Steelheading is a time - honored tradition in BC, with tens of thousands of anglers plying the rivers in search of these elusive “ghosts” every year. Contrary to what some restaurant menus suggest, Steelhead are not a Salmon; they are a Trout- a migratory Rainbow Trout that spends a portion of it’s life in saltwater before returning to freshwater to spawn. The key word here is “saltwater”. Sorry, Great Lakes anglers... no salt, no steel!
Unlike Salmon, Steelhead do actively feed in freshwater and may survive spawning. Despite this, their numbers pale in comparison to Salmon- to put it into perspective, the Vedder/Chilliwack hatchery received over 30,000 returning Coho Salmon in 2020... the number of Steelhead they received in the 2020/2021 season was under 3,000, and some of the smaller Lower Mainland systems receive fewer than 50 Steelhead in an average season. The comparatively low numbers of Steelhead mean that fishing for them is significantly more challenging, especially for new anglers.
The funny thing is that Steelhead are, in my opinion, a relatively easy fish to catch, with one glaring exception that I will mention in a minute. The fact that they actively feed in freshwater, together with their inherent aggressive nature, means that they are often willing to take a large variety of presentations under a variety of conditions.
What does this mean? It means that the single most significant thing you can do to increase your odds of encountering a Steelhead is to have faith and COVER WATER. There aren’t a ton of them around, so the odds of one wandering into your particular fishing spot are low; fence-posting in one spot all day often results in you fishing empty water for hours and hours. The more time you spend covering water, the more likely you are to stumble upon a Steelhead.
Another consideration to make when choosing a presentation is water temperature. Steelhead, like all Salmonids, are a cold-blooded fish, so their metabolic rates are affected by the temperature of the water they’re swimming in. Higher water temps mean higher metabolic rates, which usually mean more aggressive fish, whereas lower water temps usually mean the opposite. Extremely cold water usually makes the fish somewhat lethargic and unwilling to move very far to bite something, so a larger, more aggressive presentation can sometimes be used to stimulate a bite. On the flipside, the kind of warmer water that is usually encountered in the springtime often makes the fish more likely to move to intercept a lure... or even chase lures. Keep this in mind!
Now, about that exception I mentioned - Steelhead are a rather skittish fish, and they tend to respond to fishing pressure by simply refusing to bite... this is especially important when talking about the Lower Mainland systems, which get a lot of angling pressure! While an unpressured Steelhead is liable to bite almost anything that gets within 6 feet of it, a pressured Steelhead can be one of the most challenging anadromous fish to trick, period- so a good presentation is critical when targeting fish that have seen angling pressure.
Before I get started on the presentations themselves, I need to talk about leader materials and breaking strength. The two types of leader materials that you will be using are monofilament and fluorocarbon. For the sake of this discussion, assume I’m talking about Maxima Ultragreen when I say “mono”, and Seaguar STS when I say “fluoro”. Other brands may have different specific qualities, but this serves as a good benchmark.
Mono is just plain, old-fashioned nylon line that performs well under most conditions. It has great abrasion resistance, a moderate amount of stretch, excellent knot strength, excellent overall strength and moderate visibility. Fluoro is designed specifically to mimic the refractory index of water, thus rendering it nearly invisible underwater. It has good abrasion resistance, no stretch, decent knot strength, decent overall strength and is virtually invisible.
I personally prefer using mono, due to it’s improved strength (both overall and at the knot) and it’s stretch. The extra strength reduces breakage (obviously), and the stretch makes it less susceptible to snapping under a sudden shock- such as during a head-shake or jump.
Most mono leader materials are invisible enough to be perfectly fine until underwater viz exceeds 4’, at which point I start using fluoro. The near invisibility of fluoro leader material means that it’s perfect for tricking skittish fish in clear water, though some care should be taken to make sure you’re tying good knots and when you’re fighting a fish... especially when they jump or do big head-shakes.
If you can see the bottom easily at 4 feet, go fluoro. If you can’t see bottom at 4 feet, run mono.
