Super Fishing Artificial Lures For Steelhead

Nothing puts a smile on an angler’s face like fishing with a plastic drift bobber! These baits can be effective tools for targeting Steelhead in rivers using techniques such as float fishing, bottom bouncing, side drifting and bobber doggin.

Trout are well-known to feed on insects, leeches, worms, crustaceans, eggs and eggs found within their ecosystem. Flies, jigs and hard lures are equally effective at catching trout.

Spin-N-Glo

Yakima Bait Company in Oregon’s Spin-N-Glo is one of the most widely used spinners during steelhead season on coastal rivers. This vibrantly colored, noisy spinning bait with buoyant properties is ideal for drift-fishing in areas where weighted spinners would get stuck on rocks or logs, providing anglers an alternative method. Available in an assortment of colors and finishes as well as sizes 4 through 10, it should always be present in your tackle box.

The Spin-N-Glo features a small hole at its rear that can accommodate either roe or eggs for baiting purposes. When adding roe, this causes it to sink slightly while staying within 12 inches above bottom in steelhead zone waters; eggs provide additional attraction in clear water conditions.

Spin-N-Glo can be fished using various terminal riggings, but river anglers tend to favor using classic “Slinkie” pencil leads attached to 3-way swivel arrangements as their favorite technique. A “Slinkie” loaded with weight provides ideal conditions, allowing the Spin-N-Glo to rest lightly on the bottom while still being pulled downstream by current. Leaders measuring 24 to 36 inches are recommended.

Spin-N-Glo color combinations suitable for clear or gin-clear conditions should include metallic silver and glow colors such as PLR (pearl pink); PBGT (pearl blue tiger); GRPW (glitter purple); BMAG-BL (black). In low, stained or colored waters the #14s in MSPK (metallic silver pink); CER (cerise); FL (flame red); RR (rocket red); and PLUM (peach luminous).

Beads placed between the Spin-N-Glo body and hook should also be utilized. This helps eliminate leader twist, and allow the jig to spin freely without twisting in poor light conditions. Anglers sometimes use two beads as spacers between their bobber and the Spin-N-Glo. A large gamakatsu or Owner octopus style 1/0 hook works best with size 4 Spin-N-Glos when fishing for plunkers while size 6 octopus hooks work best when drift-fishing smaller size 12-14 Spin-N-Glos.

PowerBait

Berkley PowerBait is an acclaimed trout bait with an attractive attractant formula reputed to make it more effective than other plastic baits when used under specific conditions and methods. Popular among anglers targeting Rainbow trout, but also useful against Steelhead and other trout species.

Powerbait comes in various forms, with dough varieties being the most commonly utilized. A marble-sized ball of this bait is typically wrapped around a hook before setting into lake bottom for placement. Due to its unique ingredient composition, dough Powerbait allows it to float above lake floor allowing the entire rig to remain above it – an advantage when trying to lure trout feeding off of it.

Powerbait dough varieties typically work best when used with a small size 16 treble hook, as its three prongs effectively grip moldable bait. Some anglers also opt to pair this bait with either a size 12-14 Lil Corky single egg imitation hook; both options may prove highly successful when targeting steelhead.

Powerbait with brightly-colored orange, green or rainbow-colored hues tends to be most successful for attracting trout because its hue mimics that of fresh hatchery trout eggs and salmon eggs stocked by hatcheries. Other hues may also work depending on water color conditions and conditions.

Not only should Powerbait come in various colors that work effectively, it must also be combined with the appropriate hook size and type. Anglers who fish for trout often make the mistake of using too large of hooks; this prevents their bait from being effectively presented to fish. Furthermore, ensuring the hook is positioned in such a way that its point remains exposed is also of vital importance.

Powerbait can be an extremely effective artificial lure for catching Steelhead trout if used appropriately, however it must be noted that its effectiveness can be diminished when coupled with an inappropriate hook or line, or fished at an inappropriate depth. Furthermore, fishing at optimal weather and water conditions is important to catching hungry trout that are eagerly feeding on Powerbait!

Bobber Doggin

Bobber Dogging is a hybrid technique between float and drift fishing that involves using a heavy weight to drag bait along the bottom while a float floats above. Any type of bait can be used with this approach. While drift boat anglers typically utilize this method, you can also do it from shore – both are effective ways of fishing trout, salmon and steelhead!

Bobbdogging is an easy and effective technique suitable for novice and veteran anglers alike. Setting up and fishing are straightforward; good timing is all it takes. To maximize its effectiveness, set your bobber so it slithers across the bottom, which allows current movement while keeping bait within striking zone at all times.

To rig a bobber, begin by attaching a snap swivel and bead. Add a 3 to 5 foot leader that corresponds with the bait you are using and connect a weight directly to it; tie on an octopus-style hook two times deeper than your bobber and weight it securely with fishing line.

A bobber is invaluable because it allows you to identify bites that would otherwise be hard to detect. When a steelhead strikes, its bite will make itself known by way of its dip rather than subtle tapping of your sinker. Once you’ve detected bites you can move the bobber to another spot on the bottom before casting again.

Attributing any single artificial lure as the best ever made for steelhead can be quite a bold claim, but I believe the Okie Drifter may well be. Anecdotes, articles and testimony from anglers around the country support my claim of its superiority over all others; few lures can match its effectiveness when used alongside real egg clusters as bait.

Plunking

Plunking is an effective technique to use in higher river water conditions when steelhead have moved upriver and are resting just off the edge of the current. The technique involves casting your rig over an area of soft water and leaving it there while the river passes over it; plunking is particularly successful at targeting migrating steelhead, as they will avoid main river channels but be drawn towards soft edges of currents instead. Optimally time for plunking to take place after peak of a high water event is typically 1-5 days later as this will allow the river time to drop and clear off before starting again.

For this type of fishing, a light egg sinker and short monofilament leader are needed, along with hook sizes 1/0 to 5/0 standard hook sizes for salmon eggs or shrimp bait as bait. Many anglers also find success using brightly colored beads or spinner blades as extra draws to draw strikes on their bait.

Todd Harrington is a full-time guide on Oregon’s Umpqua River who specializes in winter steelhead fishing. Using a small, 3.5″ Mag Lip plug with either roe or shrimp bait attached for bait allows him to access waters unsuitable for traditional plugs; often producing strikes when other anglers’ larger, stiffer rods fail to detect strikes.