— submitted photo Ice fishing and open water guide Kevan Paul with a big white bass that he took through the ice on a tiny jig.

There are certainly major differences between open water fishing and ice fishing, but once we get past the obvious differences, it’s important to recognize the similarities. If we keep those similarities in mind, we will be more successful anglers on the ice or on open water. Here are some of the similarities that I’ve recognized through more than five decades of fishing.

Let’s get the easy one out of the way first. If you want to catch fish, first you’ve got to find them. Open water or through the ice, that’s a given.

Once we find them, we need to present a lure that the fish are willing to eat. Lure color can be a very important consideration at times. Open water or ice, I still start with the clear water/natural appearing bait, stained water/bright bait concept. However, through the ice, I have found that baits that glow can be super-productive at times. Those times are mostly during low light and in stained water. I had the opportunity to experiment with some of the first baits that were made with paint that glowed. We learned early on that baits that glow very often made a noticeable difference in fish reaction. They liked it better. Mostly walleyes and crappies. I think that baits that glow are more productive under the ice than in open water, but I haven’t fished open water with glow baits as much. That’s because, as far as I know, there are more glow baits designed for ice-fishing than open water fishing. There are several glow patterns in the Genz Drop Series of jigs that panfish really seem to like.

Ice and snow on the ice, as well as the lower angle of the sun, reduces light penetration in the winter. However, in many situations there is still a significant increase in fish activity during the low light hours of dawn and dusk. The mid-day bite in the winter, day-in and day-out, might be better than the mid-day bite in the summer, but those low-light hours, ice fishing or open water, if you have to choose a time to go fishing, are the times to choose.

Fish can feel weather changes under the ice just like they can in open water. A person might think that that layer of ice would reduce the effects of weather, but those bright crisp days, summer or winter, can make for tough fishing.

Fishing pressure affects fish under the ice just as it affects fish in open water. If an area gets pounded too hard, the fish get finicky or they move. Much of the time it’s better to find an area that maybe doesn’t have as many fish, but also has less fishing pressure. Consider moving to a different lake that isn’t as good of a fishery, but also doesn’t have the fishing pressure.

Fish will also become conditioned to lures and lure colors. If everyone is using the same style of lure and they’re not having much action, try something else. Something bigger or smaller, a different color, maybe move it faster or slower. Or try something completely different.

Boat traffic on open water can shut the fish down. So can vehicle traffic on the ice. I have a couple of ice fishing friends, they’re very successful ice anglers, that get a little cranky when someone in a pickup drives to within a few feet of the hole they’re fishing, to see if “anything’s bitin'”. My friend usually responds, “They were but they probably won’t be anymore”. Noise will turn fish off.

Last thing: Line visibility. Ice fishing or open water, line visibility is an important consideration, but to many anglers, it’s more of a consideration under the ice. In open water we’re often casting or trolling. Under the ice, our bait isn’t moving as much. The fish can get a closer look at it, and a too visible line will prevent fish from biting. Also, when ice fishing we often use lures much smaller than we do in open water, and small diameter line works better with tiny lures.

Open water fishing and ice fishing certain have their differences, but they also have some similarities. Be aware of those similarities and you’ll catch more fish year ’round.