Ice advice: The most effective way to rig and use live bait

I rarely use live bait in winter. It’s not that I dislike it—I just catch more and bigger fish with artificial lures on most days. Still, there are a few times each winter, typically during the dog days of February, when live bait excels. But here’s the rub: I’m more fanatical about the way I rig my live bait than I am with any other presentation. Indeed, I’m convinced the reason so many ice anglers fail miserably in the winter relying on live bait is that they think it’s so natural it has to work, and they don’t pay attention to details.