Try these four artificial worm techniques
When most anglers think of Murrells Inlet, SC, which is just south of Myrtle Beach, they think of catching flounder in the Inlet, king mackerel off the beaches, pompano in the surf, and redfish at the Georgetown jetties. But the hidden gem here is the excellent largemouth bass fishing on the Waccamaw River.
“Not just vacationers, but even among those who grew up here, or have lived here for decades, you’d be amazed at how many have never even been on the Waccamaw River, much less been bass fishing on it. And they’re missing out,” said Capt. Todd Vick of Fishin’ Freshwater Charters (843-333-8200).
Vick doesn’t spend much time at all fishing on the main river. Instead, he gets into the smaller creeks off the river, using the main river to move from one small creek to the next when necessary.
“Especially during the summer, the main river just gets too much traffic from PWCs, pleasure boaters, other anglers and even big commercial boats,” he said.
Besides that, Vick said the smaller creeks have a lot more to offer the fish anyway. Heavy shade, lots of partially submerged woody cover, and plenty of places for them to hide in ambush of bait fish.
Vick usually fishes out of the Wacca Wache Marina, where the Waccamaw is heavily influenced by the tides. That makes it a different game than fishing most other rivers.
“Tidal rivers offer more challenges than non-tidal ones,” he said. “The most obvious challenge is that you have to make sure you don’t get stuck high and dry as the current falls.”
And which tide does Vick prefer to fish?
“I want to begin fishing when the tide is high, but starting to fall,” he said. “At high tide, bass can get way back into flooded trees. And you just can’t reach the fish there. Once it starts falling, the fish will move out onto the edge of the main part of the creek, and you can start catching them up close to the bank.”
Get tricky
For that, Vick prefers casting a white or pink trick worm, unweighted, on a No. 3 or 4 extra-wide gap hook.
“I’ll start one of my anglers with a white worm, the other with a pink worm,” he said. “And if one color is outperforming the other, then we’ll all fish that color until the bite slows down or stops.”
Vick said these lures should be cast at the base of flooded trees, and on top of any surface grass that may be present.
“Once it hits the edge of the grass, let it fall freely,” he said.
If a bass is there and hungry, it will usually hit the worm as it’s falling.
“Trick worms are extremely effective in this situation,” he said. “Just remember to stay prepared at all times, because they will hit this worm hard.”
Vick said fishing this way in the smaller creeks is like close-quarters combat. Your casts are short, and your retrieve range is short too.
“One or two twitches is about all you’re going to get out of each cast,” he said. “If a fish doesn’t hit it by then, don’t waste time trying to prolong it. Reel it on in and make another cast.”
Time to sink it
And once the tide falls out a little more, and the bass are forced off of the banks, he switches to a weightless Senko type worm.
Vick said many colors will work. He prefers colors like watermelon and black/blue. He sticks with the same No. 3 or 4 EWG hook.
However, the technique of fishing the Senko is different from that of the trick worm. With the trick worm, Vick said the rear of the lure must be able to move freely about, and the movement of the worm is what attracts the fish. But with a Senko, the angler just needs to let it sink, and reel in the line without attempting to impart any motion.
“With a Senko, you need to pay closer attention to the line. You’re not going to feel much from a fish when it bites a Senko. Instead, you’ll see the line jump or start moving in one direction or another,” he said.
Vick suggests making a cast, counting to 3 or 4, then twitching your rod a couple of times.
“If you don’t get hit, reel it on in and make another cast,” he said. “This is not a lure that the fish are going to eat on the bottom. They’re going to hit this on the surface, or just as it’s falling. Just don’t forget to focus on the line. Pick a line that’s brightly-colored and easy to see. Then watch it closely the whole time.”
Weigh it down
And once the tide has dropped even more, Vick changes lures again, this time to a weighted option.
“When the tide drops to the point that the baitfish don’t have many places to hide, the bass don’t have many places to go either,” he said. “So you want a lure that will reach the bottom. That’s where the fish are going to be.”
In this situation, Vick uses a Senko again, but this time he adds a 1/8-ounce bullet sinker, and he uses a bobber stopper to keep the weight pegged against the worm’s head.
“The base of trees will be even more exposed now. And other wood that’s been submerged up until now becomes exposed,” he said. “You want to pitch this lure tight to those, let the worm sink, and let it sit on the bottom. Reel your line so that you’re in touch with the worm. Now, lift your rod tip very slowly. That drags the worm on the bottom so it looks like a slug crawling on the bottom.”
Get wacky
When the tide has fallen all the way out, that’s when Vick turns to a wacky rig, using an unweighted worm that has the hook in the middle of the worm so that both ends can dangle freely.
“This is one of the most fun ways to fish a worm. It’s great to use when you’re at low tide or end tide,” he said.
With the worm rigged wacky style, Vick said anglers should make a cast, let the worm sink, then give the rod a couple of sharp bumps. This activates the butterfly action of the worm.
“Then let it fall again. Count to two or three, give it another jerk, let it fall again. If nothing hits it by then, reel it in and make another cast,” he said.
Creeks with creeks
The Waccamaw River has numerous creeks that branch off of the main river channel, and these creeks are great for catching bass. Todd Vick is a big fan of these creeks, and said the best small creeks have their own, even smaller creeks.
“Bass like to get in the smallest creeks they can find. They are predators when it comes to smaller fish. But they have their own predators, mainly large catfish, on this river, so they try to stay away from them as much as possible,” said Vick. “And getting into the smallest creeks they can find is a smart way for them to do that.”
These creeks are most effective for bass anglers when the water level is high enough that they have enough water for bass to fit, but not enough water for bigger catfish to swim.
“And at high tide, the water can get so high that bass can fit into areas behind trees and bushes, and anglers can’t even cast to them. So the best time to hit these creeks is when the tide is just beginning to fall out,” he said. “And adjust your technique as the water continues to fall.”
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