Cisco Sonar
Bonneville cisco
The Bonneville cisco, Prosopium gemmiferum, (gem-like), are a pelagic, schooling, whitefish found only in Bear Lake. They captured my attention when I first captured them with a smelt net on Cisco Beach in 1965. I have been enamored with the fish and their name ever since. My first private business, marina concessionaire, was named Cisco’s Landing. My present guide and tour business is called Cisco Charters. Two of my vehicles has personalized “cisco” plates, and now there is the Cisco Disco at Bear Lake Winterfest. Even this column is called Cisco Sonar. The fish is always on my mind. I worked with Bonneville cisco in Bear Lake for over 30 years as a fisheries biologist with DWR. I have handled 1000’s over the years and thought at one time, I knew a lot about them. Now as I look back, I am aware of how much is not known about this species.
In January, people start talking about cisco because this is the time of year they congregate to spawn. They historically were thought to only spawn along Cisco Beach, but we know they spawn all over the lake now. It was thought that they arrived from the unknown depths to spawn and then disappeared. With fishing sonars now, you can see their schools all over the lake and if you pay attention, you may see a school off the side of your boat. In the 1960-90 dipping cisco through the ice was popular but during open water years, standing waist deep in waders trying to scoop a few fast swimming 10” fish was daunting. Due to the perception that they are spawning later and the fact that few people have 10’ long smelt nets and waders in the garage, interest has waned. There are a few hardy souls who come to the beach or the marina to try dip them. Others fish from boats over the Rockpile to get a limit. All of them are snagged as the little fish attack lures to spawn with it.
I retired 18 years ago but try to keep up with the research on the Lake. There has been a lot learned about Bonneville cisco during the past 40 years but there is much more to discover.
Where are juvenile cisco the first three years of their life? They are not susceptible to scientific sampling gear or unidentifiable in stomachs of other fish. Are they in schools, what do they eat, who eats them, what part of the Lake do they inhabit and how do they survive? Do adult cisco spawn more than once, and do they come back to the same place? What impacts do other predators like cutthroat, lake trout and whitefish have on them? What role do physical conditions like temperature and water chemistry have? In natural ecosystems like Bear Lake, the world under the surface is infinitely complex. Animal and plant populations are always changing, and each affects the other. All we can hope is that human impact does not change this underwater world. Now, I hope you went go Winterfest, took a quick plunge into their world and think about the natural wonders of Bear Lake.
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