I usually just use a slater lure with a minnow head or a small whole minnow, have caught them early ice on small jigging rapala's with no bait, any small jig with a bit of minnow seems to work or me, for rainbows usually i'll use floating power bait with a small split shot and a small treble hook about 3 feet up from the split shot, either on a tip-up or deadsticked rod. for splake first light seems best try shallow like 8 feet of water or less, caught them in water as shallow as 1 foot.
