Winter Smallmouth question

[plecopterahopper]

I grew up fishing for nothing but trout and so I am still learning about the warmer water species. While living in Rock Springs I had a blast float tubing for smallies on the Gorge in the spring and summer. I have caught a few in the fall while jigging for Kokanee, but once the water dropped below 40 or so I haven't caught any or heard of them being caught.

Now the reading I have done says that in a body of water that has large numbers of small smallies (stunted) then they would be active and congregated in the winter and can be caught through the ice. I am not certain that the smallmouth in the Gorge are stunted, but the vast number of small ones that you have to weed through to catch a big one indicates to me that they may be stunted.

My question is this: If the smallmouth in the Gorge are stunted and therefore active in the winter, what kind of areas will hold winter smallies? Do any of you have any experience on the Gorge or similar smallmouth waters?

I have never tried them through the ice, I was always too busy chasing the Macks but I had friends who tried several times.
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[wiperhunter2]

I was watching a Doug Miller show last winter when he showed a day on the ice at Hyrum. They were catching smallmouth and largemouth through the ice. WH2
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[HFT]

have caught smallies at company pond in layton through the ice.more luck than anything. on 1/64th chartreuse hand tied jig with smelly and wax,they didn't like movement,very light hit.
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