Most of my leaders are tied with 10lb, 12lb or 15lb breaking-strength line (mono and fluoro), with the heavier stuff being used for dirtier water, faster water or when there is less angling pressure. I suggest using the heaviest leader you can get away with under the given conditions, as it will increase your odds of landing fish and reduce the time spent fighting said fish- thus increasing the fish’s odds of survival if it is to be released. Note that all of my leaders are tied with a swivel at the non-hook end, thus allowing quick leader changes on the water when combined with a snap on the end of my mainline.
So, now that you have an idea of what leader you should be using, you need to know what you should be putting at the terminal end of that leader. Here’s a list of my top 5 presentations for winter Steelhead, in no particular order:
#1- Beads
Beads are available in a myriad of sizes, colours and styles, making them an extremely simple, versatile and effective tool when targeting Steelhead. Although they were originally designed to closely mimic the colour, size and buoyancy of natural Salmon eggs, they have since evolved into more of a general attractor-type lure; this is especially true when referring to soft beads. My favourite thing about beads is their versatility- low, clear water; 6’+ of viz? Run an 8mm peach or light orange hard bead. 4’ of viz, “Steelhead Green” water? Fish a 10-12mm orange or red bead. Dirty water with 2’ of viz? Give a 14-20mm fluorescent orange, pink or red soft bead a shot. As an added bonus, beads are very attractive to Trout, Char and Whitefish, so it’s rather common to encounter the aforementioned species as bycatch while targeting Steelhead. If the water is fishable and there are fish in it, a bead is very likely to produce.
Beads are available in two types- hard and soft. It’s pretty self explanatory but hard beads are made of a solid, hard plastic, whereas soft beads are made of Plastisol, a soft, “rubber-like” material. Both types are very effective, so I wouldn’t say that one is “better” than the other. Consider that hard beads are usually designed to replicate natural Salmon eggs and thus are offered in more subtle, natural colours- thus lending themselves to more subtle presentations... whereas soft beads tend to be brighter, more colourful and full of UV pigments, thus lending themselves to higher visibility for dirty water or aggressive fish. If you talk to some of the guys at the shop (AKA Matt) you might hear him, go deep on how the two materials have different densities and thus drift differently. He is correct but for our purposes let’s not go down that rabbit hole.
Note that Gooey bobs can be thought of as a soft bead, perhaps the “OG” soft bead, so anything in this section can be applied to them as well.
Beads are best fished on a 18”-36” leader, depending on the conditions, with the size of the hook being dictated by the size of the bead- bigger bead, bigger hook; though sz. 2-1/0 are the most common. One thing to be aware of is that fish don’t usually “bite” a bead, they “inhale” it- as such, you’ll want to peg the bead about 1”- 3” above the hook to reduce the chances of deep-hooking fish. Beads work well in most types of water... except for the very slow stuff, in which they tend to drift rather unnaturally. A dead-drift is the best presentation for a bead, anything else is very unnatural and unlikely to produce much of anything.
#2- Colorado Blades
Colorado blades are what you use if you want to fish a spoon/spinner in water that can’t really be covered with a traditionally retrieved spoon or spinner. They are a dead simple lure, consisting of a few swivels, a split ring, a hook and a Colorado-style blade all clipped together to form a lightweight lure with a blade that spins, flops and flashes as it drifts downstream. For whatever reason, Colorado blades don’t seem to be used all that often around here, so they are an excellent option when dealing with pressured fish- there's a pretty good chance that those fish have seen every bead, jig, worm and bait presentation imaginable, but the Colorado blade’s lack of popularity means that there’s an equally good chance that those fish haven’t seen a Colorado blade yet.
