Over the last few years, I have noticed a trend in ice fishing. The smaller the presentation the better. Fellow icers are one upping each other with smaller and smaller gear year after year. This is not a bad thing, but there is a time and place for everything. I too have micro scopic jigs that, if bumped out of my hand are considered lost forever, and they work big time. The difference is, you can lure more fish to your whole and catch more during first ice with bigger presentations.
Here is the reason why: the fish are hungry...well aren't they always..yes, but during first ice periods the fish have the most oxygen in the water that they will have all ice season (and they know it). With more oxygen, fish are more active and able to chase down big meals to bulk up for those low light, low oxygen periods in the winter when they will be more dormant want will need you to bop them in the nose with something smaller than an ant to bite...see where i am going with this.
Those tiny presentations are sometimes the only thing fish will go after in February. It's easy to aassume then that they are magic and use them year round. I still do from time to time, but don't be afraid of up sizing during first ice as fish will be active, searching for food and can see an bigger presentation easier, will want to use the calories wisely by consuming the bigger presentation and during first ice, you will be more successful going BIG!
