Look for what bass might be feeding on! By that I mean that if they are shoaling and chasing small baitfish (whitebait, sandeels etc.) then fish with them or an imitation. The fish will be on the surface and in a feeding frenzy! Most mackeral are caught this way if you've ever been on a popular mark completely covered with humanity thrashing the surface with spinners and feathers. You can catch both on 'flies' or small lures on a fly rod - great sport if you can get near them and have better skill than I (I have caught on the flyrod but technique is not .... brilliant!) I could catch to order ( afew years ago mind) however using a Norwegian Rubber eel and a trolling rod! Don't forget that bass will eat larger fish like small pouting/codling/pollack/joey or small mackeral so use them - try sprats and sardines from Tescos!
When bass are preoccupied with capturing crab, worms and shellfish, fish accordingly. So if they are 'fishing' up under lifting weed after the hiding crabs, then use that bait. You can sometime see them at it just feet away from you and sometimes behind you when you wade out to cast 'to-the-horizon! If the bottom is muddy and is where you were digging worm then chances are the bass do a bit of searching there as well (as well as other species, e.g. flounder where I fish) They'll take worms in the weed and crab in the mud, they're hungry devils, just look how active their food makes them! So although shellfish are great in surf (as they are being 'dug-up' by the waves, try crab and worms there as well, as well as sandeels, live or frozen!
Bass have amazing appetites and feeding fads. The shore record for many years was caught on Hermit crab and I can remember a 15lb+ one caught in an estuary on a huge lump of Smoked herring - kipper, that had seen better days and ponged more than usual! Just think how the bloke who decided to use it thought when he hooked a specimen. So if you're desperate to fish and have no bait yet think about the 'artificial' baits coming on the market - Ultrabite, Fish n' Strips. Bass have VERY large mouths so don't be frightened about using massive baits. Hope you catch your first Bass this year - you will never forget it even if it gets its own back and pricks you with its spines!