After the first ice

(с)

"First ice" is usually the first seven to ten days after freezing. During this period, the fry, and with it the predatory fish, adapting to new conditions, keep at depths of 2.5-6 meters, preferring places with shelters. A little later, the return migration of small fish to shallow areas with remnants of aquatic vegetation begins. Here it is easier for small fish to find food and shelter. At such sites, numerous flocks of small roach, small perch and other forage fish gather. Predators prefer to stay near the brovok, but they come to feed on these food-rich shoals.
In the winter, I had to catch large perch and pike in places where the depth under the ice shell was only 20-30 centimeters. Moreover, decent pikes of 2-3 kilos in weight came across and there were a couple of cliffs of tackle with a lure when much larger fish bited. In short, I managed to cope with them. My companions on trips set up tackle with a live bait next to me, and their pike bite was excellent, despite the fact that the live bait was practically under the bottom edge of the ice. By the way, in many of my holes I then saw through a clear water a huge amount of small fish, maybe roaches, and maybe bleak ...
Alexander Tupitsin was in a similar situation the other day. If you remember, on the first ice he caught the pike on a live bait at depths of +-2 meters. And this time, 3 weeks after the freeze-up, he placed his gear at a depth of about half a meter. What came of it, look in his video plot ...

@spinner