Bob, what bass were you fishing for LM or SM? A surface bite is always an
unpredictable event when and where it happens. If it is a large lake it is
hard to be in that part of the water where bass are surface feeding. Forage
can always be a factor or fish are using the warmer water to metabolise.
Somewhere on a body of water a school of hungry fish are feeding on another
school of smaller fish somewhere in the water column. I would say the
forage and that/those fish have simply moved on with there feeding pattern
and forage interests. Or they could have become a forage interest of a
larger group of predator and temporally disburse that group of fish you had
hitting. I personally like to see larger (3"-6") fish moving in a
direction, this almost always indicates larger fish are just below moving
them from the deeper water. (The surface is not a good place for smaller
fish to hangout in.) Cast to the opposite direction that the school is
moving and to the deeper end of the school and slow down your presentation.
It is usual that the foodchain is what is moving the 3"-6" stuff. If these
fish are just lazing near the surface chances are they are in no danger from
below and they will strike. Sooner or later a larger hungry fish(s) will
happen along. Even big fish fill up and stop eating. But it can be said
that somewhere on a big lake a big fish is hungry, all we have to do is find
her ;-) Not sure if this is the answer you are looking for but there it is.
Hope it helps.
--
Steve