There are plenty of ways to fish the Lowcountry, but when shrimp are moving and redfish, trout and other inshore species are looking for an easy meal, a popping cork setup is hard to beat. It is simple, effective and gives anglers a way to cover water while keeping a bait suspended in the strike zone. Four Horsemen Tackle has built its lineup around that style of fishing, with a selection of popping corks designed for different conditions and a growing collection of soft plastics that pair naturally with them.

Based out of the Southeast, Four Horsemen Tackle focuses heavily on fishing tackle that is made to spend time around saltwater. The company's lineup includes several different popping cork designs, along with hooks, swim baits, spoons and its Boom Boom Shrimp. The corks are a big part of what Four Horsemen is known for, and the company describes its products as some of the most durable and best sounding corks on the water. For Charleston anglers, that kind of versatility is useful. Conditions can change quickly on the flats, in the creeks and around the marsh, and having a few different cork options in the tackle box gives you a better chance of adapting without completely changing your setup.

Four Horsemen's traditional popping corks come in several sizes, including 3-inch, 4-inch and 5-inch versions. The 3-inch cork is a compact option that can be used with artificial or live bait and features a 3/8-ounce weight, a 130-pound Spro swivel and stainless steel spring steel wire. The 4-inch version follows a similar setup and is one of the company's most popular corks. The 5-inch cork is where things get a little different. Four Horsemen describes it as its largest and longest-casting cork, with a 1/2-ounce weight, 130-pound Spro swivel and stainless steel spring steel wire. It is particularly suited for windy or choppy water, where being able to make a longer cast and keep the rig working can make a difference. That range of sizes is one of the more appealing parts of the Four Horsemen lineup. You do not necessarily need the biggest cork every time you hit the water. On a calm morning in a smaller creek, a 3-inch cork can be plenty. When the wind picks up and you need to reach farther across a flat, moving up to the 5-inch model makes more sense.

Four Horsemen also offers oval, skinny, armored and Pro Series corks, giving anglers even more options depending on how they like to fish. The Pro Series takes the company's traditional cork design a step further with flexible titanium wire. Current Pro Series models include corks such as the 3-inch Bombshell and 4-inch Bull Red. The Bull Red is an updated version of the 4-inch cork and features flexible titanium wire, while the armored models add a protective coating designed to help the cork withstand the elements.

The cork itself is only part of the equation, though. What you put underneath it is where Four Horsemen's Boom Boom Shrimp comes into play. The Boom Boom Shrimp is a soft plastic bait designed to imitate a swimming shrimp. Instead of simply threading a plastic shrimp onto a separate jig head, the bait is formed around a weighted Deathgrip jig head. Four Horsemen recommends fishing it suspended roughly 24 to 36 inches below a cork, which makes it a natural match for the company's popping cork lineup. That combination makes a lot of sense for Lowcountry fishing. Shrimp are a major part of the food chain around Charleston, and presenting a shrimp imitation beneath a popping cork gives anglers a way to keep the bait at a controlled depth while also creating sound and movement at the surface. Give the cork a pop, let the shrimp settle, and repeat. It is a straightforward presentation, but one that can cover a lot of water.

The Boom Boom Shrimp also comes in a variety of colors, giving anglers the opportunity to change things up when water conditions or fish preferences change. The current lineup includes colors such as DS#2 Brown Shrimp, Love Potion, Date Night, ICE, Easy Money and Lemon Juice. The DS#2 Brown Shrimp, for example, is offered with two baits per pack, while other versions are available in different pack configurations. Four Horsemen has also expanded the Boom Boom concept with a smaller Baby Boom Boom Shrimp. Like the original, it is built around a Deathgrip weighted jig head and is intended to imitate a swimming shrimp beneath a cork. The smaller profile gives anglers another option when a more compact presentation is needed.

One of the nice things about the setup is that it does not require a complicated approach. Tie on the cork, add your leader, attach the Boom Boom Shrimp and adjust the depth based on where you believe the fish are holding. Starting around 24 to 36 inches below the cork gives the shrimp plenty of room to move naturally, while the popping cork provides the noise and surface disturbance that can draw attention to the presentation. Of course, there is more to fishing a popping cork than simply casting it out and waiting. The cadence can make a difference. Some days fish respond to an aggressive pop followed by a longer pause. Other days, a softer presentation and shorter pauses may be better. That is part of the appeal of fishing this way. You can experiment with the retrieve without constantly changing your bait. This is especially useful around the marsh and tidal creeks, where shrimp are constantly part of the equation. A cork and shrimp setup can be worked around grass edges, oyster lined banks, creek mouths and other areas where inshore fish are likely to be looking for their next meal. It is also a setup that can be effective for anglers who are still learning the ins and outs of inshore fishing because the cork provides a clear visual indicator when something takes the bait.

Four Horsemen Tackle has put together a lineup that lets anglers build that setup around the conditions in front of them. The different cork sizes and styles provide options for casting distance, water conditions and fishing preferences, while the Boom Boom Shrimp gives the rig a dedicated shrimp imitation that is designed to work beneath the cork. For anyone spending time on the Lowcountry water this season, Four Horsemen Tackle is worth a look. The company's corks cover everything from compact 3-inch models to its larger 5-inch option, with specialized designs available in between. Add a Boom Boom Shrimp underneath one, and you have a simple rig built around one of the most familiar meals in the Lowcountry. Sometimes the best setups are the ones that do not need to be complicated.

To see the full selection of Four Horsemen Tackle corks, Boom Boom Shrimp and other fishing products, visit the company's online store or check out them out in person at either Haddrell's locations.

Written by Nick Levine
Outdoor Enthusiast | Gear Reviewer | Fishing & Inshore Specialist