Went to a small pond today and got skunked. There were a few good-sized bass just suspending in about a foot of water just off the bank, and they just slowly swam away when I tried to catch them. They haven't started spawning yet so they weren't on beds or anything. Weather today was great (but not for fishing); bluebird skies and very sunny. 

Not sure if this has any correlation, but I could see schools of bluegills suspending in shallow water motionless.

How should I go about trying to catch these bass? 

Keep switching lures. I had similar conditions today at the house. 3 acre farm pond. Not a straight up honey hole but not a bad fishery. Bluebird skies. I went an hour or two with two bites and one little one landed. Water was stained enough I couldn't see fish but there was zero visible activity on top. I threw a lot of stuff. The 2 bumps I got were on a chatterbait. Switched to a spinnerbait and I couldn't keep them from biting. 

dynamite, wacky rigged .

 

If the water is clear, and the fish are in a funk for some reason, I would try a natural colored weightless wacky rig. When fish are inactive its a great technique. I've done best with wacky rigging on cold fronts when nothing else will produce. Fishing a T-rigged weightless trickworm extremely slow with lots of twitching during the retrieve can produce when fish are inactive. Most times they'll grab trickworms and wackys on the fall. Sometimes dead sticking these two techniques on the bottom will make them bite. 

Since they're so close to the bank I'd worry most about presentation. I'd make sure I stood well clear of the bank and cast well past them. Then, I'd leave the bait in front of them as long as possible making sure the lure's action was on display while in the strike zone. If they reject your first offering try another lure focusing most on how its presented. A good lure to drop in front of a bank dweller is a pop-r, especially when you have nothing left to lose and aren't worried about the bass leaving the spot. Sometimes you can aggravate them into biting.

Also, I've had luck with Rat L Traps in cold water or on bad days, stop and go retrieve, sweep the rod and reel up the slack. It may not catch the ones by the bank but usually will produce despite tough conditions.

11 hours ago, PennBass said:

Went to a small pond today and got skunked. There were a few good-sized bass just suspending in about a foot of water just off the bank, and they just slowly swam away when I tried to catch them. They haven't started spawning yet so they weren't on beds or anything. Weather today was great (but not for fishing); bluebird skies and very sunny. 

Not sure if this has any correlation, but I could see schools of bluegills suspending in shallow water motionless.

How should I go about trying to catch these bass? 

I went out yesterday which was after a cold front. Same thing, sunny bluebird skies. Around 2 pm when the water started to warm to about 55 degrees at least 100 bass in groups of 10-15 cruised the shallows to a cove. I was leaving at the time and tossed a drop shot and a small 3" wacky worm at them and they were very skittish. It seemed like they were transitioning and I only saw a few hitting flies on the surface. Maybe a float and fly or a fly rod is the solution? 

I went out Friday in NE Pa and was skunked too. Was seeing fish and re-tying anything and everything with no luck......but it was great to get out!