Advice on how to dipnet Cisco in open water

[BearLakeFishGuy]

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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[buckhunterhart]

Thanks for the advice. Saturday sure was frustrating for me. In hind site I do recall that there was a thin sheet of ice we had to break through in order to access the water last year. I guess that was enough to make a difference. Last year I was netting cisco 5-8 at a time and limited out in 15 minutes.

It looks like those that are able to net during the work week will have the most success this year. Timing is everything sometimes. I always wondered how they scheduled an event like this weeks in advance without knowing when the migration would take place. I spoke with the ID DWR on our way out and they relayed that they (the fishermen)had been struggling to hook enough cisco via boat to have readily available to fry for the event, which made me feel a bit better about calling it early.

It was good to see so many people at the event and hopefully the local economy benefitted.
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[BearLakeFishGuy]

I want to make it clear that neither the UDWR or IDF&G collects fish (cisco) for the "Cisco Disco". The fish cooked at the Cisco Disco are caught by licensed anglers and donated to the event. I'm not sure of who you talked to, but they gave you incorrect information. I'm not trying to slam you at all, but I just want to make sure that people understand that the event is sponsored by nothing more than friends and family with their own time and using their own money and is not associated with the UDWR or IDF&G.

Oh, I spoke to several local businesses and yes, the people who came up do benefit our local economy and the locals are thankful for the mild economic boost in the middle of the winter!
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[CoyoteSpinner]

It worked for us today, like you say, crouching, staying low, trying to be still. Not having people nearby!

We also found there were pockets in the rocks where they were quite enjoying circling through and flashing abouts. So if we could find a good ambush spot - set near a rock, or across a flat spot, but a lot of the fish schooled in and around our net.

Also anytime we disturbed an area it was a matter of waiting until they got over it, or moving laterally to spook a different pocket of them.

Learned that the wire nets work better than softer fabric like our neighbors had. The wire's much easier to lift quickly.

Need to search out your Cisco batter recipe. I know you've posted it before. Sorry we didn't make it over the pavilion for the scones, and just didn't think there was going to be much to fry.

But THANKS for doing all you do for the event.

[BearLakeFishGuy]

Anyone is welcome to the breading I use. It is equal parts of
Instant Pancake Mix
Flour
Corn Meal
I then used seasoned salt and black pepper to taste. You can make it in large batches or just enough for one meal. I DO NOT dip the cisco in any egg mixture before hand. Just the wet bodies right into the mixture in a zip top bag, shake and drop into hot oil. Keep cooking until the fish go from soft and pliable to nice and crispy and stiff.

Tartar sauce is:
Equal parts of
1 quart of Mayonaisse
1 quart of Miracle Whip (yeah, don't use the no-brand stuff here)
1 large grated onion (on a cheese grater using a medium grate, you want some small chunks for texture and not just the puree')
1 8-10oz, jar of DILL relish
4 Tablespoons of mustard or to taste.
You can adjust the quantities up or down. If you make it the day before it allows the flavors to come together and it tastes better.
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[ntrl_brn_rebel]

Scott is exactly right on the dipnetting....waders are not needed, ever. When there is no other dipnetters out to chest deep water, anyone, and I mean anyone can dipnet a limit of Cisco in open water following Scott's recommendations... People don't give these little fish that spend all their lives avoiding predation enough credit.....

On Friday 1st point (not even a typical Cisco hot spot) was lined with Cisco...no one around and a limit took me literally minutes, no waders needed...

A big shout out from me goes to scott and a bunch of others, plus all of you that came up and brought the youngsters! it's a fishing tradition that lives on because of guys like him, Jim Stone, Doug Miller and many others! It's a memory I will have for years, just like my grandpa did 60+ years ago, it's a true tradition that I will look forward to forever...
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[buckhunterhart]

I realized that my wording was deceiving. When I said that the ID F&G said 'they' were struggling to catch cisco for boats for the fish fry he was referring to 'they' as the local fisherman. Sorry if I was confusing. My brain was still thawing from the weekend.
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[gmwahl]

Thanks Scott for all your hard work and your freely offered advice! I'm glad I have your tartar sauce recipe now, I was planning on bugging you for it this week. It honestly tasted better to me than all the other fancy recipes and store bought stuff.
Good job on the Cisco disco too, it was a really enjoyable event.

Mike
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