In the world of winter fish, it’s inspection season. The fish get a better look at your bait now than during the windswept algae-bloomin’ months of summer. Plus, a component of open-water presentation—horizontal swimming motion—is largely taken away from ice fishermen. We’re forced to fool fish into taking what we dangle through a hole; so the presentation part of the puzzle has to be convincing, especially in clear water.

Panfish species—mainly sunfish, crappies and perch—can be a bit persnickety to begin with. So if they’re off their feed at all, fishing for them can be frustrating.

Some anglers have a masterful grasp of what it takes, always seeming to catch fish, while others struggle. It helps to understand the critter you’re trying to catch. Dave Genz, longtime In-Fisherman contributor, discusses the tendencies he sees in the various panfish when it comes to where they position in the water column:

“Start with perch,” Genz says. “In general, perch are bottom-oriented. There are exceptions, like at Lake Mendota in Madison, Wisconsin, where perch often suspend, maybe down 20 to 40 feet over 50 to 60 feet of water, following water fleas and other food. Still, as a rule in most lakes, perch are near or on the bottom.

“Bluegills and other sunfish species, he says, “aren’t usually on the bottom. The bluegills I see close to the bottom seem to be related to a break of somewhat firm material that holds a lot of food. I call them sticky-bottom flats, or sticky-bottom breaks, and in that situation, the ‘gills seem to pick food right out of the bottom. Basin bluegills seem to be up off the bottom at least a couple feet. Say you’re over a 20-foot basin. You might find perch right on the bottom, bluegills and crappies 3 to 4 feet off.”

In shallow, weedy conditions (a favorite bluegill pattern), Genz urges anglers to fish higher than they traditionally fish. “With shallow bluegills and crappies,” he says, “I look for them anywhere from just below the ice to about halfway down. Halfway down is common in weeds. The most active fish seem to be there. I don’t bury my jig in the weeds and hope they can find it.”

Genz thinks too many people consider crappies suspending fish. “Most people fish crappies at night, or during other low-light periods. At those times, the fish generally are suspended off bottom. In the days before depthfinders, we never fished crappies less than 3 feet off the bottom. But during the day, crappies can be right down on the bottom. You can catch them. I don’t always wait for the golden hour. Sometimes, just as the crappie fishermen are coming out on the ice, I’m headed in with a meal of crappies.”

At late-ice, Genz also suggests watching for big crappies cruising right below the ice. “It’s exciting to see that big nose come into your hole. You have to keep your bait up high to interest those fish,” he says.