Bob R
6/23/2011 5:19:00 AMWhat were you using for artificials before you switched to bait? Sounds like a great trip.bob R
Why2Fish
6/23/2011 6:35:00 PMHmmm. Platypus, I've been wrong many times, but I think you were on the reservation. If you were fishing the north side of the Col River and west of the Colville Indian Agency (just south of Nespelem), then you would need a reservation permit. My apologies if I am wrong.
fishslayer80
6/23/2011 7:57:00 PMIt is on the reservation but there is an agreement with department of game so you do not need a Tribal permit if you have a state license . The crowd does not bother me but the numerous people high grading for bigger fish that are using bait really bothers me.
The fishing is hot. It would be nice if everyone would abide by the rules and help sustain a really fun fishery.
The fishing is hot. It would be nice if everyone would abide by the rules and help sustain a really fun fishery.
salmonbarry
6/23/2011 11:05:00 PMI will be over there this weekend with my boat. how hard is it to fish by yourself launching at Seaton grove.. just not sure with the currents if this is something to be done by yourself or wait until I have someone else in the boat to help... thinking of maybe running up EARLY Sunday morning and fishing off the bank..
Did you try throwing out any jigs from shore??
Did you try throwing out any jigs from shore??
Bob R
6/24/2011 5:52:00 AMOnce again, what were you using to catch and release before you switched to bait? I'm interested in what was so hot that you ended up using bait rather than the artificials which evd. had been producing? Bob R
platypus22
6/24/2011 12:07:00 PM@bob - I was casting a small wedding ring with varying amounts of split shot up the line to change my retrieve depth. It was working alright I suppose, but it seemed like I was getting significantly fewer and smaller fish than everyone else on the bank. (though still a lot better fishing than if I was pretty much anywhere in western washington) My guess is that I was just not ever getting deep enough, and when I tried to go deeper I'd end up snagged. (lost a few lures in the process). Once I switched to bait, I was only able to release one fish, as it was hooked in the lip. The others just swallowed it right up and would've died if I'd tried to cut it loose. (I can't complain though because I took home a couple of decent fish)
@why2fish - fishslayer80 is right. There's a small area that you can fish (right next to the pens basically) where you don't need a tribal permit. With that said, I think if I went back I'd probably just pay the $11 for a tribal permit so I could fish a more "quiet" spot.
@fishslyer80 - I agree ;)
@salmonbarry - sorry, I don't have any advice about the boating. I've never launched there. Also, I didn't try any jigging, though I imagine it'd probably produce some fish. They're obviously starving and in great numbers. I think you could probably jig a paperclip with a tuft of feathers on it and still land a fish. Lots of hungry trout. haha.
@why2fish - fishslayer80 is right. There's a small area that you can fish (right next to the pens basically) where you don't need a tribal permit. With that said, I think if I went back I'd probably just pay the $11 for a tribal permit so I could fish a more "quiet" spot.
@fishslyer80 - I agree ;)
@salmonbarry - sorry, I don't have any advice about the boating. I've never launched there. Also, I didn't try any jigging, though I imagine it'd probably produce some fish. They're obviously starving and in great numbers. I think you could probably jig a paperclip with a tuft of feathers on it and still land a fish. Lots of hungry trout. haha.
Bob R
6/24/2011 4:07:00 PMPlatypus22, unless I'm wrong (which I've been more than once) i'm reading that you released only one on bait and still kept two, isn't that against the regs for Rufus? At that point you would only be entitled to one fish after that. If I'm wrong someone correct me, please. Bob R
platypus22
6/24/2011 4:42:00 PM@bob - I only released the fish because it was barely hooked in the lip and I only use barbless. (I mostly c&r salmon so I'm a big proponent of barbless). I didn't learn until later about the distinction between releasing fish caught on lures vs. bait. I'd assumed that the important thing was that you only release a fish if it's uninjured. My bad. (which should serve as a reminder to everyone to read the regs before the line hits the water and not afterwards I suppose)
I think I might hit the lake again next week and try out a little jigging action. I've got a new rod that needs to be broken in ;)
I think I might hit the lake again next week and try out a little jigging action. I've got a new rod that needs to be broken in ;)
hewesfisher
6/24/2011 4:49:00 PMPlatypus and fishslayer are both CORRECT, and if you other fine folks would even bother to READ the regs, then you'd know you can fish at any Designated Fishing Area (DFA) located and marked on the Colville Reservation shoreline with EITHER a tribal or a state license - see page 96 in the current Regs pamphlet and read the "Licensing Requirements" paragraph under the Rufus Woods listing.
As for the bait issue, you cannot catch more than the legal limit using bait, and at Rufus Woods that's 2 trout period - it doesn't matter where they are hooked (sorry Platypus). Catch and release is fine with non-scented artificial lures/flies, but here's the kicker, on Rufus Woods, and I quote the regs here, "Only uninjured trout caught using artificial lures or flies with SINGLE POINT BARBLESS HOOKS may be released."
This was a fine report until people started digging for rule infractions, and since that was done, I couldn't let it go without correction.
As for the bait issue, you cannot catch more than the legal limit using bait, and at Rufus Woods that's 2 trout period - it doesn't matter where they are hooked (sorry Platypus). Catch and release is fine with non-scented artificial lures/flies, but here's the kicker, on Rufus Woods, and I quote the regs here, "Only uninjured trout caught using artificial lures or flies with SINGLE POINT BARBLESS HOOKS may be released."
This was a fine report until people started digging for rule infractions, and since that was done, I couldn't let it go without correction.
