Now you've gone and ruined it!
SPOILER ALERT!!!!
I know the resident population is decent, you simply can't target them, and from my experience, the day bite is a very tough bite early may (usually night bite is good)
Not really sure why you think you cannot target them in May.
Everyone who fishes for them does.
They are typically shallower in May, say than they are a month or so later.
They spend time up shallow feeding at night and then slide out a little deeper during the day to escape the sunlight and hug the bottom.
As the days get longer, the sun gets higher in the sky (and brighter), they slide out to deeper water...........as does the bait.
They follow the bait and set up the summer patterns.
You can then still find them shallow at night too in the summer.
Guy around Buffalo and Hoaks prove this all year.
One of the largest eyes I caught was right on the bottom off Smokes Creek in about 20-25 FOW and it was early afternoon.
Got it drifting a worm harness right on the bottom slooooowly.
They are there.
And you can certainly target them.