jitterbugs at last light and night. Pop-rs where there are minnows and fry. Crickhoppers twitched around the bank, under trees. If you tie a popping bug with rubber legs to the Pop-r it'll catch about everything in a pond and on into the day. In the dog days a Rapala twitched with as long a pause between as you can stand.
If you're getting them swiping at it or bumping it, let it sit after. They're trying to stun it, then come back to get it. This is where having a fluke or senko ready to toss on top of it is handy, but since top water is your goal just let it sit.
There are lots of type of top water flies. Flyfishing those ponds that have lots of small bass can be as effective as using live bait. When they're schooling under fry, a minnow imitation fly is about the only thing that catches them for me.
And, FYI, you have to eat the small bass if you want to have big ones.
