What do you recommend from shore when there's dense algae/weed mats
close to most of the accessible shore?

If I cast past them to the open water, then I'm retrieving back into
the slop and getting stuck. If I try, I get a glob of weed stuff even
when rigged 'weedless'; it gathers at the weight/hook-eye/top of worm
area.

Should I try a heavy enough weight (1/4 oz? 3/8?) to get a worm to
sink through it? If so, then what? I can't pull through the mats and
keep the lure in the water and along the bottom.

Do you have success casting weightless thick stick worms on top of the
weeds, and twitch retrieve them? I've tried this, but never had a
bite so far. I may be way too quick, but I think maybe there aren't
bass under the areas I'm trying.

Are there some good articles to help with 'slop' conditions you can
point me to?

Thanks,
Richard Berke
Columbia, MD