I know you have done a lot of ice fishing in the past so obviously SMB are not found taking the "normal" offerings in the "normal" locations. LOL
If you remember the article, send me a hint and I will look it up. Unfortunately over time I have noticed a lot of well intentioned articles that are less then accurate. Still, it might be a good place to start.
In Utah we have a lot of SMB and in some lakes exclusively SMB over LMB because of the cooler water. SMB are not native, but are a welcome species by most fisherman. The problem is that in many lakes they are overpopulating. The state has very liberal limits on the smaller ones (and on Brown Trout and ......) but the C&R philosophy that has done so much good in the US has backfired in some cases. I guess Al Linder has it right on keeping a meal and releasing what you don't need on species where it is legal to do so.
In my case, I just found it interesting that I have never even lucked into one. I doubt I would find myself concentrating on them when I have so many other species to catch, but I figure if there is something to learn, it will apply to other species, sooner or later.
Thanks as always,
AKA