Just like open water, there are presentations on ice that are geared for finding fish. Some presentations that might work well for exposing fish on the Vexilar might not be the best presentation to simply catch fish after fish are found but remember, don t put the cart in front of the horse. Ice fisherman are starting to realize that ice fishing is as multidimensional as angling from the bow of a metal flake bass boat. Many fishermen would never think of using the same lure all day when fishing in a boat. How many times do we troll bottom bouncers, spinners or crankbaits for example only to switch gears and use slip bobbers or jigs after a couple fish come from the same spot.
Versatility is the key to adapting to changing conditions during the summer.
We keep changing and refining until we are using the most efficient presentation for the task at hand. This mentality shouldn t be left at home after the lake freezes. Just like open water, there is no such thing as a perfect lure or presentation that works for every situation. We often feel limited when ice fishing because we are always fishing vertically. While a hole in the ice prohibits us from trolling a crankbait, we still have control of how we present our lure or bait.