My local crappie lake has a decent smallie population. In the spring when the ice is just starting to loosen its grip and my shore spot opens up I can get some of the biggest smallies that live in the lake. The crappies like this "first open water" and the smallies move right up on shallow rip-rap on shore only 15 feet from the deep crappie spot. The smallie season is closed at this time so I have to fish with nothing but crappie plastics but those smallies don't mind much and don't pay any mind to when the season is supposed to start. It gives a guy a little shock when one of the 4 pound bronzebacks decides that a paddletail is good food, especially on the three and 4 pound lines I use.
Lamar....I have fished Door County for smallies near the Sturgeon Bay Lighthouse along the break water wall. Its something to be cranking in a medium diver and see that black torpedo zero in on the bait. Fun stuff up there.