Cisco’s Sonar

 From Cisco Disco to Winterfest

 By Bryce Neilson

I have been living in Garden City for over 45 years.  I have seen many things change as I have enjoyed watching the creation of the Cisco Disco and its eventual evolution into Winterfest.  

In the 1960’s and 1950’s dipping for Bonneville cisco was a different event. 

Because there was not much to do in January, fishermen looked forward to cisco fishing because Bear Lake was one of the few waters in Utah open for year around fishing.  KSL newscasters, Bob Wealty and Paul James, would have an annual debate when the cisco were going to start “running” at Bear Lake.  People would pull travel trailers or pitch tents on the beach hoping to dip some fish just as it became light.  

During the early morning hundreds of cars would drive to Bear Lake for the adventure.  Vehicles would be adorned with long handled wire dip nets (smelt nets) and filled with fishermen and kids.  It seemed to be much colder then and Gortex had not been invented so they would start car tires on fire to stay warm.  Black smoke and people milling around made up the scene.  It was a frigid free-for-all with plenty of drinking and swearing.  A great place for kids. 

Gradually the interest in netting cisco started to wane.  The Superbowl started, people took up skiing and the Fish and Game opened up the state to year around fishing.  People had other things to do during January other than standing in the freezing water trying to scoop up 50 eight- inch fish. 

The original Cisco Disco started small in the mid 1980’s.  A good friend and I would get together to catch a limit of cisco each year.  Since it was cold, we would bring a Coleman stove to make a pot of coffee and cook some fish.  People would stop by for a cup and wonder what we were going to do with the cisco, since most fishermen used them for bait.  When we said, “eat them” many folks wondered how they tasted so we shared.  Usually, fishermen were so sick of cisco after cleaning a hundred, they put them in the freezer and forget about them.  A couple of months later, they cooked them and wondered why they taste so fishy.  After they tasted them, fresh, on the tailgate of the truck, they changed their minds.  As the years passed,  cooking fresh Bonneville cisco with fries and scones grew.  The crowds exploded and there was always a big, wood, fires and lots of antifreeze and socialization.  

My friend, Doug Miller, a sportscaster with Utah Outdoors, showed up one year when it was well below zero.  He noticed everyone standing around the fire in the normal, brown, duck coverall dress jumping up and down, hands in their pockets, trying to stay warm.  While on camera, he said that we looked like we were doing the “Cisco Disco”.  The name stuck.  

Many years have passed since that cold, morning and now thousands of people come to Bear Lake to do a Polar Plunge, eat chili and a myriad of other things.  Maybe some diehards will still be to catch and eat a fresh cisco.  I might have to try it again.