Best lure/bait for Steelhead...

Best lure/bait for Steelhead...

  • Spinner...

    Votes: 7 17.1%
  • Spoon...

    Votes: 0 0.0%
  • Live bait...(Shrimp/nightcrawlers, legal stuff)

    Votes: 10 24.4%
  • Other....

    Votes: 13 31.7%
  • Eggs...

    Votes: 11 26.8%

  • Total voters
    41
  • Poll closed .
Troutski
Troutski
I have a question for all you Steelheaders, over the years what lure or bait seems to usually work for you. We all have a ton of tackle but if you had to pick one thing to use and be successful with on any given day what would it be ?
I will attach a poll, if you like feel free to reply...

Chuck
 
O
osmosis
That's too easy Chuck. Eggs.

I voted "other" before there was the egg option - you know where my vote should be :)
 
Last edited:
A
ArcticAmoeba
Although I learned to drift for Steel with nightcrawlers, that was just to save money as a super squirt mowin lawns. And because I didn't catch enough hens at the get go to really have enough eggos to fish and get a good read on 'em. But as of now, I fish eggs often, and they freakin work!
 
F
Fishtopher
Live Bait.

Live Bait.

I pick live bait, as my egg experience with steelhead is little. Sand shrimp to be exact. Behind sand shrimp is crawdad tail, followed by just yarn. All of the above under a small Spin n Glo or Okie (driftin both). I hope to nail some hatch hens this year, and work on my own steel cure for sure though!
 
Last edited:
B
bigdog
Eggs Eggs and more Eggs but I do love throwing a spinner around though.
 
F
FishSchooler
I will find out when I get the chance, though I did hook 2 salmon (lost em both dernit!) on spinners. Maybe got a bite or two on eggs and/or a spin n glow. The thing is the only eggs I have used are those crappy "guides choice" eggs. They are pretty much gooey/sticky liquids all scrunched together to make ball shaped blobs.
 
F
fish_4_all
For winters, cheaters for me with a tipping of any bait. Next would be eggs on a bobber. Then I would say corkies, corkies with yarn, and then live bait.

For summers, jigs, jigs, jigs and more jigs. Then sand shrimp, then eggs. Maybe I need to use more eggs and I will catch more summers! But around here there are so many little fry in the river for summers that eggs last one cast before eaten.

Never hooked a steelhead on a spinner except in tidal water. Seen it done though.
 
Troutski
Troutski
Trend...

Trend...

I do see a trend appearing here....?

Chuck
 
A
A_J-Llama
Although probably the least experienced of all of you, the only Steelie I've had on, was on a nightcrawler, although my son has caught his share on black blue fox spinners. Hooked into mine fishing in Valsetz before they took the dam out and drained the lake, on an ultralight under a pencil bobber. Would have brought it home too, if we had of had a net in the boat.:redface::doh:
 
K
Kodiak
Spinners

Spinners

Spinners, Spinners, Spinners, then sandshrimp, night crawlers, eggs.
 
A
ArcticAmoeba
AWW! Sand Doggers before eggs! Your cure should be on the crackier side of the spectrum if you are throwin in...That one particular chem you use...Haha:lol: But hey, each of us has what produces best, I just get a lot of my lame-o buddies hooked-up on eggs, so my love of proper, cured eggs is pretty skewed.;)
 
R
RIVERFISHER
Fishtopher said:
I pick live bait, as my egg experience is almost non existant. Sand shrimp to be exact. Behind sand shrimp is crawdad tail, followed by just yarn. All of the above under a small Spin n Glo or Okie (driftin both). I hope to nail some hatch hens this year, and work on some cures for sure though!

dono if you have heard this cure but just salt them up then dump a shot of wiskey on them and leave em in fridge overnight.... only eggs that have ever worked for me... i used to hate usin eggs cause they were messy and i never caught anything till i heard about that and tried with my next hen and bam...now i live bye those eggs... also thing is i dumped some jd on eggs from store and it worked.. must be sugar in whiskey or sumthing i dono?:think:
 
K
Kodiak
Eggs

Eggs

:rolleyes: I have never hit many fish on eggs. The new cure is in testing phase, But I know it works better than the amino acid triplex. My favorite store bought cure has the aminos in it but for steelies I hit most of my steelies on hardware, then shrimp. I think they just git retarded over the things....but everyone fishes different.
 
