This morning I was fishing at a large pond in Colorado. Although I couldn't get any bites there were bass splashing right up against the shoreline in the shallows. It kept happening in the same places and it would be sometimes be for 10 seconds straight splashing right against the bank as shallow as you could get. Does anyone know what they were doing? Maybe something to do with the spawn?

My guess is you are mistaking carp for bass . I have never witnessed bass behaving like  that but carp , often .

^^^ me think maybe so too. 

Classic carp behavior

As others have said, these are probably carp, not bass. 

Carp.  The carp were thrashing in the matted weedbeds in the shallows this weekend on L. Champlain to the point it was distracting if you were fishing nearby.  What a ruckus!

Tight lines,

Bob

If they were bass, it shows they were chasing shallow bait fish and in a feeding mode.  If your not sure of the species they were probably carp eating the veggies.

If you see fish feeding activity in shallow water watch for jumping baitfish and flashes of white, and green. No bait jumping and no green or white flashes probably not bass. Try catching them anyway, unless you see the brown yellow colors and forked tails.

Tom

sounds like its time to break out the bow fishing setup and go to town.

Had the same thing happen to me several years ago.  I actually saw the splashing from across the lake.  It continued until I got close enough to see two largemouth....one over 8 and the other around 4.  The smaller of the two would roll over on it's side and fan the bottom.  It was so shallow that it was causing the splashing.  When they saw me they just kinda eased off into deeper water.  After I had moved on, the slashing resumed.

I went fishing today and man the carp would freak out for no reason. I'm in my kayak so they usually didn't see me until I was right on them and they cause a freaking typhoon when they speed away. Actually going Carp fishing next weekend to use for catfish bait in Florida the following week!

Sounds like carp spawning to me, and the timing is right. They spawn in groups, a group of males following a female. The females will also breach, coming clean out at times. Spawning carp can make quite a commotion.

I have however seen bass chasing bluegills close to shore and making something of a ruckus. But not moving nearly as much water as the carp do, the carp being so much larger. Male bass defending fry can also move water at this time of year but, again, they are much smaller fish than carp.

carp