Newbie sorry,
How do you change up presentation? I know bass tend to be less active and more suspended. Does this rule out fishing to bank then slow retrieve? I love fishing poppers and really dont have alot of confidence/experience with anything else. Is top water pretty much out till spring? What kind of fly's will you usually go to in slower winter/fall months?

My thoughts & experience -

Keep in mind that most bass are like poodles - they don't know how big they are, so even a small one will take an oversized fly.

Poppers - make 'em big w/good leg and tail action. Fish them so slow it nearly drives you crazy; big plop on landing, let the water rings dissipate. Then pop, wiggle wiggle. Wait. Wait some more. Repeat. The take will look like a toilet flushing.

Poppers w/teaser - big popper w/(for example) bead chain eye wholly bugger about 3 ft. under. The teaser is usually taken. My theory: the popper arouses curiosity, and the teaser is the nearest and easiest meal.

Sinking flies - again - BIG, fished, almost jigged, slowly. Wholly buggers w/long maribou tails, worms, clousers, etc. If you can add a rattle, do so.

Object - make it an irresistibly big and easy to get meal.

I typically reserve top water in winter for warm days and evenings or if I have had enough time fishing streamers & want to play.

I keep with floating lines for the most part but lengthen my leader; still fish towards structure but will bring my retrieve out further. I do keep short 4' loop-in sink tips but if I have to go deeper I would rather be fishing (gasp) plastics.

Most of my flies have a 1/2 to 1 foot per second sink rate and I will work them more slowly, trying to keep them in a certain depth range. Once I find my depth, I tend to find more fish.