FISHING -- Fishing success continues to improve for lunker rainbows at Lake Rufus Woods downstream from Grand Coulee Dam, according to Anton Jones of Darrell & Dad's Family Guide Service.

James Cato of Selah, Wash., fished with son Mike and guide Jeff Witkowski and one other angler on Sunday (Nov. 13)  to land this their 4 guy limit of triploid ainbows from the reservoir.  They had brought 38 to the boat by noon. The largest was 9.2 pounds.

"As the water temperature descends through the 50s, the bite should only get better," Jones said.  "You can run to the net pens and slip sinker Pautzke’s Fire Bait or find places from Brandt’s landing and down where you are seeing plenty of activity on the surface and work those fish. 

"If there is plenty of current when you are fishing bait with a slip sinker try adding a Mack’s Lures Smile Blade in front of your bait as an added attractor. 

Try casting a quarter ounce Worden Lures Black Roostertail or, if you are fly angler, a Mack’s Lures “Smile Blade Fly” to get those fish on artificials.  A slower irregular retrieve worked best." 

Current flow and weed length dictate your leader length when you are bait fishing at Rufus, he said. "The more current pushing your bait down and the higher the weed growth, the longer you need to make your leader to keep that bait where it will tempt a fish.  Five or even six feet long is not out of the ordinary."

Also, he said, be ready for ice in the boat launching areas.