Bear Lake Cisco Run

Location: Bear Lake

Fishing Time: 9:00 am to 3:00 pm

Weather: Partly cloudy, Temps: 35-50° F, morning breeze that turned to glass by early afternoon

Moon Phase: 98% Moon

BP: 30.4 Hg – 30.3 Hg

Water Temp: 38 degrees

Best Baits: 1 oz spoons

Who Went: Casey Davies, Dunc

The weather was too nice not take the boat out.  I read some reports saying the cisco run was starting at Bear Lake, which I have never done.  There are two stages to the cisco run.  In the first stage they move onto some rockpiles in approximately 40 ft of water.  About one week later they move to the shorelines.  When they are on the rock pile it is legal to snag them and when they are near the shoreline you can net them.  Some people eat them while others keep them for bait. I’ve been wanting to do it for a while because it’s the best bait you can use up there and we go every September.

I read reports they were just starting to show up on the rock pile. I called my buddy Casey, and we decided to go up and give it a try. Bear Lake Winterfest was happening the same day at the main State Park ramp, so we launched from first point on the East side to stay away from the crowds and other activities.  On arrival there was a strong breeze that slowly moved to glass by afternoon. 

We motored across the lake to the rock pile and were greeted with about 15 other boats.  As I moved towards them the fish finder showed a thick layer of fish along the bottom.  We decided to anchor and started jigging.  After two jigs off the bottom, I was hooked up and caught my first ever cisco.  Soon after Casey caught his first ever cisco.  

It wasn’t fast and furious, but we were also pulling up a bunch of whitefish. Some good-sized ones too!

After filling half a bait bucket with cisco and catching around 20 whitefish, Casey hooked into something even bigger.  After a good fight he brought in a decent cutthroat. Not long after I got on the board with a small cutthroat.  All we needed was a lake trout to hit the Bear Lake grand slam.

Eventually we pulled off the rock pile and decided to troll.  We gave it a couple hours without a bite.  The fish were probably all on the rock pile eating cisco!

By early afternoon we gave jigging a try but didn’t find many fish.  We did have two bites off the bottom in 80 feet but unfortunately neither of us hooked up.  We never caught a lake trout, but what a fun day catching new species and a bunch of whitefish and two cutthroat trout.  This fall when I go up with my family, we will have the best bait to jig for lake trout! Once I got home, I sealed them in zip-locks and tossed them in the deep freezer.

Three-Peat at Flaming Gorge

Location: Flaming Gorge (Day 1 – Sheep Creek Bay, Day 2 – Anvil Draw)

Fishing Time: Saturday – 3 pm to 5 pm, Sunday – 8 am to 3 pm

Weather: first evening was sunny, 45° F, but windy.  Second day was sunny, 48° F, with no wind all day. 

Moon Phase: New Moon

BP: Saturday- 30.28 Hg and steady, Sunday morning - 30.33 Hg, Sunday afternoon – 30.11 Hg

Water Temp: 40° F

Best Baits: River2Sea, 200 Series, Glide Bait (powder color)

Who Went: Chad Fuller, Dunc

With recent success I decided to take one more trip to the Gorge.  My friend Chad, helps me on so many projects at my own house and on our flip houses and has always said I could repay him by taking him to Flaming Gorge to catch a big lake trout.  So, I called him up and we planned a trip.

We arrived on Saturday afternoon and the weather was beautiful, so we decided to launch at Sheep Creek Bay for a couple hours.  The wind came up wicked 30 minutes after launch, but it wasn’t cold, so we stayed on the water.

It was sure nice finally having my electronics on this trip.  We found a decent group of fish off a point but never could get them to commit. Towards the end of the day, we found another good group of fish that seemed more active and on the first pass we hooked up. 

