THE FIRST FAT WORM

THE FIRST FAT WORM
Sunday, 25 Nov, 2018

Location: Lake Murray, SC, Murray Shores boat ramp, aka, "SCE&G #3"
Weather: Overcast and grey, light breeze, No rain
Temps:

• Air temp - 53° F 
• Water Temp - 55° F

Tackle: 

• Rod - Mitchell "Outcast," 7', medium action
• Reel - Mitchell 300
• Line - 10 lb. test mono, 8 lb. leader
• Technique - Carolina Rig, soft PVC ribbon tail worms

"SCE&G #3." Just the name makes me smile.

This is one of my favorite spots, mainly because it is just off the main part of Lake Murray, SC. The water stays pretty clear, year round and it has deep water nearby.

It is a recreation park and boat launch maintained by the South Carolina Electric and Gas Company, one of 7 similar spots around Lake Murray (41 miles long, 4 miles wide, 380 feet deep). 

The lake, as you might have guessed, feeds a power generating station at the Dreher Shoals Dam above Columbia, SC. 

Its big, and even has its own lake monster, known affectionately as "Messie"... which has its own website, in case you're interested: http://www.lakemurraymonster.com/

 "Stanley," my old Ford F-150 truck, pretty much knows the way to this familiar location. 

We've been here many times. 

Oh, and for the record - my wife names everything, from kittens to pickup trucks. 

She's a good-lookin', kindhearted woman, and I grin and bear it; "Stanley," it is.

The parking lot at SCE&G #3 had lots of trucks and empty boat trailers today... yessir, the Fishing Fraternity was out in force. 

This is prime time for fishing on the lake - the hordes of zoom boaters, jets ski maniacs and trashy picnic'ers are gone, but the water still isn't too cold for the fish.

Crappie were the focus for many, and a few wily guys got themselves some stripers.

The porta-potties were even clean, much to my surprise.

Messie didn't make an appearance, I'm sorry to say, but it was good day to be here, my friends, a good day indeed.

Inside the truck, in the Sanctum Sanctorum, some magic was brewing.
My old Samsonite "tackle bag" was stuffed with all the goodies one might need, but I was interested in only one thing:

I intended to drag a rubber worm around the rocky bottom on a Carolina Rig. 

(If the Carolina Rig is unknown to you, here's a link): Carolina Rig Wiki

To this end, I snatched up half a dozen random worms as I left the house
and shoved them into my pocket. I had no real logic to  my selection, either.
By God, I was gonna wet some worms - which ones weren't all that important at this stage.

I should probably say at this point, that I am not a soft plastic worm fisherman. I have never caught a fish on one in my life.
The truth is, I have avoided PVC worms for years, and over the last 5 years I've made matters worse by going almost exclusively into fly fishing.
After years waving the fairy stick, folks, this was uncharted territory; I'm a stranger in a strange land.

Before leaving the truck, I pocketed five or six sinkers of various weights and I was set.
My confidence wasn't high, but I was going for it.

Here are my grungy old Outback Hat, and my Renegade, Mike Iaconelli "Ike" sunshades.*

Dont leave home without em.

* I did a blog post about these glasses awhile back: Cheap Sunglasses

The reel is one of 3 Mitchell 300's I have, and its paired with a Mitchell 'Outback' rod (no relation to the hat).
I consider the Mitchell 300 the best medium spinning reel ever made for freshwater, and I look for them in decent shape. If I have my way, I'll never use another. If you have one to sell at a reasonable price, I'd like to hear about it.
The rod was an eBay score from several years ago, and is a natural with the reel.

Here are the temps I encountered. The stabilized air temperature was 53 degrees F, while the in-water temperature at the shore is 55.1 F.

I'm convinced that if you're not at least checking water temps in your fishing excursions, you are leaving out a crucial piece of the mental angling game. 

This is not a high-dollar, lab quality thermal probe, either - it's a common aquarium thermometer. 

It is accurate to 0.2°, which is good enough for me, and you can pick these up anywhere aquarium supplies are sold. 

A few views, Ol' #3 Boat Ramp 

The back side of the peninsula is a wood-choked little cove that sometimes yields decent fish in the warm months. It gets pressure-fished hard each weekend by the day-users, though, so I get here early and leave when they start showing up.

