Wait for me rufus? Here i come

[Seatown5]

Dont know if im going to sleep for the rest of the weekend.  heading to rw on monday morning for three days of fishing.  I really, really hope it turns out to be as amazing as it seems.  Personally i would be okay with sub par fishing but my poor girlfriend always seems to miss the hot bite.  Ive made a lot of promises to her about the size of the fish we are going to catch, hopefully we get into em. We're Staying at sunbanks resort and launching at seatons grove. Its my first time over there so any pointers would be great.  Sounds like people are almost mooching jigs? Then also the obvious powerbait setups.

[Seatown5]

i guess i dont get what you guys are doing with the jigs.  Do you have them under a float, are you drifting them across the bottom as if it were a salmon, or are you jigging them like fishing for pinks.  I guess i could just fish and figure it out too

[ribka]

If you use powerbait cannot catch and release. Once you catch 2 cannot fish more if using bait.

[h20hunter]

Usually the jig is rigged under a float. The action of the float creates just the right amount of wiggle to the jig. Send it along the run a few times, adjust depth, repeat. Eventually, if fish are there, you will have that jig smacking them on the nose and usually hook up.

[Seatown5]

thank you h20 hunter, that helps a ton. I am so dang excited

[Skillet]

I've fished this stretch of the river a lot, primarily for walleyes, and we always catch trout as by-catch.  Best day of intentional trout fishing I ever had there (after limiting on 'eyes) was casting a black rooster tail with a chrome blade to rising fish along the shoreline.  Wore me out on 3-5# trips... biggest I ever caught myself was 7#+, but like I said, I don't usually fish for them.
If I was to do so, however, I'd run straight down to the first set of net pens at the Nespelem Bar (about an 8 - 10 mile run, I'd guess).  If the current is really flowing, drift jig a black maribou jig over fish you spot on the finder.  The middle of the bar comes up pretty shallow, maybe 4 feet when the current isn't flowing, about 10 feet when it is.  There often seems to be fish on hanging out downstream in the eddy created by the point.  If drift jigging doesn't work, try trolling wedding rings or spoons, or jointed rapalas.  Fish both sides of the bar, above, below, on top, over by the net pens, etc., until you find the fish.  They are always hanging around that bar somewhere.  As mentioned before, if you use bait, or gulp, or whatever, the first two fish you catch are what you get, and you're done.  You can't C&R all day with powerbait or worms.  Tribal enforcement is pretty strict about that one.
 
Good luck

[gunnarnewt]

     Skillett, how big are the lures and jigs you're using? 

[Skillet]

I think smaller is better when you're targeting those fish, but that's just me.  The black maribou jig I like to use is a 1/4oz crappie jig, about 2" long total.  I'm trying for suspended fish then, so it's not impossible to get that light jig down there to them 10-20 feet below the boat.  Had the banner day on an 1/8 oz black roostertail (caught all of those fish on an ultralight 5-1/2' Berkley Lightning rod - that was fun).  When we're walleye fishing, we catch them on 3/8 oz jigheads with a Kalin's 3" grub on them baited with 1/2 crawler right on the bottom in.  Catch them occasionally on worm harnesses and smile blades when we're bottom bouncing for walleye.  Keep in mind, it's definitely not my targeted species!  If I have my typical walleye fishing partners in the boat, part of our typical daily wager is we have to pay out to the other guy if we catch a slime rocket on RW! 
I'm no expert on these fish like some other guys on here, just sharing my observations.

[gunnarnewt]

     Thanks for the info, have used 3/8's with very limited success, obviously I'm going big or going home! Lol.... But I've been going home with too few hookups and was wondering. Slime Rockets..... I have to remember that one!

[MtnMuley]

Usually the jig is rigged under a float. The action of the float creates just the right amount of wiggle to the jig. Send it along the run a few times, adjust depth, repeat. Eventually, if fish are there, you will have that jig smacking them on the nose and usually hook up.

Not for RW they are not usually run under a float.  Way better off without the float.  20 years of experience there tells me that.

[Rick]

You need single barbless hooks if you want to C&R,and those fish must be uninjured to release.

The wardens don't mess around at RW. They write hundreds of tickets per year.

[daddysprad]

We were there last weekend and did real well but it was crowded.  We trolled across the current in zig zags at just over 2 mph from above the fishpens to just below.  The fish were in the shallows at around 10-15 ft.  Used black jigs and needle fish with no bait.   Had our limit in about 35 minutes with a 3, 5, 6 and nearly 8 pound fish.  Real aggressive fish.  Current was moving at 4 MPH so most folks were drifting right under their boat.  Have fun.

[Heartsblood]

Dont know if im going to sleep for the rest of the weekend.  heading to rw on monday morning for three days of fishing.  I really, really hope it turns out to be as amazing as it seems.  Personally i would be okay with sub par fishing but my poor girlfriend always seems to miss the hot bite.  Ive made a lot of promises to her about the size of the fish we are going to catch, hopefully we get into em. We're Staying at sunbanks resort and launching at seatons grove. Its my first time over there so any pointers would be great.  Sounds like people are almost mooching jigs? Then also the obvious powerbait setups.

Hey Seatown -
If you think ya want to make another trip over the hill this summer back to Rufus and want some company, let me know - I would totally be down and can help cut your gas costs significantly. Me and the wife were actually planning to be @ rufus on monday afternoon but that fell thru due a family event. Hope you two have a great time and good luck!

[BOWHUNTER45]

HEY ...I just recieved a call from Nespelem and the warden said Rufus will be closing this weekend due to the population of people and catching way to many fish ..   Catchem all boys 

[Seatown5]

Well i just got back and it was incredible.  The four of us probably totalled 100plus fish in three and a half days.  All with jigs or lures.  Rapala bass lures at about seven feet were murdering them.  At one point i think i got one on five consecutive casts.  the biggest trout of the weekend was close to seven pounds.  Not many below three pounds and most hovering five pounds.  The highlight was my first walleye ever,  did i mention it was almost ten pounds.  Just a giant, absolute blast to catch.  Best fishing trip of my life, cant wait to go back.  Oh yeah, the fish are everywhere
pics later