Wintertime smallmouth bass

[Skeeter ZX190]

I have fished Stockton in the wintertime for many years.  I have caught bass on jerkbaits, jigs, warts, spoons, etc., but I never catch any smallmouth.  I primarily fish from the dam to State Park, so I know there are smallmouth in that part of the lake.  What am I doing wrong, or am I just targeting the wrong kind of structure?  Do the smallmouth go really deep in the wintertime, or do they stay on the same shallow rocks that you catch them on in the springtime?  Any advice would be appreciated. 

[dprice]

move off shore  

There  extremely active  and  prefer vertical movements 

 

[Flysmallie]

22 minutes ago, dprice said:

move off shore  

There  extremely active  and  prefer vertical movements 

 

This. And search for deep water right next to shallow water. There are a few spots that are shallow and then drop off into the abyss. That's where you will find them. You are in the right area just gotta find those little sweet spots. 

[fshndoug]

go to Tablerock for smallies,not as many in Stockton

[Flysmallie]

1 hour ago, fshndoug said:

go to Tablerock for smallies,not as many in Stockton

Yes please keep spreading that rumor. 

[dprice]

Dandies in both  but Stockton  is medicinal to me   PersonallY

i landed a 6-1 with my son  he netted it    Shawn said he had the fish in the net and he still thought it was gonna pull him out of boat 

Awesome