Bear Lake Cisco inquiry

[L-D-R]

I would say the rumors are true big fish do indeed eat little fish I would take a rod what's it going to hurt
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[TheOtherSide]

I'm going to hop on this thread (if you don't mind) because I am also curious. I was planning to go up for the first time with the kids this next weekend, but have never gone for the disco, or have any experience with Bear Lake.

Any suggestions on nets, location, courtesy, etc. would be appreciated. I'll be dragging along my two young children and would like to keep it as enjoyable as possible.

Thanks!
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[Kent]

Deleted, because I unintentionally gave bad advice.
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[BearLakeFishGuy]

The cisco haven't yet showed up at Cisco Beach or the state park marina. They just started catching limits on the rockpile yesterday. The day before that they only caught a few cisco. Typically, the cisco show up anywhere from 3-7 days after they start catching them from the boats. JUst in the last day the lake has started icing over but boats are still getting out. One little bit of wind and it will blow off the ice, however, if it stays calm it could really begin to lock up. Cisco Beach is typically one of the last places to freeze.

If the cisco are in along the shore, you (and the kids) can dip fish, contrary to what others have said. You do NOT have to get into the water. In fact, I've done better not getting into the water on open water years. You just have to be willing to kneel down right where the water meets the shoreline in order to keep a low profile. Then put your net in the water and let the handle lay on the rocks near shore. The cisco will come in if you are patient and not moving. Just let them swim over top the net and then lift straight up. Is it easier to dipnet cisco through the ice? Yes, but my daughters and I have dipped many limits from shore without getting in the water during open water. The biggest problem is that many dipnetters stand out in knee-deep to hip-deep water and the cisco can see them and avoid them by simply swimming around them. You MUST keep still and it really helps to keep a low profile.

You are welcome to come up for the Cisco Disco on Saturday. Please say hello. The UDWR will have several cisco nets for people to use, but it can get busy and you might have to wait a while for a net. Its simply easier to just buy one. Go to Sportsmans Warehouse or some other store and ask for a cisco net. It has very fine wire mesh. They are also called smelt dipping nets. Any landing net has too large of holes to be used effectively for dip netting cisco.

I'll be at Cisco Beach first thing on Monday morning and will update everyone later that afternoon. I'm thinking there is a good chance of cisco showing up if the wind remains calm. Good luck.
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[wiperhunter2]

Here are a couple of links that will help you guys:
https://bearlakemonsterwinterfest.com/mo...sco-disco/
Video shows what you expect, the size of the net you will need and some general info about the cisco disco, this part of the event takes place on the East side of the lake at Cisco beach. This second link gives you general info about the days events, including the chilli cookoff and the polar plunge:
https://www.visitutah.com/articles/bear-...interfest/
The day kicks off between 9 and 10 am with the eating of cisco, scones and fries.
Kentofnsl is correct on bringing young children, the one in the video is the youngest I would even consider bringing and even then they will need to be brave kids, with lots of warm cloths and extras, in case they fall in. Dipping for cisco is an extreme sport and it's not likely many kids would be up for it.
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[Cowboypirate]

Thanks all for the info. Seems like somthing we just got to do, to say we did. Hope to see some of ya over ther snacking on scones and cisco
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[BearLakeFishGuy]

Cowboy,
If you get to cisco at 9:-00am we will be cleaning up for the day. We start cooking before 7am and will have food ready by 7am and go until about 9:00-9:30. Then everyone heads over to the marina for the Polar Plunge, Chili Cookoff, Biggest Cisco Contest, Vendors, etc.
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[Cowboypirate]

When I told Cookie how early we got to get up to get us a scone and a cisco, I got that look...ya'll know that look. But I got a few days to warm her up to it

We will see ya there
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[fly_fishing_nut]

I fished the rock pile on Saturday, my first time fishing Bear Lake and I caught one 18” native cutthroat trolling (turned back of course). I saw some other boats catching some fish and one boat that was catching cisco pretty quickly but I couldn’t figure out how to catch the cisco on a fishing pole. I’d like to try that again. Any advice how to catch them on a pole?
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[a_bow_nut]

A big Kastmaster with a big treble hook and jig aggressively. Snagging takes some getting used to but when they are in there it's not to hard.

Last year I was using a 1/2 - 3/4 oz Kastmaster and got my limit in a couple of hours. Then trolled up two 8lb. lakers in the afternoon.
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[fly_fishing_nut]

Thanks, I tried that but must need to practice more. Anybody have any luck with something small, like ice jigs and the Cisco bitting it instead of snagging them?
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[Kent]

I watched Tubedude catch them, in the mouth, with tiny ice jigs, so maybe he will chime in.
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[SkunkedAgain]

I've caught them on small tungsten jigs before, but much more fun to snag them... I'd suspect there weren't any fish under you is why you weren't hooking them... They swim in by the millions and it's pretty easy to snag them when they are there... Problem is they come and go, so I always want my finder to let me know when to hook'em… You will be able to snag them off Cisco beach in about 10-15 FOW or off the state park marina, they are a lot easier to come by in shallower water than the 40-50 fow on the rock pile... but I like the Kastmasters as well or I've even caught them on tube jigs while hoping for Mac... However, this hope of ice for cisco is by far the most fun... keep your fingers crossed and let's hope for ice... Later Jeff
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[TubeDude]

[#0000FF]When the ciscos swarm on the rock pile they will mob a lot of things. On one ice trip I was sending down a 3/8 oz. white jigging spoon with red spots and a red treble hook, and as soon as I raised it off the bottom my rod tip started vibrating with the fish attacking the spoon. Every once in a while the rod tip would bend over as a cisco or bear lake whitefish managed to get the point of one of the trebles in its mouth and hook itself. Later on I added a small white jig on a dropper above the spoon and caught more on that, including a couple of Bonneville whitefish and even one nice cutt.[/#0000FF]
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[#0000FF]Whatever you send down on the rock pile you need some weight to get it down...and to maintain a feel for what is going on down there. I'm sure you could rig with a double dropshot rig...sinker at the bottom and a couple of brightly colored ice jigs above...and you could probably catch plenty...even without bait. But when the ciscos are thick and mobbing your spoon it is easy to snag a bunch in a hurry.
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[fly_fishing_nut]

Great, I’m going to try again this Saturday. Anyone know if you can still launch a boat? Last Saturday we had to break 1-2” for almost 1/2 a mile from the State Marina. Just wondering if it will still be possible this Saturday or if one of the other marinas would be better to launch from?
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[SkunkedAgain]

You can call the state park for conditions. 435-946-8501. J
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[fly_fishing_nut]

Thanks Jeff!
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[SkunkedAgain]

I hope it's working now, I tried it this morning and kept getting a busy signal.... Mike said it should be on for Saturday at Cisco beach... plan on open water... Jeff
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