Good bass bait in a creek?

I am just starting to bass fish a little bit and am confused on what bait i should go with. I am currently fishing a little creek that's in a nearby neighbor hood. Its about 5ft deep max and on a guess about 20 yards wide and it has thick vegetation so its kinda hard to fish. I have caught a few on rattle traps but its not consistent and i usually catch more algae than anything. I am wondering what bait would be good in this situation given the thick algae and the depth of water. I have tried worming but still need practice. I only crappie and catfish usually so im a little green on bass fishing. Any tips on how to work the baits, pattering them out or advice would be great! Thanks