Episode 58: Tullaroop Reservoir Trout With Colby Lesko

Colby’s Top Tips For Tullaroop Trout Fishing

• Trout feed every day, so they’re always catchable. You just need to very your technique until you find what’s working on the day.
• Your eyes are your biggest asset when you’re fishing for trout. Wear decent polaroid sunglasses, be observant try to figure out where the fish are and how they’re behaving.
• Calm, clear, sunny days are pleasant for the fisherman, but they don’t suit the trout. Best success comes on windy, overcast, rainy days when the fair weather anglers stay home. These conditions stir food and ripple the surface, allowing trout to feed freely.
• Tullaroop is open only to shore fishing (no wading) at the time of publication, but small electric powered boat and kayaks will soon be permitted. Until then, look for windswept points with weed beds in front or to the side as these are where the fish aggregate to feed.
• The shallow, muddy flats fish most consistently, provided the day is overcast and windy. On still, clear days the deeper rocky areas (eg near the dam all) fish best, although they’re not as consistent as the flats.
• Due to the abundance of galaxias minnow and bullhead gudgeon, Tullaroop trout can be pretty big. Unless it’s a very clear, still day they generally won’t be spooked by a 10lb leader, which is necessary to prevent bigger fish wearing through and swimming off with your lure.

Colby’s Preferred Tackle For Trout Fishing

• Standard trout/bream spinning gear is fine. A 7 ft 2-4kg or 2-5kg spin rod with a 2000 sized reel, 10lb braid and a rod length of 10lb flurocarbon or clear mono  leader works fine. If the leader gets below 4ft long as a result of lure changes it’s time to cut it off and tie on a new leader. On clear days you may need to switch to 6 or 8 lb leader to get the bite.

Colby’s Best Trout Lures For Tullaroop

• The Daiwa Double Clutch is a great option that casts well in the wind. They can be worked from 2-6 ft deep, so fish them over shallow banks with the rod tip high or along deeper banks with the tip lower. The treble hooks need upgrading for Tullaroop trout though – Colby switches the standard bream hooks on these lures to similar sized owner trebles.
• Berkley 2.8″ T-Tail minnow on 1/6 to 1/12oz jig heads are perfect for fishing the deeper areas and can be sunk down closer to the bottom to pull shy trout when conditions are tough. Jig heads range from 1/6 in windy conditions to 1/12 oz on calmer days. Don’t be afraid to let the lure sink down, but it’s not always necessary to be in contact with the bottom. Colby works this lure with a couple of sharp jerks followed by a pause.
• The ubiquitous Tassie Devil in 13g size is a great option, especially if it’s windy. They can be cast a very long way, allowing the angler to cover a lot of water while prospecting for fish. A steady retrieve with occasional pauses works well and fish sometimes take the lure on the pause. Colour is not important.