Fishing Forum

This goes out to those in the know on the cysco run. I plan on hitting the run for the first time this year. In preparation for the run, what equipment will I need and what tactics work the best. I have heard about numerous methods, but don't know what will work best for a novice.

Thanks advanced, Dan.
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Although there are other methods, the simplest is to get yourself a Smelt net with a telescopic handle, a 5 gallon bucket, waders, some warm clothes, and belly up to the bar at either Cisco Beach or the State Park Marina before dawn. Waite for some to come within reach and try to get 'em with the net. Here's an article with some pictures. [url "http://www2.state.id.us/fishgame/news/featurestories/cisco/curse.htm"]http://www2.state.id.us/fishgame/news/featurestories/cisco/curse.htm[/url]
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RNL Thanks for the link, looks like cold fun. They probably sell the nets at Pugstones I would guess. Do you know about how much they cost?



Thanks again, Dan.
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Last year we tried using a smelt net at cisco beach with no luck, it works great when there is ice but when there is open water it is hard. We ended up going over to the rock pile and catching our limit in a few hours plus we caught a few cutts and whitefish. We had brought a small 12ft boat and launched it from the area behind the Sweetwater resort. We were using jigs and some lures I received from Tubedude that did the trick. Good luck and maybe I'll see you there. WH2
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Got a limit with a Smelt net on two separate days at the State Park Marina last year.

Ahhhh the Rock Pile... During the Cisco run, there are so many boats so close together on the Rock Pile they could share anchor ropes, but I've joined them many times. Here's a but funny story...

Last year, the F&G were out checking folks and there was a small boat on the Rock Pile with three fairly burly guys in it. There wasn't much draft left on that boat. In fact, the water was only a couple inches below the edge. The F&G boat wasn't much better off being small and having three guys in it too. Well, the F&G pulled up next to 'em to check 'em. As one of the guys bent over towards the F&G boat to hand over his license, the edge of the boat went under, and subsequently so did the boat. The three guys almost sunk the F&G boat scrambling to get on it. And then there was the mayhem during the aftermath as they tried to grab as much floating tackle as they could before it to sank. One of my buddies picked 'em up off the F&G boat and took them and what was left of their tackle back to shore. Talk about a bad day of fishin'. I'll bet there's been more then one boat sunk on the rock pile over the years.
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[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]Buy your net at Sportman's Warehouse, Smith & Edwards, Custom Sports in Hyde Park; lots of places. Cost is about $30 - $40 bucks. Be forewarned, the handles are fabbed of THIN aluminum tubing and bend very easily. If you aren't paying attention or don't know what you're doing you'll bend it by hitting the bottom or rocks the first time you start dipnetting.[/size][/font]

[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]The trick is to hit it at the right time for shore netting. There will be a time during the run that the cisco are in the thickest and that's when it's easiest to net them. Other days are an excersie in futility and heading out to float over rocky areas and foul hook them is the only way.[/size][/font]

[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]Being there before daylight hours and into the morning before the sun hits the water are the best times. The state park marina can yield cisco limits if you're willing to elbow your way in and combat net with the inevitable crowd. Watch the ice on the rocks; it's slippery and a leg breaker. Also being on the west side of the lake allows the sun to hit the water earlier and shuts down the spawn sooner.[/size][/font]

[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]Cisco Beach has more shoreline to pick from and the sun doesn't hit the water until around 9:00 am because of the steep mountains right next to the shore. Cisco Beach is not the only place on the east side that will yield cisco. Anywhere there are major concentrations of rocky, gravel shoreline bring cisco in. That the reason the cisco and other spawning fish use the state park marina in Garden City.It is a man-made rocky bottom but serves the purpose just the same. The one major divantage to the eastside of Bear Lake is the rough conditions.Waves , even ripples, make it very difficult to see cisco in the knee to waist deep water. The natural weather patterns usually blow from SW to NE so the east side can almost always expect waves during times of unsettled weather were as the west side is a lot calmer. This holds true for fishing from boats also. It can be almost calm on the west side but venture to the eastside and you'll be battling the waves and wind, trying to keep an anchor down.[/size][/font]

[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]If you have access to a boat, your best success could be to anchor over rocky areas such as the rockpile and jig for the cisco. Actually it's foul hooking them but most guys do it in the name of "Trout and Whitefish" fishing to avoid a wildlife violation. Read the proclamation on all the requirements. There will be several DWR officers, dressed like you and I, checking everyone and anything that looks out of line. They are usually the boat that is eye balling everyone else and not fishing very hard. Again, count on being checked.[/size][/font]

[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]How do you accidentally foul hook cisco? Why you drop a big treble hook jig and jig it off the bottom. The cisco are thick as flies in an outhouse and get in your way when jigging. Again, check the hook sizes to make sure they are of legal size. A lttile tip, take lots of jigs, Bear Lake's bottom can become very hungry at times.[/size][/font]

[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]Now you're set to go after cisco but after you catch them, what are you going to do with them? Freezing them for bait is the main reason guys go after cisco. Take care of them just as you would a fish you wish to eat. Once caught, transfer them to snow or ice packing to keep them fresh. This will allow them to freeze better, making a better bait that will not go mushy once it thaws. If you are going to do this, freeze only two or three together instead of all in one sack. I vacuum pack mine and they'll last longer and do not freezer burn. [/size][/font]

[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]When using them, don't allow the whole pack to thaw for use as bait. Pack your bait in blue ice to keep it cold and frozen on warmer days. Thaw only what you're going to use at the time and put the remaining pieces back of ice for later use in the day. You'll find that half frozen bait will go on the hook much easier and it stays intacted much better that thawed mushy bait.[/size][/font]

[font "Comic Sans MS"][size 3]Good Luck![/size][/font]
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