You can find blades in a wide variety of colours, blade finishes and sizes, making them suitable for a wide variety of conditions. I generally prefer metallic blades in copper, gold or silver in size 2-4, though painted blades are also great producers. A 12”-30” leader is usually ideal, as blades produce a fair amount of water resistance when they drift and are prone to catching current and “wandering” if the leader is much longer than 30”. Blades perform well in water that is waking speed or faster; anything slower than walking pace may not be enough to make the blade move much. Contrary to what is often suggested, blades can be dead-drifted just like any other presentation, they do not need to be “held back” to make them spin... though by doing so one can use them to “swing” a tailout very effectively. Also note that blades tend to work especially well later when the water starts to warm up in the spring- the warmer water increases the fishes’ metabolic rates, thus making them more aggressive and more likely to crush a blade.
#3- Rubber Worms
Rubber worms are a rather unusual lure, though they are a BC classic that has been producing fish for decades. They are exactly as they sound- an artificial worm, made of soft plastic. They can be found in a variety of lengths from 2” up to 8”, with 3”, 4” and 6” being most common, and the variety of colour options is impressive, though most options are actually just different shades of pink. Obviously, pink is the most popular colour by far, but white, peach, orange and even natural, brown “earthworm” shades are available and work well.
“You can fish any colour of rubber worm you want, as long as it’s pink!”
Rubber worms are most often rigged by threading them onto the leader with a needle, either head up (“traditional”) or head down (“wacky”); “traditional” rigging tends to produce a worm that moves less in the water but is more durable than “wacky” rigging, though both are great options. Rubber worms can also be threaded onto jig heads, though I find this works best on 2” or 3” worms... larger worms tend to suffer from terrible hookup rations when fished on jig heads due to the excessive amount of “tail” that hangs behind the hook. Leader lengths can vary from 12”-36”, and hook sizes will typically range from 1/0-3/0, depending on the size of worm you’re using. Rubber worms work well in pretty much any water type, even the really slow stuff, and perform best when dead-drifted.
Rubber worms are a very aggressive, “in your face” style of presentation that tends to work best in dirty water or when the fish are aggressive; a rubber worm wouldn’t be my first choice when targeting skittish fish in gin-clear water... though a 2” or 3” light pink worm could be an option!
#4- Jigs
Jigs are a very simple presentation, great for covering a variety of conditions. To be clear, we are talking about float jigs here, not twitching jigs! Float jigs are often tied on 3/16oz-1/4oz jig heads and are usually made of marabou, schlappen, rabbit and/or some form of chenille. Steelhead anglers tend to prefer colours such as pink, peach, orange and white, though blue, purple, chartreuse and black (or any combination of these colours) are also great choices, depending on water conditions. The best thing about jigs is how easy they are to use- there's no need to worry about how it’s drifting, if it looks right, or if the current is making it do funky things... just tie it on, let it drift and trust that it’s working perfectly.
Contrary to popular belief, jigs tend to perform best in slow water, as the slower current makes the fur (or feathers) move, undulate and flow very nicely... though jigs can also work great in faster water, as the weighted head makes them sink into the strike zone faster and stay there. As with most presentations, a dead-drift is the most effective way to use a jig.
#5- Bait
Bait can be defined as a natural foodstuff that is used to attract fish, for our purposes this will include Salmon roe (both skein eggs and single eggs), shrimp/prawns, sand shrimp and earthworms. There are many situations in which bait is simply the best option and will outfish all artificial presentations; for this reason it is used extensively on systems that allow it. Most bait presentations can effectively be fished on an 18”-36” leader; all should be dead-drifted.
Salmon eggs are usually found in one of two forms- "skein”, or “single”. Skein eggs are exactly as they sound- eggs that are still attached to the skein, usually cured with a chemical concoction that adds colour, scent and bite stimulants while simultaneously preserving the eggs. Single eggs are also exactly as they sound- single, individual eggs, either cured or “water hardened”. Skein eggs are most often cut into chunks and fished in a bait loop; single eggs are tied into a “spawn bag” of 2-6 eggs to keep them together. Both can be extremely productive, though skein eggs produce more scent and tend to be a better option when the water is dirtier. On the flipside, single eggs in a spawn bag produce much less scent but are also a much more subtle presentation that excels during low, clear water. There are countless options available for curing eggs; enough that there have been several books written about it, so I won’t be going into too much detail in this article. What you need to know is that there are plenty of options available; virtually all will work, though some cures that are designed specifically for Salmon and are made with tons of Sulfates and Sulfites- two chemicals that aren’t especially necessary for Steelhead. Experiment with different cures until you find one that produces consistent results. The size of the hook you use will be determined by the size of the egg presentation you want to use, anything from size 6 to 2/0 is viable.
