Good going... As far as the bass being off the pod I bet if you were to figure out which way the pod was swimming you would find that the bass were in fact to the rear of the pod as it swims away. Reason: Bass are a lazy fish for the most part and are picking up the scraps that other fish, blues and younger bass are dropping behind.
It takes time for the scraps to reach their depth so that is the reason for them to be lagging behind. This even happens off the surf. A lot of guys will plug the bait pod and pick up shorts if anything. Wait till the bait ball moves on a bit and than try the heavy casts with bottom baits or lures.
Happy Catching
Paul
