Had a blast at Rufus Woods
Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 9:57 pm
Report submitted, but too much stuff to put in one report. This was the first time I had pulled the boat any distance with the motorhome, so it was an experience. Winds between Spokane and Grand Coulee made the trip interesting, but we got there safe and sound. We rolled into camp Friday afternoon about 1:30, and went about getting camp set up. The wind was blowing pretty good, so we decided to leave the boat on the trailer and just sit back and relax while watching the water and a great sunset once the winds calmed down.
Saturday was a day for fishing and we limited before noon at the middle pens. Back to the campsite for lunch and then just try to stay cool the rest of the day. At 91°, it was hot! We lounged around until evening then fired up the grill. BBQd some chicken and had a nice meal. Nothing like camping at the water's edge!
Sunday was Debbie's birthday, so after a nice breakfast, we headed back to the middle pens. Some decent fish, but I finished my limit with a 5 1/2 pound trip that was fun to catch. Best of all, we had found a hole that these guys were holding in as I had caught a 4 pounder in the same spot the day before. We were onto something.![[thumbup]](./images/smilies/msp_thumbup.gif "ThumpUp")
Monday was proof positive we had it figured out. We only boated 3 fish, but all were over 5 pounds (and the biggest of our stay at 7#, 7ozs), all were caught on the same plug, and all came from the same hole.![[thumbsup]](./images/smilies/msp_thumbsup.gif "ThumbsUp")
Last day of our stay I was certain we would finally break the 8 pound barrier but not to be. I put the first fish in the boat at 9:30 and it was 4#, 1oz. Then nothing, absolutely nothing for the next 2 hrs. We had decided we were leaving at noon, so with a 20 minute boat ride back to camp, I trolled a couple hundred yards below our honey hole in hopes we might pick up another fish, and when we didn't, I started bringing gear in. I had the first rig up and was bringing in the next when the reel with the long lined J7 started singing. Debbie got the honors on that one, and it was a 4# 15oz beauty to end our day and vacation.
It was a great vacation, and I highly recommend it to anyone who might be thinking of going there. It's a 14 mile boat ride to the upper pens, so be sure to have plenty of fuel on board. We covered 150 miles on the water and burned 27.7 gals in our 4 days on the water averaging 5.4mpg. That included runs each day to the middle pens, the upper pens one day, and on Monday afternoon, a run almost all the way to Bridgeport and back.
I love my MercMonitor, it gives me instant fuel economy readouts plus trip averages. I can run at most economical recommendation and get 6mpg or better, or open it up some and get less. I don't always like running at 28 - 30mph, sometimes it's more fun to run 40mph or faster! Who says 2-strokes aren't fuel efficient.![[flapper]](./images/smilies/msp_flapper.gif "Flapper")
Saturday was a day for fishing and we limited before noon at the middle pens. Back to the campsite for lunch and then just try to stay cool the rest of the day. At 91°, it was hot! We lounged around until evening then fired up the grill. BBQd some chicken and had a nice meal. Nothing like camping at the water's edge!
Sunday was Debbie's birthday, so after a nice breakfast, we headed back to the middle pens. Some decent fish, but I finished my limit with a 5 1/2 pound trip that was fun to catch. Best of all, we had found a hole that these guys were holding in as I had caught a 4 pounder in the same spot the day before. We were onto something.
Monday was proof positive we had it figured out. We only boated 3 fish, but all were over 5 pounds (and the biggest of our stay at 7#, 7ozs), all were caught on the same plug, and all came from the same hole.
Last day of our stay I was certain we would finally break the 8 pound barrier but not to be. I put the first fish in the boat at 9:30 and it was 4#, 1oz. Then nothing, absolutely nothing for the next 2 hrs. We had decided we were leaving at noon, so with a 20 minute boat ride back to camp, I trolled a couple hundred yards below our honey hole in hopes we might pick up another fish, and when we didn't, I started bringing gear in. I had the first rig up and was bringing in the next when the reel with the long lined J7 started singing. Debbie got the honors on that one, and it was a 4# 15oz beauty to end our day and vacation.
It was a great vacation, and I highly recommend it to anyone who might be thinking of going there. It's a 14 mile boat ride to the upper pens, so be sure to have plenty of fuel on board. We covered 150 miles on the water and burned 27.7 gals in our 4 days on the water averaging 5.4mpg. That included runs each day to the middle pens, the upper pens one day, and on Monday afternoon, a run almost all the way to Bridgeport and back.
I love my MercMonitor, it gives me instant fuel economy readouts plus trip averages. I can run at most economical recommendation and get 6mpg or better, or open it up some and get less. I don't always like running at 28 - 30mph, sometimes it's more fun to run 40mph or faster! Who says 2-strokes aren't fuel efficient.
![[cool]](./images/smilies/msp_cool.gif "Cool"){kind=small}
I was running blind the day we traveled down below Brandt's Landing.
![[wink]](./images/smilies/msp_wink.gif "Wink"){kind=small}
![[rolleyes]](./images/smilies/msp_rolleyes.gif "RollEyes"){kind=small}