EQUIPMENT
Baits
Steelhead feed by sight, taste, and smell. In slow and moderate currents they can use all of these faculties. But in fast water they seldom have the time to use their sense of smell or taste so they must decide to take or reject a bait strictly by its appearance.
Although worms, wigglers, crayfish, and minnows can be used, the number one bait for steelhead is the spawn from trout or salmon. It can be fished as chunk, tied into spawn sacs with a thin netting material, or salmon eggs can be fished singly on small hooks after being processed to firm them up. Most steelheaders use the spawn they take from fish they catch, but it is also available from bait shops in fresh, frozen, or bottled forms. It is best to use real spawn in slow water, but you can use artificial spawn and drifters in faster water.
The lowly earthworms also have their place for steelheading. They seem best in the fall and again in the spring. For float fishing, the smaller garden variety is best. Steelhead usually take them in one gulp, so you can set the hook immediately. Larger dew worms, however, often work better for suspended fish in big pools. But you must allow the steelhead more time when it takes one before you set the hook. one way of getting around this is to use two hooks in tandem but this often damages fish you want to release.
You can fish worms off any of the terminal rigs used for spawn, but I prefer using a sliding-sinker rig for the larger dew worms. At river mouths and in larger pools you can inject air into worms with a syringe or a Blo-Worm kit to float them off bottom in sight of cruising or suspended steelhead. Steelhead usually take these floating worms hard and run with them before stopping to swallow. So you definitely need the sliding-weight rig to fish them. Otherwise, drift them normally as you would spawn.
Wigglers are the nymph stage of the giant mayfly. They're popular steelhead baits around the Great Lakes, especially in Michigan. While steelhead actually feed little while in a river, they are partial to wigglers, especially in the winter.
Few bait shops sell wigglers, so you'll probably have to collect your own. Seine them from the muddy sections of lakes or rivers that have large hatches and keep them cool in a bit of water. Using them is a light line technique. Small hooks are needed to hold them and you can fish one or several on a hook. Most Midwest steelheaders use them with a bobber.
Crayfish is not a common bait for steelhead, but it can be effective. You'll need very small crayfish -- about one to two inches long. I've cleaned Great Lakes steelhead (spring) that had a dozen or more of these diminutive lobsters in them. Fish them right on the bottom with a bait rig. I seldom see steelheaders using minnows for bait anymore, although at one time they were popular around the Great Lakes. They still catch steelhead, especially in larger pools and in the lakes. Fish them on bottom or with a float. The two- to three-inch emerald shiners or chub work well.
