It can be majorly frustrating when you know where the fish are, but you can't get them to bite. This is a common occurrence for ice fisherman. Fortunately, there are things you can try before throwing in the towel.
Fish under the ice tend to be a bit lethargic. If you were as cold as they were, I imagine you would probably be, too. The slowing of their body causes metabolic changes, which forces them to move slower and typically not eat as much. This change in the fish requires that you to alter your routine. Making changes in your setup is the key if the fish aren't biting. From the live or plastic bait you choose, to the jigging, dead stick or tip-up presentation, and finished off with the use of sonar or underwater cameras. The setup you choose can turn that cold bite hot in an instant.
It's bad enough in the middle of the summer when the fish aren't biting, but throw in below zero temps, and the experience can be downright miserable. It seems no matter how cold it is outside, I barely notice if the fish are biting. The likely reason is that you don't have time to think about the cold when you are focused on the next bite. I go through a routine nearly every day on the ice that increases my chances of hooking up. There are times that the school will be in the same area and feeding on the same bait. On days such as these, you can get right to business, but more often than not you will have to adapt.
My routine starts with approaching areas that held fish in the past. I use my sonar to see the bottom contours, and locate schools of fish. I sometimes drop in an underwater camera to figure out what species of fish I'm on top of. This will allow you to see their size, figure out what bait they want, and decide to stick or move again. Once you locate the target species, your bait selection should come next. I like to start with what has worked there in the past. I also favor the camera over my flasher at this point.
A flasher is a sonar unit that rather than show you all the structure, shows you your jig, the bottom and the fish in a series of different colored lines. The reason I prefer the camera at this stage over the flasher is that you not only see the fish approach the bait, but how they bite it. I have had days where they suck a bait in their mouths, and blow it out just as quickly as they took it in. Being able to set the hook while seeing the bait in the fish’s mouth is a major advantage above the flasher. The only problem is after dark, even with illumination, you can only see a foot or so.
This is where the flasher shines, no pun intended. If the fish are biting good, I switch immediately to the flasher. After seeing how the fish react on camera, it is much easier to use. I have found, as many have, that trying to keep the fish chasing the bait until the bite is usually the best technique. Picky fish will call off an attack, most times, if you stop the jig. Once I mark one, I try to get it to slowly follow the bait. As it speeds up, I continue lifting and shaking the jig. I move a little slower than the fish, so it feels like it is running down the bait. I never set the hook until the rod starts to bend or my spring bobber is taken down.
A spring bobber is the best tool you can use to increase your catch on a picky fish day. The bite can be so minute at times that you can't feel it. A noodle rod works well for some on these days, but I don't like them. They rob you of hook-setting strength, which causes you to lose fish. I prefer the spring bobber on a medium weight rod. You get the best of both worlds this way.
Most spring bobs are adjustable to handle different weight jigs and light to heavier bites. They even work with minnows. I learned an awesome trick a few years back using minnows and spring bobs. I used to set the hook immediately after the bobber went down. This would result in lost fish. The reason is on the initial bite they usually just grab the minnow's head. If you set the hook, the minnow will rip off giving the fish a free meal. I started giving the fish time to swim away and engulf the bait before setting the hook. I do this by watching the fish pull down on the spring.
I don't let the line go tight to the rod tip, so that the fish can't feel the rod and spit out the bait. The whole time I'm tipping my rod tip toward the hole and when several seconds have gone by or you are about to hit the ice with your rod tip, set the hook. I went from a 50 percent hook rate to about 90 percent by using this technique. Try this technique and spring bobs if you haven't, and I'm sure you will be pleasantly surprised.
Finding what they want to eat is key to catching picky fish. Sometimes you will have to test up to 20 baits before you figure out what they want. Picky sometimes goes hand in hand with spooky, also. If the fish stop biting, move to a different hole. Give it some time before returning to the spot so that the fish can relax. You will likely return to the hole to find the fish biting again.
Good wishes and be prepared for picky pan fish.