Fishing/Cruising

FISHING ON THE GREAT LAKE WITH STRATUS:

Trolling:

 Trout Fishing Lake Taupo

Moving along slowly – 1.5 to 2.0 knots – using a lure and/or fly set-up. Ideally placing your lure as close to the bottom with the aid of a depth sounder.

As you follow the contours of the lake your sounder helps to keep you at the depth you are targeting. The depths we target vary throughout the year. Ranging from shallow (to 5 metres), and deep (to 40+ metres).

Summer and Autumn:
The trout are above the thermocline (a layer in the lake marking the change from warm surface water to cool bottom water). This progressively gets deeper so that by March it is approximately 30 to 40 metres down.

Winter:
The lake mixes and all the water is the same temperature. The fish are spread through the depths so adjustments are made to target them on any particular day.

Spring:
With the onset of spring, the smelt start spawning in the shallows – smelt make up the main diet of trout and Harling (shallow trolling) starts to come into its own. Hunting for those trout which are chasing the spawning smelt.

HOW WE TARGET THE TROUT

Down Riggers: Trolling light gear targeting the trout at very precise depths aided by the fish finder/sounder
Harling: Shallow trolling using flies and lures in depths up to 6 metres – usually early morning and evening.
Jigging: Stationary over the hot-spots. Dropping our braid lines deep then giving them a subtle action. Feel that strike!

CRUISING

Short of time, but want to experience the size of the lake and its attractions. See the famous Maori rock carvings (only able to be seen from out on the lake). Give me a call on the day, I’ll get you out and about.