The general consensus is that steelhead preferer more natural orange and pink colored roe over brighter reds commonly used in salmon season.
Shrimp or prawns can be used interchangeably and may be used cooked or raw, cured or uncured, though all should be de-shelled. I prefer cooked over raw, as they are a bit less delicate and are slightly less prone to disintegrating while casting; curing is optional and can be beneficial in dirtier water. You’ll want to stab the shrimp/prawn directly onto the hook, as putting it in a bait loop usually just ends up cutting the bait in half. Smaller shrimp (such as deli shrimp) can be fished whole, whereas larger shrimp or prawns can be cut into pieces. You can also cut shrimp/prawns into small chunks and tie them into a spawn bag, much like single eggs. Size 4-1 hooks will be ideal for most shrimp/prawn use.
Sand Shrimp (sometimes called “Ghost Shrimp”) are a bit of an oddity; they are difficult to obtain unless you head out to the local saltwater mud flats at low tide and pump them out of the mud yourself. This process is, to be frank, a bit of a pain in the ass... thus explaining why they are almost never available for purchase in shops. The biggest issue with Sand Shrimp is that they are fragile creatures that don’t keep well and tend to start falling apart after they die, so you can’t simply go out and harvest a bunch to use throughout the season- they don’t freeze well at all, and they usually die within a week of being collected, so you’ll have to continuously go out and collect them if you want to fish them throughout the season. Their soft bodies are also prone to disintegrating while casting or being retrieved at the end of a drift, thus making them a frustrating bait to use. However, despite all the difficulty in obtaining and using them, they can be an extremely good Steelhead bait. Since there aren’t a lot of anglers who are willing to go dig them up, they aren’t often seen by fish, thus making them a good option for pressured fish... but their size and unique scent make them equally effective on aggressive fish as well. Some anglers refer to them as “Steelhead Candy”, mainly because Steelhead seem to have an affinity for them, so all the work required to collect them can definitely be worth it! You’ll want to fish them fresh (even alive) and uncured to take advantage of their attractive natural scent and appearance. They are best rigged by hooking them through the thorax and placing their tail in a bait loop; a size 4-1 hook is ideal.
Earthworms are an often-overlooked bait for Steelhead, but they can be very effective- especially after a rainfall or later in the season. Very few anglers think to use them for Steelhead, so they can be remarkable effective during low, clear water or when targeting pressured fish. Worms need no introduction; everybody knows that there isn’t a single fish in BC that can’t be caught on a worm, so I’ll skip straight to the rigging- you can cut them into chunks and stick them on the hook, or thread a whole worm onto the leader much like a rubber worm, though this is a tricky (and rather messy) endeavor. A size 4-1 hook is ideal for chunks of worm, a size 1/0-3/0 is usually ideal for whole worms.
So, in conclusion, the difficulty in targeting Steelhead stems from their low population numbers and their tendency to “shut down” under angling pressure. The above presentations are all great tools that, when fished well, will catch fish under virtually all fishable conditions. If you combine these presentations with a positive attitude, determination and the willingness to cover a bunch of water, you will eventually be rewarded.
Learn More
If you want to learn more about Winter Steelhead Float Fishing we have a detailed course where we cover all these presentations in more detail plus many more concepts that will get you in the game on this challenging fishery . If you are interested in attending this course Click here to sign up:
Pacific Angler Course - STEELHEAD FLOAT FISHING
