Fishing for Ciscoes

[burbotman]

Has anyone fished for Lake Herring? Where are the best lakes to catch them? I never caught any. I've caught whitefish and menominees but no ciscoes. What is the set up for catching ciscoes through the ice? Any input would be greatly appreciated.

[deep6in]

A buddy of mine is into cisco fishing and what I've been told is you have to set up near river outlets in what he has described as an underwater river chain. He uses small jigging spoons and a flasher. He sets to a general depth and when the schools come in he sets his spoon to the proper depth and jigs them in. Usually he gets out there early to set up 5:00 am and when a school comes in for the day (generally between 6:00am and 8:00am) it is non stop fishing and then its over and he pretty much packs up and is gone. Hope this helps some.

[wartfroggy]

Tried once on a lake I know has them in it, only caught one. The tips I have gotten from a buddy that fishes that lake, he uses a small teardrop with a spike above a hali or small swedish pimple and jigs for them suspended. From what I have been told, they are harder to find than to catch once you do find them. They are aggressive and often in a school. He uses a larger spoon to try to bring in a school, then when he sees them come in on his flasher, switches over to his lighter tackle. I have seen a few articles on fishing them in some magazines, but not many people fish them around here.

[Leelanauman]

I have caught them on N. Lake Leelanau using a Hali Jig tipped with a minnow.

[Wardo]

Where at on N. Leelanau did you catch them? I'm curious because I've always wanted to jig for Lakers up there in the winter time. I've looked at the stocking reports for the last 15 years and they have put a whole lot of fish in N. Leelanau. Don't know why I don't hear of more people fishing it.

[GOTONE]

I live on oxbow lake and I am always fishing for them me and a group of guys we catch a lot of them some days and other we don’t and what you need is some Swedish pimples and a flasher works great but you just jig for them I use 6 lb test and a medium rod for good hook set they are not as big as a whitefish the biggest I have caught was 18 inches but we usually get them from 12 inches to 16 inches they swim in schools so two rods work great for them I find them in the deeper part of lake 40 feet to 80 feet but it is a lot is a lot of fun. if you have any questions let me know

[Burksee]

I live on oxbow lake and I am always fishing for them me and a group of guys we catch a lot of them some days and other we don’t and what you need is some Swedish pimples and a flasher works great but you just jig for them I use 6 lb test and a medium rod for good hook set they are not as big as a whitefish the biggest I have caught was 18 inches but we usually get them from 12 inches to 16 inches they swim in schools so two rods work great for them I find them in the deeper part of lake 40 feet to 80 feet but it is a lot is a lot of fun. if you have any questions let me knowHey Gotone, Small world! I grew up on Oxbow Lake and used to fish for them years ago just as you mentioned, but not of late. Still live in the area and on the way to work I see a few guys/gals out there still do. What part of the lake do you live on? I was, my Mom still is on Lakeside Drive, off M-59/Teggerdine area. I gotta get back out there! :)

[GOTONE]

I live right on Elizabeth lake road right across from the cemetery I’m out there all the time let me know and we could meet up out there I know all the good spots

[ENCORE]

Used to fish them MANY years ago, over in the Pickney area, north of Territorial Rd. at a lake named Pickeral Lake. I remember that you had to take a 2 track back quite aways to get to the lake.
I was over that way, quite some time ago, and the 2 track was still there, but there was a launch and dock there.
Boy, that was probably 45 years ago :confused:

[Burksee]

I live right on Elizabeth lake road right across from the cemetery I’m out there all the time let me know and we could meet up out there I know all the good spotsAhh, you got some blonde chick for a neighbor I know! LOL! :yikes:

Sounds good! :D

[koby]

Has anyone fished for Lake Herring? Where are the best lakes to catch them? I never caught any. I've caught whitefish and menominees but no ciscoes. What is the set up for catching ciscoes through the ice? Any input would be greatly appreciated.

We fished for them for the first time ever last March on Torch.

What a blast....and GREAT eating.

We only caught 8 or 9, but they really fight for their size. Like a miniature fresh water tuna.

We caught them on Glow in The Dark teardrops with a #14 treble crimped on the jig hook, and tipped with wax worms or tipped with a pre packaged spawn mixture (cant remember what its called, but its like catfish bait and you just ball it up on the treble)

Caught them right at dark.

