I have never seen bass go so crazy. Never seen bass go nuts over a hatch either. It was crazy. Just glad i had the fly rod with me 
Caught 5-6 as fast as I could get the line in the water and get them off the line. Then, as fast as it started, it was all over.
BBW,
I caught a gray drake hatch on Old Hickory Lake many years ago. It was awesome. Even catfish were slurping them off the surface.
Ed
What particular fly was hatching?
Iāve seen bass got nuts a few times in farm ponds over a dragon fly hatch with some of the smaller fish (10-12 inches) literally going completely airborne to snatch hovering dragon flies skimming the surface. It youāre lucky enough to be on the water when that happens, they will just drill a well-done dragon fly imitation without hesitation.
Watch for the swarms of midges around farm ponds. Great time to throw midge patterns in the water.
Several times that has worked very well for me.
Rick
Seeing as though Iām not an entomologistā¦ . Actually it doesnāt matter much to me. I just throw something out that looks like it. And in this case it was just a popper. Something to land on the surface. It got hit like a ton of bricks.
Hell it might not even have been a mayfly 
Large(1-1.5 in) light-yellow bug with a long abdomen.
Just curious. I would say a Hex but itās very late in the season for them?
Glad you were able to use the popper so well!
Iāve seen Hexagenia hatches on some lakes in the Florida panhandle where the big bluegills were as āselectiveā as any snooty trout Iāve ever been around. Once the Hex hatch got going in full swing, there were a few weeks when you could only get the occasional fish on the standard poppers or bugs during the day, and not at all when the flies were hatching. When the sun went down, the hex started coming off and the big bluegills and bass would be feeding like crazy, but they were keyed on the emergers. The locals actually quit fishing during that time because they couldnāt catch them on poppers or crickets. We caught extra large bluegills till our arms were tired and we couldnāt see anymore.
Sounds like a hex to me, and the bass go nuts for them around here, as do everything else in the water.
Went back out last evening. Again, just as it was getting dark, another hatch. Slayed 'em on the popper again. This is awesome. In need of a good mayfly fly. I havenāt tied any dry flies before but maybe this is a sign to get cracking.
Looks like a āmayflyā. Long up-turned torso. Very fragile. I grabbed one and it fell apart in my hand. Didnāt get a good look at it(close up). And while the action is going on, Iām not really in want of getting a picture of one. It happens so fast and is over within 10-15 minutes, so Iām busy throwing line and taking fish off the line. Plus itās almost dark.
My buddy caught some on one of my poppers with a spinning outfit.
Are you encountering what is known in parts of TN and north AL as willow flies. Itās a type of mayfly beyond that I have no idea of which species. Looks like this:
Hatching right before dark is another indication of the Hexegenia.
Normally continues into the night.
Iād call it a Hex comparing both of those pictures. The color is an exact match on the Hex picture.
Thanks for the pics.
If itās not a Hex, my guess would be, a Golden Drake (Anthopotamus Distinctus). They start hatching in late June and run through August. They emerge, right before dark and are usually around a size 8. If theyāre hatching, in slower water, the fish usually go after the nymphā¦at least trout do. lol. For the dun, I use a simple compara dun.
Years ago I was catfishing at Lakewood park in Salina Ks. . This was late at night. The imagos were crawling out of the water onto the bank, then, after a short drying, flying away. I have no idea what they were, but it was very interesting.
Are you encountering what is known in parts of TN and north AL as willow flies. Itās a type of mayfly beyond that I have no idea of which species. Looks like this:
Upon further review, it appears to be Pentagenia Vittigera(sp?). Itās a type of burrowing mayfly. Iām guessing Willow Fly, is the common name?
The insects which crawl out of the water are stone flies, wings flat on the top of the body at rest.
Have you seen this: http://www.flyanglersonline.com/features/nqento/part10.php