Well, the cisco run is about to start at Bear Lake (if it hasn’t already). There have been a few folks post questions about just what the cisco run is and so I thought I would put together a collage of pics and pointers for those of you who may have never gone up for the cisco.
(Disclaimer: I am only sharing what I stole and what I think. And what I think ain’t always right … so take it or leave it!)
Cisco are endemic to Bear Lake. They aren’t very big … about 6-7 inches long is all. Most folks like to catch them and use them for bait while jigging for Bear Lake cutthroat and mackinaw. But every now and then some fool will cook them and eat them.
The best time of the year to catch them is during their spawn which generally starts on, or shortly after, MLK day. And the spawn runs for a couple weeks but I personally think the best catching is not much later than a week into the spawn.
I have fished for cisco three ways: 1) Jigging (foul snagging) from a boat out over the rock pile, 2) dip netting them from under ice on the banks of Cisco Beach, and 3) dip netting them from the bank with no ice.
When I was out over the rock pile jigging for them, I was using large Kast Masters with treble hooks. After I had lost my last one of 5 (at $3.25 each) to snagups on the lava rock pile, BLM, who was also out there in his boat bummed me one of these home made setups.
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They are much less expensive and work just as good. The benefit of using Kast Masters is that, while jigging for cisco, you will some times manage a cut, mack, white fish, or even a sucker. Whereas using the home-made snagger, you will just get the cisco pretty much.
The coordinates for the (old) rock pile are roughly N 4154.967’ – W 11122.340 If you get to that general area, you can’t miss it … boats everywhere anchored up jigging.
As for netting them around the rocky shores of Cisco Beach area when there is no ice (like this year), find an out-cropping of rocks that can kind of camouflage or hide you from the cisco as they come into the rocks to spawn. They come in schools but can be easily spooked. That is why you want to kind of “hide” out among them. Use a long-handled dip net.
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As i said, locate an out-cropping of rocks, crouch way down low (helps to be as short as MGB), stick your net way out in the water where the water gets deeper, and wait till you see a school of cisco go over your net. I found that it is a lot easier to see the cisco as they come in if you are wearing polarized sun glasses.
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Once you see a few cisco over your net, lift QUICKLY cause they are kind of spooky little boogers.
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If you walk out into the water (do I REALLY need to tell you that you need waders!) and stand straight up and put the net down by your feet, you will have a lot harder time catching your limit (30) than if you crouch and stick your net WAY out in front of you.
Now, if you are netting for cisco when the lake is frozen over, you don’t have to do so much “hiding” from the fish cause the ice does that for you. But even then I tend to couch down low.
When Bait_Caster and I go, we like to go early, bring a lantern to draw them in and use a hookless flashing attractor around in the water.
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After it starts to get light, you realize you are not alone!
Once you start catching cisco, it is really easy to go way past your limit (30) quite quickly. So, to remedy that, each of us generally bring 6 zip-lock baggies and put 5 cisco in each bag AS WE CATCH THEM. That way we don’t get too many. Once out of the water, those cisco die very quickly. Putting them back to swim away alive seldom happens.
And having them bagged, 5 per bag, makes it a lot easier for the game warden to count your catch … and they do!
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When we get them home, we freeze them a bit to get them firm and eliminate liquids. Then, while they are slightly frozen and very fresh, we vacuum pack them 2 to a pkg. This keeps them from getting freezer burn. I also like to label the packages.
Yup … makes awful good cut bait for macks and cuts up there. Oh, by the way, Bear Lake is the ONLY place it is legal to use cisco as bait.
Here is how you get to Cisco Beach: Head east towards Bear Lake. When you reach the “T” intersection at Garden City, turn right (south). Go south around the south end of the lake about 10 miles to the Sinclair service station. Right at the Sinclair service station, turn left (north). Go north about 10 miles. Cisco beach will be on the left. If I remember right, there is a boat ramp, restrooms, and some picnic tables to mark the area.
Anyone else got some good cisco catching tips or pointers? Share them here.