The tree roots are high and dry in this pic, as the water levels are low. 

Normally, all that is visible is the top.

The ramp is well maintained and wide open. Its a super nice launch point.

You can also see that this portion of the lake is wide open, too. 

It looks big in this pic, but its just a teeny, tiny piece off the main lake.

All this travelogue chatter is leading up to one thing: Bass Catching Success!
The Carolina Rig, I'm pleased to say, lived up to its reputation. It isn't the right choice when weeds, tangled wood and heavy snags are present. But on a relatively clean and rocky bottom like we have on our man-made Southern impoundments, its a good choice.

The worm I used is a tattered, two-toned orange-ish thing that I found along the shore years ago. I've kept it all these years, and put it on because it kinda matches the orange-ish clay bottoms we have around here.

WORM UPDATE: I have since learned this is a Culprit®, 7.5" Original worm, in a color they call, "Tomato."  It is a transparent chartreuse outer skin, over a red inner core, with lotsa shiny flecks to round out the appeal. Since I caught my first soft-plastic bass on this baby, I went ahead and did my duty - I got a whole bag of the things!

Culprit Original Worm
The fish took the worm unceremoniously as I dragged it along, and it did so with some authority. The rod bent firmly, and the fish was stuck. It was kinda anti-climactic, really.

I was expecting some sort of tip-off that it had taken the bait - maybe the line would jump.
Or perhaps, I'd feel a thump.
Or the line would go sideways.

That's what they always say, isn't it?
"Watch the line! Look for it to do odd things. Feel for it to jerk sideways...." or whatever.

But there was none of that.
It was just there, and so I popped him with a couple more hooksets to make sure.
After a minute or so of play-and-recover, I had the bass in hand.
A guy named Larry was on the ramp recovering his boat at the same time, and he used my cell phone to capture the moment for posterity.

SUMMARY
After reviewing the pics, a couple things jump out at me

1, I don't take a half bad picture.

2. I look fat, because:

 - I'm wearing multiple layers of bulky clothing, a fly fishing vest stuffed to overflowing with gear, a tippet lanyard with three spools of line, and a big warm coat, and,.

- I'm fat.

For my very first fish caught on a PVC worm, though, I'll take this little 2 pounder.
By Wednesday, I reckon it'll be up to about 5 pounds, having put on weight the more I tell the story.
I'm gonna call it, "Two Fatties In A Fish Story," ... and a story not soon forgotten.

Tight Lines, and thanks,

David

Palmetto Fly N Fish © 2018

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How To get Worms

How To Get Worms, Pt 1

Nov 24, 2018

I've been a fisherman since I was 6 years old, and have tried many, many angling styles. In the last few years, I've gone almost exclusively into fly fishing, and it is my favorite style of all. But the one thing that has eluded me is fishing soft plastic baits for bass.

I've always steered away from the practice, but, I've changed that over the last few years. I try to commit myself to one type of lure or fly each season, and before my wife passed away, I eased into the world of, "PVC worms and craws."

Once that path was entered, I had to figure out some details.

Confusion and Benefits

If I've found out anything in researching this particular topic, it is just how many baits and colors are available. It is confusing, to say the least. But I feel it's worth the effort, because PVC baits are effective. My thinking came down to this:

If I specialize in it, or at least make it part of my routine, I might do a number of things:

1. Reduce the number of lures I use, overall

PVC worms and craws can probably cover 50% of ALL the bass-specific fishing I'm liable to do outside of fly fishing. Some might say even more.

2. Avoid, ”Latest and Greatest” mania

This should increase my focus, and hopefully my success. Remember the old saying that says, “Don't gunfight with the man who owns only one gun”?
Same idea here.

3. I might save some money 

As fishermen, we like tell ourselves that we can save money on this-or-that, but this is often us fooling ourselves.
And I resist spending a ton of money on fishing stuff.
But with one name-brand crankbait costing between $5 and $10, these days, compared to a bag of PVC worms or craws at $1 - $5... well, there's really no comparison
And there's usually 10 or 20 of them in there!

