Check with your local bait shop to find where they're biting on the lake you're going to fish, at what depth to fish, what lures and bait are working. Don't forget to buy your bait and a few lures from them in return for their advice.

won a fishing tournament this weekend in 5-7ft of water with 6 northern racking up 150 inchs of fish don't know if that makes me pro but i had alot of practice this year on winter break form school.
I fish shallow bays the goal is to find green standing weeds and a pocket in those best to look threw ice on early but 4-5 inch of ice. right now i start looking for small amounts of current that meet weeds (For big fish northern and muskies) on the flowage i am fishing right now. Always catching gills.
small lakes best to find mid lake structure with weeds on it rock piles or stumps in 12-15ft of water should produce crappies and walleye shallower ones you'll get panfish. jigging a minnow on small jig and i am a fan of the hali jigs (minnow spoon with trailer chain and hook with minnow for walleye.
you want northern put tip-ups out sinker treble with medium shiner minnow. i try and put the minnow at the top of the weeds or in pockets in weeds. i have a camera so i usually have a Swedish pimple DO-jigger ready for when northern come through. good luck and stay safe i would recommend ice spikes or screw drivers around your neck in case you fall through very hard to get a grip on ice and no ice is ever completely safe.