Zellers concurred with Grandquest and added that another reason May is one of the best months of the year is because the fish are in all three stages of reproducing.

"Since the water temperature in the lakes is usually 10 degrees warmer than it is in the river," Zellers explained, "you find post-spawn bass in the lakes and pre-spawn or spawning fish in the river. Because of this and the wide variety of habitat available, there are many different ways to catch fish in the Delta."

Of the many patterns and places available to Grandquest and Zellers, they concentrate their fishing on the Middle and Upper Delta. Only during periods of extreme high water, which are unusual for May, will they fish the Lower Delta.

Both anglers start their day fishing the lakes. They recommend lakes Bates, Sheppard and Tensaw. Additionally, Zellers likes Hal's, Jim Burr and Three Rivers lakes.

"The early bird gets the worm in May," cautioned Zellers. "It's critical to establish an early morning bite in the lakes."

"The most productive pattern in May occurs during the first hours of the day," Grandquest agreed. "On weekends, boat traffic begins to muddy the banks by 9:00 o'clock, turning the fish off. If you are fishing during the week, especially if it's overcast, you can catch fish all day long."

A misty morning, a high tide and peaceful solitude on the Mobile Delta: what could be better? Picture a Zara Spook swimming like a snake under the branches of an old cypress and feel the anticipation of an explosive strike.

"I throw a topwater bait all day -- never change," Grandquest noted. "The topwater bite may slow during the middle of the day, but if you move to a shady bank, the fishing will improve. The Zara Spook and the buzzbait are my favorite topwater lures in the lakes."

Grandquest uses a 4 1/2-inch Zara Spook in a frog pattern or in white-and-chrome. His buzzbaits are white, black or chartreuse-and-white.

"Normally," he said, "I use a 1/4-ounce buzzbait, but if the fry are small -- which is often the case in May -- I downsize to 1/8 ounce.

"Work the lures around cypress trees, which are plentiful, and lay-downs. A high tide is important because the higher water will position the fish closer to the trees," Grandquest continued. "Under a low tide, you will have to fish farther out around lay-downs."

Zellers' approach to fishing the lakes differs from Grandquest's. His pattern is based on locating shad.

"Shad run up and down the banks and into each other, forming big schools," Zellers said. "They are in the lakes to spawn. As you would expect, the bass wait to ambush the shad as they move down the bank.

"This activity usually lasts until 9 o'clock through the month of May. In these first hours of the day, it's not uncommon to catch 20 to 30 bass, and some of these fish weigh up to 5 pounds. I've caught several 7-pounders in May. It usually takes a 5- to 6-pound largemouth to win big fish in a tournament."

To find the shad and catch the waiting bass, Zellers keys on another predator -- the large wading birds of the Delta.

"Wherever you find the birds," Zellers reported, "you will find the shad and the bass. The birds follow the shad, which are swimming in inches of water, down the banks. In May, the shad hold in an area for two or three days before moving, so usually you can return the next day and expect to find them in the same places."