"I first look for clear water and next I try to find some grass," he added. "Bass will be buried in the thick stuff on sunny days, but will be on the edges when it's cloudy.

"I check for water surface temperature when I first enter an area in spring. I want to find something in the mid-60s or low 70s. This is the temperature when the bass are most aggressive. It's also the time when they fight the hardest!"

Grass is not the only thing to key on for delta bass in spring. Other types of structure, such as cypress trees, downed trees or old duck blinds, hold bass as well. If grass is not present, try those bits of cover before you leave the area.

An obvious but often overlooked structure that holds bass is the pilings that support both interstate highway bridges. These pilings can hold plenty of fish in spring, particularly after a cold front has dropped the water level in the delta.

"It surprises me just how many anglers bypass fishing the pilings of the interstate bridges that cross over the delta," Grandquest said. "Both interstates 65 and 10 have excellent fishing around the pilings.

"When a strong cold front pushes water out of the delta, the bass fall back into the sanctuary of deeper water. The bridges provide that sanctuary till waters come back up," Grandquest explained.

While most bass anglers prefer to attack the pilings with a worm or jig-and-pig combination, Grandquest sticks to his "money" bait.

"You can catch just as many bass off the pilings with a spinnerbait as with any other lure. When I fish the pilings, I just slow down my presentation a little. I also use a larger bladed spinnerbait as well. This allows me to slow-roll the bait and pause it occasionally. This pause causes that fluttering effect, imitating a crab," he theorized.

For some reason, the bays on the eastern side of the delta hold bass the earliest. The first reports of delta bass seem to come from Bay Minette Basin and Justins Bay. It could be because the bays are sheltered from winds or maybe their location away from the heavy flow of muddy Tensaw River waters. Either way, these two places should be on your first-stop list.

When asked for his favorite spring spinnerbait conditions, Grandquest does not hesitate.

"I like for the skies to be overcast," he stated. "This moves the bass on the edges of the cover. I also like for there to be a little breeze. I want just enough wind to make small ripples on the surface. In my book, that's ideal conditions for the lower delta."

Although Grandquest concedes that you can catch delta bass on spring mornings, he prefers the afternoons.

"You need the water to be over the grass for the best action," the angler noted. "Typically the tides are rising during the day in spring. Some places that are only a couple of feet deep can increase to as much as 4 feet deep by late afternoon. Places the bass couldn't get to in morning are now accessible to the fish and, more importantly, to you and your boat."

By learning the nuances of tidal movements, you can plan your fishing day accordingly. Start out by fishing the deepest areas first while waiting for the tides to rise before hitting the shallower areas.

One advantage to fishing during the lower tides is that it exposes some of the underwater channels in the bays. All of these bodies of water have several channels that the bass use as highways. Find these and you may hit pay dirt!

"I like a medium- to heavy-action casting rod. It has the backbone you need to keep a bass from burying up in the grass. For a reel, I like the 5-to-1 gear ratio. With spawning bass, you don't want to pull it by them too fast.

"I also like to up my line size to 15-pound monofilament," he added. "The brackish water allows the growth of barnacles that can cut through smaller lines. I'm kind of old-fashioned, so I've stayed away from the new superlines."

Covering a lot of area is the name of the game in spring. Having a well-charged battery system for your trolling motor is vital for success. Be sure to give your trolling motor batteries a good charge the night before your next fishing trip.

Since one of the more successful tactics for catching shallow-bay bass is drifting, the use of a drift anchor (sometimes called a drift sock) helps to slow down your boat drift, should breezy spring winds stir up. This keeps you from moving over an area too fast.

Speaking of drifting, be sure to carry along some marker buoys that you can toss over when you find bass while drifting. It's not suggested that you anchor on such a spot, but rather use the buoys as a point of reference for your next drift.

You can make your own buoys by using 20-ounce soda bottles painted glow orange. Simply tie a nylon string around the neck of the bottle and attach a lead weight to the string to serve as an anchor to hold it in place. You can see the buoys from a distance and the cost won't bust your wallet.

Your best bet for reliable information is from one of the fish camp operators or sporting goods stores in the area. These guys talk to fishermen every day and know what's going on. Develop a relationship with one of these folks and your success rate is bound to climb.

Despite the increase in fishing pressure, the delta still holds large numbers of fish. If you are looking for great fishing and beautiful scenery, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better combination. Give it a try!