In my opinion there is not a more fun way to catch striped bass then when you are casting a black worm. Many striper fisherman have heard of this technique, very few have tried it, and even fewer have mastered it. Make no mistake about it. It works! In fact it’s deadly. Possibly the deadliest technique that can be used when targeting striped bass. Can you use it in any application? No! There is a time and place for it. There is certain water that needs to be targeted when using it. But if you know, you know. If you don’t know there is only one way to find out. Get out there and try it. Or hire a striped bass fishing guide.

The black worm has been around for a minute. Two decades that I know of. Who originally brought the black worm to this fishery? I honestly haven’t got a clue. What I do know is that it was made popular and got “put on the map” so to speak, by RH Guide Service’s owner Raith Herryford. Who perfected this deadly style of striper fishing and has used it as the mainstay of his striper fishing on hundreds of his guided striped bass fishing trips. Teaching his clients to cast and retrieve the black worm at the correct speed and angle to make them successful. Which in turn allowed all his clients to become striper catching machines. Making for easy and early limits for Raith. Along with happy and satisfied customers, who also left the fishing trip with a sense of accomplishment. Learning a new style of fishing where the clients are in control of the catching part of the guided experience.

For the entire last week striped bass fishing guides Mike Rasmussen (SalmonSacRiver) and Ryan Tripp (Ryan Tripp’s Guide Service) have been punishing the striped bass on the Sacramento River as it came back into shape. After nearly two weeks of muddy river water that forced everyone to the Feather River. Their method of destruction? The black rubber worm. Something both of these fishing guides are perfectly comfortable throwing. The rare opportunity presented itself for “all you want” day time worm fishing. Typically this method is used at night or in the dark. When boat traffic has subsided and the stripers come out of hiding and sit in shallow waters. However on this occasion the boat traffic in this particular stretch of the Sacramento River was almost non existent. These stripers had not yet been targeted or fished for. Casting rubber worms boasted huge daily numbers of keeper sized striped bass for the pair of fishing guides. The first two days of this past week they each reported catching over one hundred stripers on their boats. As the week progressed the daily catch decreased and settled into a average of around 30 a day. Still very good, and fast pace fishing.

As the weekend arrives and the NCGSA (NorCal Guides & Sportsman Association) striper derby takes place out of Colusa, Ca. Accompanied by the tremendous boat traffic it brings with it. It is highly likely the daytime “worm bite” will come to a screeching halt. Putting the worm bite back at night.

Kittle’s Outdoor & Sports in Colusa, Ca carries all the appropriate necessities to go do some “worm” fishing. If this is something you would like to try for yourself, here are some helpful hints. Find quiet water, cast close to the shore and reel slowly. The rest will be for you to figure out.

Mike's Fishing Guide Service for Sacramento River fishing targeting King Salmon, Striped Bass, White Sturgeon, American Shad and Rainbow Trout. The Best Sacramento River Salmon Fishing Guide and Striped Bass Fishing Guide on the Sacramento River.