Rufus Woods Reservoir continues to be terrific, kicking out limits of big triploid rainbow for those who fish the net pens by boat. It was good all summer and fall and it looks like this excellent fishing is going to extend through the winter. I am seeing lots of photos of trout weighing up to 16 pounds. It seems like whenever the fishing on Rufus Woods gets this good it brings out bad behavior. I get complaints from anglers that observe other people taking more than their limit of triploids. The limit is two per angler per day, and it’s a shame that people threaten this fishery by overfishing it. I called Captain Mike Jewel with WDFW enforcement and he said both his staff and the Colville Tribal staff are aware of the problem. He said that first, avoid a confrontation, but get as much information as possible. Boat and truck license numbers and physical descriptions will help. He also reminds people that they can go to the enforcement page on the WDFW web site and use the WILDCOM phone number to contact local enforcement. He did mention that both the WDFW and Colville enforcement staffs are reduced due to COVID and budget issues.
People get greedy when fat rainbow like this are abundant on Rufus Woods Reservoir.