What do the bass in the colder climates do in the winter?

Do they stay suspended?

Sleep?

Bury in the mud?

I don't know the winter cycle of bass.

My point is we see ice fishing for pike, perch, panfishing but never ice fishing for bass? Is ice fishing for bass more rare.

All the bass don't migrate south for the winter, lol.

They move to deeper waters near where they were last at during the warmer months. Places like channel swing banks, points with deep drops, or bluff walls are good places to start looking. They like vertical structure that allows them to move up and back down quickly. Sides of the lake that receive sunlight later in the day when the sun is at it's strongest will often be better as the water temp will tend to be a degree or two warmer. 

 

They do not sleep or bury in the mud but will often sit with their bellies on the bottom and may appear asleep but are really just very inactive due to the cold temps. 

when i go a few trips in the winter without a catch, i just tell people they're hibernating....

I ice fish for bass all the time. Usually I find them in weeds, suspended around bait or near bottom around springs.  It can be fast fishing and you can catch some lunkers. Big shiners work very well.

When it's COLD, I fish ponds small enough that the bass can't hide from me (when they aren't frozen), and power plant lakes.

I am not a fan of ice fishing. The only fish I catch are bass. I'm told I am supposed to catch trout and salmon. I guess I'm not very good at it......

Largest LMB that I've heard taken out of my home lake this season was taken through the ice.

They're pretty lazy in cold water, reel in slow, hope for the best.