Rufus Woods is on fire for giant triploid trout, with the crew landing 30 to 50 fish in the 7 to 12 pound class in a single day. The go-to was a Hawken Aerojig tipped with a trimmed Trix Minnow tail, worked casting, under a Hawken Aero-Float slip bobber, and on back plug rods. When the sun climbed, a gold T-Pex with a Trix Minnow triggered a triple.
What is biting at Rufus Woods Reservoir right now?
Massive triploid rainbow trout. These sterile fish put all their energy into growth, and Capt. Austin Moser's crew landed 30 to 50 of them in the 7 to 12 pound range in one day, roughly 450 pounds of fish. Constant tank-class action from first cast to last.
What lures caught the Rufus Woods triploids?
Cast Hawken Aerojigs tipped with a trimmed Trix Minnow tail for added attraction, black-and-white being the hot jig color. Austin also ran a Hawken Aero-Float slip-bobber rig and back plug rods, then a gold T-Pex with a Trix Minnow when the sun got high.
How does Austin rig the Trix Minnow on a jig?
He cuts a little less than half off a Trix Minnow, trims it pointed and hydrodynamic, then threads it straight and centered on the jig hook so it lays in line. No bait or scent is used, which keeps the catch-and-release fishery legal. The trimmed tail adds action and attraction.
How deep and how were the fish holding at Rufus Woods?
Austin sight-fished trout right on the bottom, watching them rise to inspect and eat the jig. For the slip bobber he set the Aero-Float to hold the jig within one to two feet of the bottom, shortening a foot at a time until it floated free. The crew anchored in current and flatlined plugs and flies with light weight.
What was the guide's outlook at Rufus Woods?
Austin called it a phenomenal, non-stop morning and expects the fishery to keep producing big triploids in the 7 to 12 pound class. Water temperature was a chilly start near 32 degrees. Exact trolling speed was not specified in this report.
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Rufus Woods Reservoir May 12, 2026 FAQ
On this trip they ran 7 to 12 pounds, with the crew landing 30 to 50 fish for roughly 450 pounds in a day.
Black and white was the ticket on the casting jigs and the bobber rod.
Austin fished no bait and no scent to keep the catch-and-release fishery legal, using a trimmed Trix Minnow tail on the jig instead.
A Hawken Aero-Float slip bobber over an inline weight and fluorocarbon to an Aerojig, set within one to two feet of the bottom.
Yes. A gold T-Pex with a Trix Minnow triggered a triple once the sun got high and the jig bite slowed.
Capt. Austin Moser of Austin's Northwest Adventures.
