly related to the flow level here. I finally hooked up with a 24 incher that almost seemed anticlimactic after seeing the 10 + pounders the day before.
I get back to our camp at Sun lakes and show my wife the one fish, and she says "its huge" I looked at her like she was crazy......then I realized at any other lake I would have been doing a happy dance to have a 24 inch trout, lol.
Rufus Woods is an excellent lake to fish. We will definitely go back.

PS: Big D's post should be sticky-fied to the fishing forum for Rufus Woods info, great write up.

[alanger]

MossBack,  (your pm inbox is full)

I made a run to Bridgeport st park last evening. So... just down stream from the swim area is a good place to cast a bobber from the shore for these Triploids?

Think I'm gonna take a run up to take a look at the Okanogon river for some Steelhead and Salmon fishing this evening. Do you know of a bait shop that I should stop in at to ask questions about that river?

-Steve  -Jackalope has my cell number if you'd like to sent me a text. 

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