Why2Fish
6/24/2011 8:32:00 PMhewes,,,,your right. I was tired of reading the voluminous regs and put it down before I reached page 96!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Bob R
6/25/2011 6:07:00 AMI don't think that being tired of reading regs is an excuse for people highgrading out fish at Rufus woods. As others have stated it's really frustrating for fisherfolks who bother to research the regs for a particular fishery to see dead fish and abuse of a location by others not so conservation minded. The state fisheries dept. has a training program for non- confrontational video gathering of poaching and reg. violations. It's going to take a concentrated effort by either fisheries agents or like minded individuals to make a dent in the attitude of poachers at R.W.. No one is pointiing the finger at you, platypus, as you admitted to not knowing the regs before yu went, but a string of expensive tickets handed out at the shore over a month or so would go a long way towards solving this problem. If I was lucky enough to live by such a great place i'd be parked with a long lens,gathering evidence to shut them down. Maybe someone local could help out? bob r
platypus22
6/25/2011 11:47:00 AMWow. This is discouraging. My fishing report has turned into a discussion about poaching and regulation violations....
To be clear, I didn't see a lot of highgrading when I was there. I certainly don't think I did - at least not in spirit. The fish I released that I'd hooked with bait was in fine health and was actually larger than some of the fish I took home. I released it not because I wanted a bigger fish, but because I knew it was in good health and I like fishing. My mistake was in not reading the regs carefully enough. I knew the limit and I knew that you could only c&r healthy fish. I simply missed the distinction between bait and lures. I made a mistake and I always try to follow the regs. They are there for a reason. Upon further reflection, I believe that specific regulation is there in order to make sure that people aren't releasing throat-hooked trout that are doomed to die. While I did technically break the rules, it should be clear that I didn't violate the intent of the rule. I know how to fish. I didn't even net the fish - simply cradled it and pulled out the hook with my handy forceps.
With that said, Bob, it's discouraging to hear you make some assumptions about the size of a problem you are not witness to. While I'm sure there are some reg violations, they are not particularly alarming. The fact of the matter is that there are an absolute TON of tripps (as in the genetically-modified non-reproducing fish that are certainly crowding out the native fish) in there right now that aren't supposed to be there. If the fishing was normal, you wouldn't see people highgrading as no one would be releasing fish because they'd be scared they might not land another. The negative impact of highgrading is likely being more than offset by the large volume of fish that were accidentally released into the lake. While reg-breakers piss me off too, it's not a bad idea to take a step back and look at the big picture.
You say that if you were lucky enough to live near the lake you'd be shooting photos and gathering evidence. Instead, why not just grab a fishing pole and fish, and if you see someone breaking the rules educate them in a kind and non-patronizing manner?
Finally, and I don't mean to sound critical, but I would hope that we could all find a way to make fishing more enjoyable and approachable. The best support a fishery can get is if there is a growing interest in the sport. Lining the shore with camera-toting reg. violation hunters, and WDFW agents writing tickets, is probably not going to accomplish that as well as an experienced fisherman casting a line next to a newbie and providing some guidance and help.
Respectfully (and just my opinion),
-me-
To be clear, I didn't see a lot of highgrading when I was there. I certainly don't think I did - at least not in spirit. The fish I released that I'd hooked with bait was in fine health and was actually larger than some of the fish I took home. I released it not because I wanted a bigger fish, but because I knew it was in good health and I like fishing. My mistake was in not reading the regs carefully enough. I knew the limit and I knew that you could only c&r healthy fish. I simply missed the distinction between bait and lures. I made a mistake and I always try to follow the regs. They are there for a reason. Upon further reflection, I believe that specific regulation is there in order to make sure that people aren't releasing throat-hooked trout that are doomed to die. While I did technically break the rules, it should be clear that I didn't violate the intent of the rule. I know how to fish. I didn't even net the fish - simply cradled it and pulled out the hook with my handy forceps.
With that said, Bob, it's discouraging to hear you make some assumptions about the size of a problem you are not witness to. While I'm sure there are some reg violations, they are not particularly alarming. The fact of the matter is that there are an absolute TON of tripps (as in the genetically-modified non-reproducing fish that are certainly crowding out the native fish) in there right now that aren't supposed to be there. If the fishing was normal, you wouldn't see people highgrading as no one would be releasing fish because they'd be scared they might not land another. The negative impact of highgrading is likely being more than offset by the large volume of fish that were accidentally released into the lake. While reg-breakers piss me off too, it's not a bad idea to take a step back and look at the big picture.
You say that if you were lucky enough to live near the lake you'd be shooting photos and gathering evidence. Instead, why not just grab a fishing pole and fish, and if you see someone breaking the rules educate them in a kind and non-patronizing manner?
Finally, and I don't mean to sound critical, but I would hope that we could all find a way to make fishing more enjoyable and approachable. The best support a fishery can get is if there is a growing interest in the sport. Lining the shore with camera-toting reg. violation hunters, and WDFW agents writing tickets, is probably not going to accomplish that as well as an experienced fisherman casting a line next to a newbie and providing some guidance and help.
Respectfully (and just my opinion),
-me-
HammerinHonkers
6/26/2011 9:01:00 AMPlatypus,
With all due respect, the people that fish that place often know the problem of high-grading and poaching. That place is a bit of a delicate fishery, and those fish are delicate as well. I agree that those fish are not native, but with the way some people treat those fish and the fishery it won't stand the test of time. The people who saw what happened after the last big release can vouch for what happened to the fishery. We got a secong chance here and we need to do a better job protecting that place than we did last time. Just my opinion.
With all due respect, the people that fish that place often know the problem of high-grading and poaching. That place is a bit of a delicate fishery, and those fish are delicate as well. I agree that those fish are not native, but with the way some people treat those fish and the fishery it won't stand the test of time. The people who saw what happened after the last big release can vouch for what happened to the fishery. We got a secong chance here and we need to do a better job protecting that place than we did last time. Just my opinion.