Over the years, I've read and heard about bass hitting a bait first to stun it, then attacking again to eat it. I've never learned if this is a fact. Many predators of all kinds do this. Frog fishing is an example. I've had many bass swat frogs over thick cover, and totally miss them. When the frog gets over an opening, they smack it hard. Over open water, the bait is clearly visible, and, an easy target for the bass. Fishing a frog over large thick areas, I've had cast that got two or three hits from bass that missed the frog, or we're not committed to eating it, and I have no way of knowing if it's the same fish or not? And, we know that bass are curious by nature, and at times will strike at most anything they think is an easy meal. Has it been proven that bass will try to stun and injure something first, before they fully commit to eating it?
