I went out late yesterday and found that there were lots of schools of minnows (are these shad?) right on the top.  Clearly something was chasing them and I thought it must be bass.  I tried spinner baits, top water jointed minnow, jerk bait minnow and bomber without a single hit.

What techniques do you use under these conditions to get them to strike?

We have been using 1/2 oz brown swimjigs.  Cast out count down and do a steady retrieve.  Be sure to count like 1001, 1002, etc.  Try different depth till you connect then repeat the successful countdown.  We have been anywhere from a 5 to a 15 on the count and since they aren't tied up the count is subject to change.

I like using a soft jerkbait when I see bass chasing minnows.  One of my favorites is a Bass Assassin (looks like a mini fluke).  I tie a Gamakatsu drop shot hook on and nose hook the Bass Assassin - no weight.  

Throw it out as far as you can on spinning tackle.  Jerk and reel, jerk and reel.  The jerk is more important than the reel.  If it doesn't look like a frantic or wounded bait fish, you're doin something wrong.  Be sure the bait isn't moving in a loopty-loop pattern.  Try different speeds and techniques.  If the fish are extremely active, I like ripping it through the water. Hope this helps.

I wouldn't know if what you're seeing are shad or not, but if they are minnows then there's a good chance the bass chasing them are fairly small anyway.  Of course, once and a while you'll catch a much bigger fish from a school full of small ones.  I fish a lake that frequently has schooling action on 2" long or less minnows and the bass practically won't touch a bigger lure pulled through them.  I've found a small jigging spoon, about an inch long or so, works well for reaching far off schools and will imitate an injured minnow very well.  

Also, I've found some of my best big bass action by fishing baby bass colored topwaters (especially Super Spooks) over the schools of smaller bass.  I started doing this more after hooking a fingerling size bass from a school and actually having a bigger bass take a swipe at him on the way in.  Just fish it like it's a small bass that got injured in the fray and don't be afraid to dead stick it where the school was.

I suggest a silver spoon, spinnerbait, or crankbait worked underneath the school.

I use a jig/grub combo in Smoke or Pumpkinseed. A black 1/8 oz. jighead with a yellow eye specifically.

I like to toss a spinnerbait or Rat-L-Trap and give it some jerks now and then to make it look wounded and stand out from the school a little bit.....Good Luck the next time you see those minnows/shad

When this happens i will throw either a Spro BBZ-1 shad or a Zoom fluke.

It's quite possible that white bass were chasing those shad.

Try using a blade bait, like a Silver Buddy; or a tail spinner, like a Little George. You can fish these heavier baits quickly, just under the surface. And if that doesn't produce, count down according and retrieve in a pumping/stopping rhythm. You can actually fish the entire water column under such a school of bait, until you connect with the fish you want.

yeah ive seen this too in a lot of lakes i fish in.  When i see them they are usually blue gill or bass. I throw a gary yamamoto double skirted grub to catch them. It always seems to work.