This might be a post more for the northern folk that are used to iced over lakes in the winter

but if anyone has some experience or good ideas I would appreciate any opinions. I always have a real problem catching fish right after ice out when the water temps are in the 40's and low to mid 50's. What are some of the techniques used for ice out bass?

I fish a few "Ice out Tournaments" each year in late march early April. Sometimes a day after the ice is gone. some times there is still some ice.

Water temps in the 40-50 degree range. I always look for the parts of the lake that the ice came off first. those areas are slightly warmer. I like to find where a big or the main creek flows in. That water is usually warmer. I look for wood/stumps in or near the current. If I find an area even a degree or two warmer that the rest of the Lake I will start there. even one side of the lake will be warmer than the other side.

I use Jig & Pigs (black/ blue or black/red , 1/4 or 1/8 oz  (I like Bass Stalker jig) with abig Zoom big salty chunk so they fall very slow, I also like to use Bang pure craw spray this time of year)

T rigged tube jigs (dark green 4 or 5 inch (I like BPS magnum flippin tube #13 melon-pepper color) with 1/8 to 3/8 oz weights).

Fish them slow, and repeat cast.

I have noticed that these lure produce the best fish this time of year.

If its an unusually warm day. Bright sun. You know those spring day. Its 35 one day and 75 the next. look for shallow flats and try spinnerbaits or what I like best Baby 1 minus. Just fan cast the flat, it there is wood cover or even weed starting even better. run the baby 1 past it a few time. Run the lure into the cover a few times making it bounce off of it. In no fish or even if you catch a fish off some cover. then flip a jig in it a few times. If you catch fish off of the cover. come back to it later. Those fish are moving and new fish will use that cover.

I primarily fish lakes in PA and NJ.  I've never done well in the past with artificial lures right after ice-out, and I usually wait until there is at least one warm day after the ice-out before trying artificials.  But if I'm fishing in early to mid March, then it's primarily with live minnows (if it's not a tourney and I want to catch some to start off the year).  The artificals I do use with some success in the early cooler months are suspending jerkbaits, 1/4 ounce jigging spoons, small hair jigs, and 1.5 to 3 grubs.