4. I can (potentially) catch a lot of fish 

Soft plastic baits probably account for more bass caught than any other style.
This has a lot to do with the fact that they are extremely popular, and possibly still account for more lures cast into the water than any other type lure.
Plus, fish like bass eat that which looks like something to eat..., and soft plastic lures do that as well, or better, that any other type.

=============

"I will fish any color worm, 

as long as it is black."

- Tom Mann

============

 

Focus, Information Shared

Obviously, I'm overlooking about a thousand other baits, from umbrella rigs, to twirling spinnerbaits. But, that's the point. My aim is to focus on just a few things, here.

Worms FIRST, craws second, and swimbaits last.

To that end, I've compiled a lot of information along this line.

Now, lets be clear: this is information from easily accessed sources on the internet.
I've compiled those pieces I want to use.

It is NOT my own, “guide secrets,“ or tricks I've learned from decades of fishing PVC baits.
It is not a scholarly work, either, and I didn't always save the source information - a lot of it goes back a long way into my files and I'm unsure just where it came from.
I'm also not selling it for profit.
In short, it is information I intend to use to my advantage and which I am sharing on my own blog... as a good way to keep it organized.
You could just as easily find this same information, yourself, and spend hours compiling it, yourself.
Or you sit back, read, and enjoy it. Copy and paste it, too, if you want.
Whatever. 

I love choices, don't you?

What Color Is Your Worm?
When it comes to soft-plastic worms, I've focused on simple everyday combinations of colors and worm styles that others use successfully.
And one thing soon becomes obvious when looking at worm colors - there is a confusing rainbow to choose from.

• This is good, because it gives you plenty of choices. 
• This is bad, because it can be hard to make any choice at all. 

And there are many, many colors beyond the basics that will work... sometimes,... in some places,... for some reason.

But I wanted to have a starting place. Someday, when I get the hang of things, I can get frilly with color.

The Rules of The Thumb
There are many theories about the best worm colors to use. But I'm interested in a Rule of Thumb, or maybe two. So here are the ones I've selected:

Rule #1

• Darker colors are best for fishing dark, murky waters ... usually
• Lighter colors are best for clearer waters where light penetration is good...usually. 

Rule#2

• Make the lure look as natural as possible

Each angler also has his or her own ideas, too. There is room for that.

For example, Tom Mann, the founder of Mann's Bait, changed the world of plastic worms with his Jelly Worms.
But, while Mann still holds the record for most soft-plastic worms sold, he is famous for saying...

"I find that a blackberry (dark purple), strawberry (darkish red), or blueberry (dark blue) are probably the three colors that I favor the most, under any conditions... but I don't think you can go wrong using a black worm. I will fish any color worm, as long as it is black."

Bill Dance, in his book, "There He Is," says, "Any color will work - as long as it is blue."

These guys are also experts, which I am not. Presentation, depth, and location are probably more important than color, and they could probably catch fish on an old coffee filter.
But it gives me a place to start.

The Chart

Take a look at this chart - this is the nitty gritty. 

I don't know where I got it, but it is a sort of cornerstone for my initial color choices. 

It is simple, and it arranges basic colors by water clarity and light penetration. That seems a good way to go, so I'm running with it. 

Color Notes

- Black
If we go by the numbers of a single worm color sold as the measure of effectiveness, then black is probably the best.
And I find it hard to argue with Tom Mann... it's probably safe to go with basic black.
Black works well in all colors and clarity of water, and it closely mimics the color of some favorite bass foods such as leeches.
What is there to say about black?
When in doubt, go black.

- Pumpkin, or Pumpkinseed
Lizards in a new color called "pumpkinseed," from Zoom Bait Company, took the fishing world by storm in the late 1980s.

How it got the name is a mystery to me. It is really just a murky, burnt-orange brown, with black flecks. Honestly, it looks a little like actual pumpkins, but nothing like pumpkin seeds.
Rumor has it that it was discovered accidentally when someone mixed the wrong colors. 

Nevertheless, it is still great and was the basis for other colors, such as green pumpkin. But once fishermen started using worms and other baits in pumpkinseed, they proved surprisingly successful.

- Green Pumpkin
This is another all-around color that works in any color water. In it's basic tone, it is what I'd call a dark sage green, with black flecks. It seems to be the third "standard color" for worms and craws, after black and pumpkinseed.
Bass seem to love the color, and it looks natural in the water.