See Video Link:

https://www.amazon.com/photos/all/gallery/SDZnYKGzTXCXNV4IPJzwww?sf=1&ref_=APH_SNT77

I laughed watching Chad reel in a big fish.  He kept asking if this was normal and if it should take this long.  I laughed and told him yes, just keep reeling.  He got the fish to the boat a couple times just out of netting distance only for it to go straight back to the bottom.  After sore arms and a good fight, we finally put a net on a beautiful 20-pound lake trout!  Chad was thrilled and it made his night!

The next day we launched further north at Anvil Draw.  I still can’t get over these January temperatures.  We were on the lake at sunup, and I didn’t even put a coat on… so weird!

We fished some areas around the Anvil launch ramp but didn’t see many fish.  We made a big move a bit further north and finally found an area with a bunch of fish.  Unfortunately, the fish seemed to have lock jaw and didn’t seem to be interested in our baits.  It was a bluebird sunny day pushing 50-degrees with zero wind.  It was nice on our bodies but didn’t have the feel of a good fishing day.  Either way we got skunked.  I told my wife it was good I got skunked cause now I think I’m good for a bit and don’t need a 4^th weekend in a row at the Gorge!  It was a good 3-week run with amazing weather and some really good fish.

Deja Vu at Flaming Gorge

Location: Flaming Gorge (Lucerne)

Weather: Partly, 39 °F, slight breeze in the afternoon

Moon Phase: 39% Waning Moon

BP: Morning - 30.58 Hg trending down, Afternoon - 30.44 Hg

Best Baits: River2Sea 200 series glide bait (party crasher)

Water Temp: 40 °F

Who Went: Dunc

Catching a monster lake trout does something to your brain.  It becomes all you think about and the only thing you want to do is get back up there and do it again!  Luckily, I have a wife that understands my addiction and so I planned another trip over the weekend.  I invited others to go but due to sickness or different plans they couldn’t make it.  Another solo trip!  No problem, I don’t mind being alone (just ask my wife).

With all the electronics issues from the last trip I took my lithium battery to someone smarter than me to check it out.  It seemed like we fixed the issue and had it figured out. All my electronics were working before I hit the road.

I arrived to another gorgeous morning.  This weather is unlike any I’ve ever seen in January.  The best part was seeing one truck and trailer beside mine on arrival and departure!

The solo launch went great, and I was ready to roll.  I went to turn on my electronics and nothing!  Same story different trip.  Only thing I can come up with is the cold temps overnight are causing my batteries brain to shut it off.  Lithium batteries are great, but only when they work correctly.  I was so sad!  I had lots of plans of trying new things and here I was in the same situation as last week.  So disappointing!

After a few cuss words and contemplating life, I got over it again and headed to the area where I had success last week.  I also rigged up my manual depth finder that became my best friend for the day (sigh).

I fished the entire area I focused on last week but never got a bite.  I moved a bit further south and finally hooked up with a feisty pup lake trout.  Not what I was looking for, but a fun fish to get me started and add some confidence to keep going.

I ended up moving a bit further south and this time I had a rod bender that literally twisted my rod holder to the back of the boat.  I knew it was a good fish, but as soon as I grabbed it, the fish was gone.  It’s becoming obvious to me that this is just part of the technique and they don’t always stick.  I went 1 for 2 on bites last week and this week I was 2 for 4. 

I made one final big move late in the day and finally got the bite I was looking for, but at the most inopportune time.  I was heading right into shore when it hit, the wind kicked up for the first time all day, and my remote on my fish finder was not turning on, so I was about to run aground!  

The fish also ran straight towards my other line, and I thought for sure it was going to get tangled and I would lose the fish!  It wasn’t the prettiest fight, but after a lot of chaos, I was finally able to land this 19-pound beauty!

Click on link for video:

https://www.amazon.com/photos/all/gallery/Nq0goA2IQ4ezWGXkJe6e8Q?sf=1&ref_=APH_SNT77

The addiction is full on now and starting to get out of control.  I have already checked the weather and next weekend looks amazing! I might find out just how understanding my wife really is!