If youre in the area, go to Jacks Sport Shop in Kalkaska, (231) 258-8892, ‎and ask for GARY....he is the man....he will put you on them if theyre biting.

The last two years, that guy has set us up!!!

If you go, tell him Koby sent you!!!

[DocHoliday]

Hey GOTONE here is a pic of some Oxbow lake ciscoe from a few years ago. I use a white #6 or #4 teardrop with a waxie on it. Caught right out from the cemetary.

http://www.michigan-sportsman.com/forum/picture.php?albumid=746&pictureid=4252

[icefishermanmark]

Is there any public access on Oxbow? I live around there and have never seen anyway to get out there. Apparently I'm not the only person in this world who lives in White Lake.

[jimbo]

[quote=koby;2436715]
What a blast....and GREAT eating.
?????
we tried them once & ended up fighting over some canned mixed veggies.
:evil:
we know we cooked them wrong(fried), just brings up an old memory:lol:

[GOTONE]

Nice pics DocHoliday I have tried out in front of the cemetery they are bigger right there but would only catch a few but iv got another spot out there where I can catch a lot of them but they are just a little smaller but if you get out there send me a pm and maybe I can join you or meet up out there. Oxbow is a privet lake but I live right across from it so I have access to it.

[Firefighter]

It should be metioned that naming lakes on a public forum can RUIN a spot quickly...

Especially when 30 guys a day start grouping up and hammering a schooling fish like ciscoes daily. I've watched 2 lakes go straight downhill from this phenomenon.

[DocHoliday]

I don't think I would worry about it Firefighter. I've spent many a day chasing ciscoe on that lake only to be discouraged with very little success to no success at all. Ciscoe fishing is not for the faint of heart. They do not cooperate like bluegill, pike, or walleye and there is only a small window of time when success can be found and in many years they just aren't there at all. Most fisherman will give up on them before finding a decent size school of ciscoe. Besides that lake is well known for them its no sercret and its not my favorite lake for them either. And I won't give away my other honey holes that are lesser known that produce more numbers. I was on a lake about 5 years ago when a large school came swimming under my shanty. Big ciscoe and literaly hundreds of them I've never seen anything like it they were stacked up from just under the ice to as deep as I could see and I've been fishing for them for more years than I will admit to. I agree with you that naming lakes can cause a big problem but I don't think so in this particular case and with this type of fish.

[sfw1960]

Yepper...........
Not only that - getting a BITE is one thing , being fast 'nuff to put the boots to 'em...........

WELLLLL ......

:lol: :lol:

I love 'em sm0ked for sure.

RAS

[TeamSnapper]

what type of meat does a cisco have? is it oily like a salmon, or like a walleye? What is the best way to cook them? i see it's a whitefish relative. those are popular to fry breaded. is that the way?

[DocHoliday]

Ciscoe are a dark reddish meat fish with quite a bit of bone in them they are a member of the herring family. And all the herring I've ever seen have the same type of meat fresh or salt water. I prefer to smoke them but others recipes I used is pickling them and canning them with a table spoon of vinegar in each quart with various other ingredients and sometimes including hot sause. After about a month the vinegar will eat the bones up. They are not as good fried like bluegill or walleye that have light flaky meat on them.

[DocHoliday]

I guess I should clear that last post up a bit before someone out there spanks me. The meat on ciscoe is darker than a walleye or bluegill much like a white fish. Many people do fry them and like them that way but you really have to watch for the bones they are very fine. I personally would rather fry a bluegill, perch, or walleye fillet rather than a ciscoe. I've tried to fillet them but seem to still get rib bones in them because they are so fine. The canning recipe I use is this for a pint jar:
Main ingredients
1/4 tsp. noniodized salt
1/2 TBS. vinegar

Optional ingredients
1/2 TBS hot sauce
or 1/2 TBS barbeque sauce
or 1/2 TBS ketchup
mix the sauce with the vinegar to thin it down before putting it in the jars.
Scale and gut the ciscoe first then cut them into chunks. Pack the jar 1" from the top with skin side out don't add any water. The fish will fill the jar up with water as it cooks. Cook at 10psi for 100min. You can get creative and add other spices you might like or more vinegar if you like a pickled flavor. I like to lightly shake up the jars after they seal and cool to get everything mixed well.

[TeamSnapper]

interesting. thanks doc! i'll have to try that if i ever get my hands on some cisco.