Paying it forward: Idaho stranger’s kindness pays off on Bear Lake fishing adventure

The Fishing Gods. Karma. Serendipity. Call it what you will, but just about every angler is superstitious. It’s why bananas aren’t allowed on boats and catching a fish on the first cast is considered taboo.

I’m not too extreme, but I do feel strongly about one thing — in a sport where luck is always part of the equation, it pays to put some good vibes into the universe.

Over the years, I’ve made efforts to help other anglers. A friendly word of advice. Donating a secret bait or lucky lure. Sharing tips and reports with Idaho Statesman readers and audiences at my fishing classes. A guy can’t give away all his hard-earned secrets, but he can at least give honest, helpful advice.

I recently made the trek to Bear Lake for one last ice fishing hurrah with my buddy Dallas — the first time either of us had fished one of Idaho’s most unique waterways. To compensate for my lack of experience on such an expansive lake, I did thorough research and dialed up a plan for pursuing Bear Lake’s two top predators: the Mackinaw trout and the Bonneville cutthroat.

There were already a few locals set up when we arrived at our spot. We slotted in and set to work with tube jigs, watching our flashers for fishy activity. An hour went by without a bite, so I started downsizing lures (a tried-and-true strategy on finicky days).

After another 30 minutes, our closest neighbor hooked up. He was fishing solo, so I hustled over to see if he needed help. I arrived just in time to see a fat, 18-inch cutthroat come through the ice.

“A Bonneville!” I smiled. “Nice fish!”

I chatted with the friendly local, who gave me some new information (this was the first time in six years Bear Lake was ice fishable) and confirmed a few suspicions (these fish were tight-lipped and hugging the bottom). Most importantly, he revealed the bait he was tipping his jigs with: cisco.

This was no surprise — Bonneville cisco are a huge part of what makes Bear Lake such a cool fishery. They are one of five endemic species in the lake, which means they are found nowhere else on Earth! Cisco are sardine-like baitfish that provide great forage for cutthroats and Mackinaw. When they spawn in January, locals flock to catch them. Many harvest them as food; hardcore anglers use them as bait.

On some days, sucker and Kokanee cut bait would have done the trick. But with bites few and far between, I surmised cisco was the missing piece of our puzzle.

“I’ll trade you any lure in my tackle box for a chunk of cisco,” I offered.

“A fair deal!” our neighbor smiled. “But you guys can have the rest of this one, free of charge.”

Fishing goodwill had come full-circle, and as we added cisco to our jigs, I felt confident it was a winning combo. Within minutes, a fish appeared on my flasher and began nosing my lure with subtle bites. I timed it up and took my shot, swinging hard to set the hook 50 feet below.

FISH ON!! Our mystery quarry didn’t do much at first, but when I got it close enough for Dallas to catch a glimpse, it took off on a line-peeling run. My hook held firm, and we soon slid a chunky, two-foot Mackinaw onto the ice.

I pointed in acknowledgment at our neighbor, who nodded his approval.

“Thanks for the assist, brother!” I hollered.

Twenty minutes later, Dallas had a fish grab his bait and race off with authority. This fish fought so hard, we thought it might be one of Bear Lake’s legendary giants. It turned out to be another nice Mackinaw in the four-pound class, but it had Dallas grinning from ear-to-ear.

“I’m telling you,” chuckled our companion, who had wandered over to watch the fight. “When the bite is tough like this, cisco is the only thing they’ll eat.”

No argument here. We thanked him again and vowed to pay it forward. It’s a promise I intend to keep. Because sometimes, a friendly assist can turn a slow day of fishing into a trip to remember. Tight lines!

Jordan Rodriguez has been fishing Idaho waters since he was a teen. Share your fish stories, adventures and questions with him at tightlinesboise@gmail.com, or visit www.tightlines208.com for the latest local fishing reports and upcoming class offerings.