A
ArcticAmoeba
Haha. You are right about that, we all have our producers. Those damned sewer trout do get all giggidy over terminal. Especially if it is cavitating, and slappin around in their face for more than a split second. I love watching Steel shift out from a rock and just slam your spinners!
 
F
Fishtopher
Hmm...No votes for spoons.:think: I never have liked to use them in a river. Maybe I just havent been exposed to enough success with them. What are those little spoon things that look like a little trout or somethin'? I have about 15 of em different sizes and finishes.
 
L
luv2fish
best bait for steelhead is ......"corky"...lol...much more are caught everyyear on corky and yarn ..then eggs...
 
A
ArcticAmoeba
I beg to differ. It really all depend on how, and where you are fishing, but between about 3-5 of us on the Clackamas, eggs out fish everyone else. Handily. Granted, corkies, and yarn do get just about every Sewer Trout to at least flare it gills out of aggression if it happens to enter it "kill zone" for the day, but over the last 12-14 winters, Myself, and another buddy, have gone about 6 to 1, eggs over straight corkies, or corkie/yarn. The ratio seems to be un-changed, river to river. Minus the super salty, lower tidal rivers. Then spinners, or straight yarn for the steel is our ticket to limits. I have a friend, who always wants so bad to hook-up a bunch of fish with us, but he just can't during Coho season. Let alone takin this guy out for Springers! He is one who just eats the skunkiest foods, beef jerkey, or worse, smoked salmon while he is fishing! But we load him up with eggs, for Steel, and he hangs with the rest of us. His first Coho, Chum, Hump, and Steelhead, were all on eggs with me. He is able to produce when with us, but by himself, and weilding only corkies or yarn, and Blue Foxes, he skunks out Steelheadin! Long story short, once you get your cure down right, it will change the way corkie tossers fish. Has for my dad, his friends, and 3-6 people i see, or fish with regularly during the winter Steelhead returns...When you hook, and fight, let alone retain a double digit percentage of the fish the Hatchery counts, both Dog, and Eagle Creek... Then you start to build confidence in your bait especially, or whatever you are murdering fish on.
 
F
Fishtopher
Does roe float? I mean can you drift eggs without a drift float, and still stay up outta the rocks? I wouldnt know, I dont really drift eggs. Is "roe" different than "eggs"? Sorry for the 20 ?'s. Just not an egg guy. Though it sounds as if I soon may be...:lol:
 
F
fish_4_all
Roe=eggs. They are not boyant and if the water is slow enough they will hang up on the bottom.

I have to agree with eggs outfishing corkie and yarn up here also. Unless the setup is right I rarely see salmon/steelhead caught on it. Smaller is better when it comes to corkie and yarn up here. I have some success with marabou tied on the hook with a small corkie slipped over top of it, kinda like a, umm, those foam floats with the yarn in them, but mine are much smaller. Aerofly maybe?
 
A
ArcticAmoeba
I too shy away from yarn some days, and just go with a feather, or maribou as they call it in the bait loop. Maybe a little size 16 corkie in black, or a variation of pink around here. It is not a jig in the least, just a different look than everybody else. Sometimes thats all it takes in the super low, ultra clear creek waters. I don't even screw around with bait if a two berry pres. is spookin 'em, just drop the corkie in the egg nectar. Somethin just odd enough to draw their attention, the eggo stink wakes 'em up though.:rolleyes: Winter Steel, what a weird fish. Almost dumb enough to be really clever...Almost...;)
 

Similar threads

Admin
  • Article
Replies
3
Views
412
troutdude
troutdude
bass
Replies
4
Views
2K
bass
bass
bass
Replies
0
Views
395
bass
bass
bass
Replies
2
Views
1K
bass
bass
bass
Replies
7
Views
2K
Gulfstream
G
Top Bottom