Will bass get into skinny water dead cattail stalks in the summer, and whats the best bait for them,?

I don't think it's a question of will they, they could very well be in there if there is not better cover or structure for them to be in nearby. As a rule I always look for the prettiest weeds (ie greenest/darkest) including cattails.

It depends on a lot of things. As Webertime said, if it's the best available cover, they may very well be in the cattails. But time of year, water temperature (and oxygen), proximity to deeper water, etc. will influence a bass' proclivity to "hang out" in cattails.

In one favorite lake of mine, In the spring, in 4 feet flats, we find a lot of bass in the cattails. Don't know if they are there in the summer because the surface mat makes it difficult to fish them (or even navigate to them with the boat). They are there in the fall, too.

Always fish them. Any cover they can hide in they will. Anything weedless you can throw in there will be good.

Buzz baits work great as well as torpedos. i like to rip the torpedo out of them normally will bring a strike. however if temp has alot to do with the fish being in them