01-26-2015, 07:12 PM
Anglers who have been coming up to Bear Lake the last couple of years have been spoiled with ice cover during the Cisco run. This year it is wide, open water. I want to offer up some friendly, well-earned throughout the years, advice on how to dip net cisco on open water years.
I showed up at Cisco Beach first this this morning. There were plenty of people trying to catch hypothermia by standing in the water right next to each other just below the State Park entrance station and not dip netting any fish. First piece of advice: [#FF4040]Avoid areas crowded with other anglers.[/#FF4040] I went about mid-beach and walked down to the water where only one other person was standing. Cisco are spooky, but this is common on open water years. I then proceeded to [#FF4040]kneel down and then crouch my body over as far as possible to minimize my profile.[/#FF4040] Cisco and other fish have lateral lines and can feel any movement in the water. If you are standing knee deep on a nice calm day, you likely will struggle catching Cisco. The can see you as easily as you can see them. I then [#FF4040]placed my net in the water and let the handle end rest on a rock right at the shoreline or even up on shore[/#FF4040]. Again, if you are holding the net, just little movements on the handle side are magnified by the net-end which is in the water. Let the net be as still as possible. [#FF4040]Be patient and let the fish swim over your net and simply lift straight up and do not try to "sweep" the net. [/#FF4040] Cisco can swim faster than you can sweep the net. [#FF4040]Once you net the fish, make minimal movement and swing the net to the shore and dump the fish in your bucket without standing up! [/#FF4040] Reposition the net in the water and you will catch fish.
The guy next to me this morning told me had been standing knee-deep in the water for over an hour and never caught a fish and only saw a few. I arrived, knelt down and was able to dip a 30 fish limit in about 5 minutes.
With that said, this works well in calm weather, which we have had now for about two weeks. Mornings are best. From first light to about 9:30, but I've seen Cisco run throughout the day. I have never seen Cisco come in much in the evenings or after dark, but it could happen. If it is wavy, then the fish move off shore a bit and you can get away with standing in the water due to all the wave action.
Good luck. Oh, and Cisco should continue to run through the week and perhaps into the weekend.
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I showed up at Cisco Beach first this this morning. There were plenty of people trying to catch hypothermia by standing in the water right next to each other just below the State Park entrance station and not dip netting any fish. First piece of advice: [#FF4040]Avoid areas crowded with other anglers.[/#FF4040] I went about mid-beach and walked down to the water where only one other person was standing. Cisco are spooky, but this is common on open water years. I then proceeded to [#FF4040]kneel down and then crouch my body over as far as possible to minimize my profile.[/#FF4040] Cisco and other fish have lateral lines and can feel any movement in the water. If you are standing knee deep on a nice calm day, you likely will struggle catching Cisco. The can see you as easily as you can see them. I then [#FF4040]placed my net in the water and let the handle end rest on a rock right at the shoreline or even up on shore[/#FF4040]. Again, if you are holding the net, just little movements on the handle side are magnified by the net-end which is in the water. Let the net be as still as possible. [#FF4040]Be patient and let the fish swim over your net and simply lift straight up and do not try to "sweep" the net. [/#FF4040] Cisco can swim faster than you can sweep the net. [#FF4040]Once you net the fish, make minimal movement and swing the net to the shore and dump the fish in your bucket without standing up! [/#FF4040] Reposition the net in the water and you will catch fish.
The guy next to me this morning told me had been standing knee-deep in the water for over an hour and never caught a fish and only saw a few. I arrived, knelt down and was able to dip a 30 fish limit in about 5 minutes.
With that said, this works well in calm weather, which we have had now for about two weeks. Mornings are best. From first light to about 9:30, but I've seen Cisco run throughout the day. I have never seen Cisco come in much in the evenings or after dark, but it could happen. If it is wavy, then the fish move off shore a bit and you can get away with standing in the water due to all the wave action.
Good luck. Oh, and Cisco should continue to run through the week and perhaps into the weekend.
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