Present your lure or bait on a jigging rod in the middle of the band of bait signals and at the bottom edge of the depth band where you observe baitfish, for two reasons: One is that wounded baitfish tend to flutter down and game fish will be there waiting. The other reason is the confusion of depth signals that goes along with wide-angle cones.

Baitfish are not going to school along a single line of depth. But one thing is very likely: The shallowest signal on the screen probably is the most accurate because it depicts baitfish straight below the transducer, while baitfish along the outer edges of the signal cone are actually not as deep as they appear to be. With your bait or lure set at the bottom of the signals, it is a simple matter to bring it slowly up through the zone of activity.

For the same reasons, set baits on tip-ups toward the upper edge of the range of depth signals. The reason for this is that the tip-up bait is stationary (unless you use a wind-assisted tip-up, but even these do not move the bait very far).

Remember that most fish are more inclined to attack upward than downward. You can reason this out by examining the eyes of game fish. In most cases, they are positioned toward the top of the head. Pike and muskies are perfect examples.

Why present lures and baits among baitfish marks on the sonar screen?

The ideal situation is that game fish suspend at ap particular depth for feeding purposes. This means they should be receptive to our offerings, although as always our offerings must be something that is acceptable to the fish.

Game fish often retreat to the bottom while they are relatively inactive. This does not mean these fish should be ignored. The water along the bottom could be the most hospitable water for both game fish and baitfish.

However, while you are fishing in deep water you should always remain alert for anything that is happening between the bottom and the ice by checking the sonar screen frequently. Fish that are suspended between the top and bottom tend to move more than fish that are hugging the bottom, so you must react quickly to the marks on the sonar screen.

Deep-water ice-fishing does not necessarily mean that your lure or bait should sit on the bottom of the lake.

Just about all game fish will suspend at least some of the time and when they do, it is very often because they are actively seeking something to eat. Trout typically suspend. Pike and muskies often cruise just a few feet under the ice even over very deep water. Walleyes are often thought of as bottom-oriented fish, especially by fishermen who do not frequent the Great Lakes, but in fact, they are as likely to be suspended as they are to be hugging bottom. Baitfish are the key to determining their location in the water column.