The key word to fishing any species in the winter I think is small. I start off with a small Bro Bug jig for horizontal presentation or a Forage Minnow jig or a Frostee jig for vertical presentation. Small lively fatheads that are constantly aerated are also another key factor,I hook them just behind the dorsal fin... If the bite is tuff I use some plump lively waxies with a genz bug or small "forage matched" tear drop. All pannie tackle I use is 3-4 lb line ultralight action rods with perfectly trimmed ice buster bobber or a panfish popper spring bobber setup. If the fish dont respond well on the sonar come up look at it and go back down to the bottom get out the tackle box they will bite on sumpthin!