As I sat back and watched some customers yesterday I once again realized how vital a finely tuned presentation can be to ice some of the biggest and baddest. For all species of fish this can be critical, but especially for the light biting crappies. Too often anglers overestimate how a crappie will inhale your presentation, and fail to realize the very subtle bites. The best “Pannie Boys” I know have a very keen eye on there rod tip/line. I had all of my customers purchase spring bobbers at the Rainy Lake One Stop yesterday morning, and no doubt a worthy investent. Although I’ve mentioned it many times before a crappie can inhale, and exhale your presentation in a split second. If your caught taking a bite out of your sandwich you WILL miss that fish.
Technology today without question has drastically tilted the tables in favor of the modern day angler. As all who have shared the ice with me know I am a firm believer the Diamond Jig from Custom Jigs and Spins allows anglers to “Get Down” quicker to active fish while also presenting a low profiled bait to trigger nuetral/negative fish. Many imitations lack the weight to bust through a little slush, and the extra few seconds it takes to drop costs them many many fish over a day let alone a season.
The Marcum LX-5 has been a tremendous advantage to me this year with the adjustable zoom. As a long time Vex Boy I was reluctant to make a switch. I’m sure there are other fishing applications in which this is also effective, but for suspending crappies I’ll place my LX-5 with adjustable zoom against anything. Simply being able to have the incredible detail of my presentation by adjusting my zoom lock to where the biggest and baddest are coming in allows me to read each fish much more effectively by the reactions I’m getting out of them. I likely stare down my flasher as much as our teens are staring down the televison, and I’d relate the LX-5 to the highly sought after High Def televisions. When it comes to the all too finicky crappie, I feel this has given me a greater edge in detecting the micro upward or downward movements of the fish.
Lastly if you haven’t realized NO MEMORY line is essential…………GET IN THE GAME; It is essential. Sure you can take practice swings like Jim Thome based on what your seeing when a fish lines up your presentation on your Marcum, but micro bites only give key indicators on your line or rod tips with a no memory line.
If anglers simply fine tune there panfish game with these 3 components I am confident you’ll ice more fish. 
Yesterday was another fantastic day on the ice. Fish seem to become more active with the heat during mid-day, and mornings as well as evenings have fish in a slightly nuetral mood. 1 Donk surpassing 15 inches yesterday in which I was fortunate enough to line up, and 4 nice fish measuring 14 inches. Several nice 11-13’s. All 13 inch plus fish effectively released to spawn, and be the next 17 inch super freak!!
Get on the ice!! 