- Junebug
This is a dark purple color, almost black, with green metallic flakes to make it shine. It is a favorite of mine, and I would probably fill a box with baits in this one color, without rhyme or reason.
It is supposed to be especially good in clear water.

- Watermelon
In clear water, it is hard to beat this translucent, olive green color. You'd think it would blend in and disappear, but bass seem to find it easily. Red glitter is often added, to make it even better. Glitter in worms supposedly makes a big difference - and I like glitter.

- Plum/Dark Purple
This is another old school color, and has been a favorite for many years. Just ask Tom Mann.
It has been a favorite of bass since the 1970s.

- Blue
Hey, Bill Dance likes blue, so it has to be good, right?

Basic blue is another good color in most waters. Add a red tail and some say it really shines. A contrasting color tail on any worm just seems like a good idea.

- Red
This is not on the chart; I've added this one because I have about a hundred red worms I got for $1 at a thrift shop.

Some are so dark, they are almost black.
Some have glitter
Some are two-toned
Some are strawberry red.

Supposedly, red is a good color in dingy water, which describes my fishing grounds from April to November. So red worms get fished, and they have caught fish for me.

FINAL COLOR NOTES
In clear water, slim, straight tailed worms are good. These fall a little faster and the fish can see them easily.
They are also good around woody tangles and heavy weed, since they slide through these better than twist-tail types.

In dingy to muddy water, opt for fatter worms with action tails. These produce more sub-surface vibrations, which the fish can feel before they see the actual bait.

Big Question: Is this the only way I can go?
Most certainly not!

But, it is a WAY to go.
It cuts out wasted time, agonizing over a zillion choices. It lets me plan ahead, and gives me something to work with, right now.

In part 2, I'll cover the half dozen or so worm styles I'll be working with and reveal the collection of worms and craw baits I have in my collection.

From there, I'll create a buy list of baits, hooks and weights to fill the various niches in my One Lure Experiment.

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Writers should always strive for a job well done... even half-baked ones like me. So if you found value in this article, please like, comment, and share it. 

Do you have questions, compliments, or suggestions?
If so, email me at...dahutist@gmail.com

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Thanks so much for reading, and...

Tight Lines,

David Hutton
© All rights reserved, David Hutton/Palmetto Fly N Fish 2018/2024 

A Crappie Day - Eventually

November 4, 2018
Updated Jan, 2023

Location: Clouds Creek, South Carolina.

    This out of the way spot was once the location for Hares Mill; the marker seen above notes the spot.
    This was a grain grinding mill, or a "grist mill" as they're called, where locals would bring their grain to be ground into meal or flour. 

    They were very common in these parts at one time, and wherever you go you see roads and ponds named after them.

    Local farmers would pay a small fee to have their family's meal ground for them. Or, if they had a surplus, they kept what grain they needed and sold the rest to the miller, himself a jobber for larger commercial mills.

    These grist mills were always on creeks, with a dam built to create a mill pond which in turn supplied the waterwheel that made the whole thing work.

    In a time when most people lived and died within 25 miles of their birthplace, the local mill was a landmark for those who lived nearby, or for those passing through. 

The Dam Remnants
In the next two fotos you can see the remains of the Hares Mill dam that once spanned the creek. 

Foto # 1

    The foto above shows what local anglers today call, "The Wall."

Today, Clouds Creek is just a flooded, sleepy backwater arm of the massive Lake Murray reservoir. A bridge crosses the water where the creek once ran, with nothing to indicate that a creek ever flowed here.
    But each year the water is drawn down in winter, and if it is taken down far enough, you can see portions of the Mill dam wall jutting out from the bridge embankment.
    The wall heads across toward the opposite shore, with an abrupt cut to the left out at the end.
This is the area you see covered by water.

    The yellow floats are part of a retaining enclosure installed while bridge work was being done.

Foto #2

    Here, we are on the other side, looking at the dams base footing as it extends back across towards the bridge embankment and the far side of The Wall.
The footing was once a natural rock outcropping, with a stone and concrete extension added to support the water wheel.
    If you look closely in the middle of the foto, youll see a rectangular slot in the dam wall. This is where the water wheel was placed.

