Great Camping at the state park/launch moorage available. Two brothers in their sixties with lots of skills trolled the west shore just above the park and netted four 16" kokes by noon (lunar table was 10 am to noon, with bite in that slot starting at 1001), motored up around to the tour boat launch with many fish on the screen in the channel. Modest currents in this area, easy back troll, two more kokes. Fished till the sun was lowering without other action. Kokes average @ 11/2 pounds. Water had good color and clarity in all fished areas about 60-61 degrees.

Day two, again very hot, 100f.+. Launched early 0700 trolling first toward the dam. No hits after an hour. Returned up stream with the lunar hours 1100-1300 hours. Caught two more Kokes in the channel just as the lunar hours started, and then went quiet. Shore casting a Pixie, picked up a 12" rainbow saw other active rainbow and missed a couple. Talked to other boaters who were looking for owl eyes without success shore casting, could not keep bows off they said. Personally, I think the weed beds along the hump and elsewhere would be good for several species, but I have no knowledge from Washlakes.com that the eyes are in Rufus Woods. Sometimnes a fisheman will say he isn't doing well when he is targeting a species to ease competition. These three left me that notion. We were scheduled in Spokane Thursday afternoon to pick up another brother and on to Rock Lake @ Cheney, Wa., so we left Rufus Woods 0130.

For three or so days before our arrival a hot spell was underway. The water temps at 60 to 61, might have risen driving fish down as the river has run many miles after leaving GCD. We screened many large fish at and below 30 feet, most at 6 fathoms and below during about 14 daylight hours on the water. Twice kokes caught when lines were straight down, the pop gear and the double wammy wedding rings without action me thinks in front of their persnickety noses.There were (wed., thurs.) few boaters on the water, one set of 4 pwc avoided us as best as possible on an upriver run in the narrower area around the hump. A large high cabin aluminum craft shuttles tourists about 7 miles upstream, puts off a serious wake. Small boats be ware. We were sweaty hot both days with negligible winds until mid day on day two. Great remoteness in this desert area, much opportunity for exploring upstream. I travel the entire state in my business, Rufus Woods is "out there" always rather lonesome looking.

Winter reports from this site on Rufus Woods suggest good parka weather fishing.

Dennis Z. The not so menacing fisher, sometimes a fisher of men.

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