Fish In Trip Help

hey guys I'm heading up to a private lake in PA around early october to fish it with my dad. the lake is about 80 acres and weedy with brush islands sticking up out of the water in the middle of the lake. there are A LOT of small pike in the lake as well as bass. however, the past year or so we haven't caught a lot of bass but when we do catch a bass its a big one5-8lbs)

so my question: how do i catch more bass when i know they are in there and keep the small pike away?

p.s the lake is a sheet of glass in the evening and i usually throw topwater sometimes i get 30 strikes , but lately I've gotten nothing