I have been fishing this little water way behind the golf course and haven't been successful. Caught quite a few crabs which do nothing but frustrate me. > I have thrown top water baits, jigs, worms, and other plastics, nothing. It seems like a great spot for them but I am not sure now. Any ideas how to actually figure out if there are any present?

keep on it. ive had a couple places like that. i start out throwin spinnerbaits just to find any active fish. and then i slow down from there. take an hour or so and slowly walk around the lake. look for bass fry or even some bank cruisers. usually the quieter you are while walking the bank the better your chances are of eyeing some fish. a good set of polarized glasses will help see into the water a bit. chances are if its on a golf course there are some bass in there. dont give up!

Hmm...

Not me, I would find somewhere else to fish. Small bodies of water may not be stocked and more importantly, they tend to dry out and kill everything over a period of years. Unless I know there is potential, I wouldn't have any interest.

8-)

Any ideas how to actually figure out if there are any present?

I don't know any other way except to catch them. And not catching them doesn't prove their absence. If this water is located near you and would be an important spot to you, then I'd certainly give it more of a chance than I would otherwise.

I can't tell you how long to stick with it, you'll know when you find that you have no confidence anymore. If it is important to you, then I'd try some fishing in the spring and fall in addition to summer. Also, make sure you fish it during a few high-percentage times, like early morning, late evening, overcast days and the like.

Try throwing little baits like rooster tails, grubs, tiny cranks, just whatever suits you. Also if there are smaller fish chances are there will be bass.

Hmm...

Not me, I would find somewhere else to fish. Small bodies of water may not be stocked and more importantly, they tend to dry out and kill everything over a period of years. Unless I know there is potential, I wouldn't have any interest.

8-)

the only reason i stated to keep on it really is that he stated its behind a golf course. that intrigues me a little. usually golf course ponds are stocked fairly well in my experience. and if it is a "water way" i.e. maybe a drainage canal or small pond or lake, there very well could be a way for bass, or other fish, to transition out of the golf course ponds and into the canal or smaller water around the course. im some states, illinois that i know of for sure, they stock most ponds and borrow pits on their own. may not be the case for other states though. but if you see smaller fish, or signs of fish at all, i would think, or atleast hope that there are bass there

How much salt is in that water? You didn't mention where you are at!

Caught quite a few crabs

Define "crabs".

There a very few freshwater crabs species I can remember and crab is not synonimous of crawfish ( or crayfish ) which are really freshwater species.

So if what you are catching looks like this:

Then most problably the water has too high salt content for bass to live in.

The crab was pretty simliiar to the one in the photo. I think the water way is a run off from the Ches. Bay. I know in Florida they had some run offs from the bay and I had some luck in catching bass but like you said the salt content might be a problem. I think I caught a white bass yesterday.

Take a look