    The lake water level shown is about 5 feet down, exposing both sides of The Wall. When water levels return to normal, this will all be under murky lake water. 

    These submerged portions of the dam are normally a few feet underwater. For boaters wanting to go further up the creek, this section is the safest way to pass through when the water comes back up. 

    Unfortunately, many unwary boaters have piled up on this old dam footing, because they didn't know the Wall was there.... or where to safely pass.  

    Looking back up the creek beyond The Wall, we see what would have been the mill pond back in the day.
    You can see how low the water is - all the area to the left is normally submerged. It has had several months to grow some green ground cover, which will soon be back under water.
    Further on, beyond the bend in the distance, is an area that widens out into a shallow bog lake when the water is high. Known as "Lost Lake," this is where the bass guys want to go... if they don't run aground on The Wall, first!

    Standing on the bridge and looking "downstream" beyond The Wall, we see the upper end of Clouds Creek.
    In the pic, you see The Wall jutting out from the left shore, with a small outcropping just beyond the end. Here again, we see the angular raceway between them where the waterwheel once turned.
    
Fishing At The Wall
    When I first moved up here, this was my primary fishing ground. It was about 10 minutes from my front door, and I've fished here many times. I've since moved from that home, but I still come here often. 
    This spot even offers a primitive launch site for kayaks or canoes, which I used a lot back in the day. 
    Did I say, "primitive?"
    It's really just a sloping rock-and-dirt bank; don't back too far down it, or you might not make it back up. It is deceptive in that it looks like you can make it - but I've seen vehicles slide into the lake here, after making that mistake.
    If you want to get to the waters edge with a boat, I suggest a kayak on a dolly, or a portaged canoe.
WORD OF WARNING: Dont try to launch anything bigger here! 

 
    The fishing this day was troublesome. The entire time I was at Hares Mill, *something* was tearing up the pond's surface around the The Wall. I could tell baitfish were the quarry, as they were leaping from the water all around, with some sort of predatory fish in hot pursuit.
    But what were these fish?
    Sometimes they were rightnear the shore, chasing almost onto the muddy bank. At other times, they were "kersplooshing" and "wholloping" out in the middle. 

    It was exciting - and exasperating... because nothing I did tempted them into biting. I didn't know what they were, and I couldn't find out! 

    I was spin fishing, because I left the house without my fly fishing kit. I keep a fly rod in the truck, along with my fly wallet, but I discovered everything else was back at home.
    So I was fishing my ultra light spin rig, and getting nowhere, when it hit me:

    "Hey, dummy! You can use the 6# line from the U/L rig as tippet! And because the water is low, all the shoreline is wide open, and ideal for fly casting. Yeah that'll work!" 
(Usually, the woods along the shore make fly casting at this site a pain in the butt. 
You'd think I woulda figured this out right away, right? 
I'm a pretty nice guy, but sometimes I'm a little slow...)  

    Anyway, once I got rigged up, I started with a floating bug... not a baitfish imitator. As you might expect, the surface bug was ignored by the fish. Like I said, I'm a little slow at times.
    So without much further ado, I went straight to my trusty, "Super Fat Nymph." When all else fails, the Super Fat is my go-to.

    And finally I discovered what was causing all the ruckus at the mill - CRAPPIE!
    This time of year they leave the main lake and come way up in these creek arms to feed on baitfish staging in these backwaters.
The water is somewhat warmer here, and they can feed up in preparation for the breeding that will soon commence.
    After just a couple casts, I hooked up with one of these white crappie, and the mystery was solved.

    I should also say that this is the first crappie I've ever caught on the fly rod, and one of only 5 I've caught in my entire life.
    This backwater pattern will be prevalent right through winter, as far as I know, provided you are able to fish after 3 or 4 warm days have come through.  

    Things ended up not-too-bad, in the end. I would have liked to catch a few more crappie, but I lost the Super Fat Nymph to a rock, and couldn't get another bite on any other offering.
    Regardless, Hares Mill pond still makes me glad to visit, every time.

Thanks so much for reading. I hope you enjoyed it, and learned something.
If so, a share is greatly appreciated. If you want to participate in a no-drama Facebook fishing group, feel free to join us at: Palmetto Fly n Fish

Tight Lines,

David

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