I've fished Sabine Lake and Sabine Pass for more than 19 years, yet this is a bay system you don't hear a whole lot about. And it doesn't get the kind of pressure that places like East and West Galveston bays do. Even though Sabine Lake has been severely whacked by hurricanes over the past few years, it's still an excellent option.

In fact, it's one of the best big-trout options for fishing during May. I don't know what it is, but this bay attracts plenty of big trout from late April through May. My best is just over 10 pounds. I caught that wallhanger in Sabine Pass on a black and chartreuse She Dog fished along a shallow flat that dropped off a ledge into about 20 feet of water.

The lower end of Sabine Lake is loaded with oyster reefs that haven't been harvested in years. Those reefs attract numerous reds and trout. Some of the best are located from Blue Buck Point to the Causeway Bridge that connects Texas and Louisiana. The best way to fish the reefs is with a topwater lure. Two of my favorites are a Super Spook or She Dog in black/chartreuse, chartreuse or a clown pattern.

My favorite reefs on the lower end of Sabine Lake are in about 3 to 4 feet of water. They aren't very big. Most are about the size of a two-car garage. What I like to do is drift in silently, stake out my boat, and work each reef with topwater lures. At times the reefs are marked with slicks, a good indication that fish are present and feeding.

The surf between the Sabine and Galveston jetties can hold some pretty big trout during May. Naturally, that's a lot of water to fish. The best thing to do is to put in at the town of Sabine, and cut through the boat cut in the west jetty. From there you can run the surf looking for slicks and baitfish.

Once I locate good water I'll bump-troll while fishing topwater plugs, spoons and soft plastics. What I mean by bump-trolling is staying in position by turning the trolling motor on and off. That way I don't spook any fish that are in the area.

East Matagorda Bay, located between Freeport and Port O'Connor, is a trophy-trout hotspot during late April and May. If you're into wade-fishing, this is the place for you. The drill here is to run from one reef to another. What guides like Charlie Paradoski and Bill Pustejovsky will do is ease up to a reef, anchor the boat, and wade. I've fished with both of these guides for years. They are very good at locating big trout on East Bay.

Typically, they'll move from one reef to another. If one reef doesn't produce a fish within an hour or so, they'll load up and move to another location.

But there are certain reefs that are better than others. And at times I've seen these guides wait out the fish. For example, if they know a particular reef is "hot" on an outgoing tide, they'll stay on it rather than move to another spot. When the trout bite is on, there can be excellent fishing on those reefs.