i mostly use a worm and corky setup when i fish for steelhead.

i normally run a 24-36" leader attached to a snap swivel, and the swivel is connected to my main line.

the weight i use depends on the current i am fishing, but i use the slinker type of weight. i can post pics of this if anyone has any questions.

what i would like to know is how you other steelhead guys use yarn, or glow bugs. i normally just tie the bug onto my normal rig and drift it through the water with an appropriately colored corky.

so, what is the setup you go with? can you post pics? i am having a real hard time getting so much as a bite on my glow bugs. its kinda frustrating...

Have you used jig and bobber?

tried it today... no luck.

i will be going to a river here in a few days, maybe tomorrow to try it a few more times. it kicked butt on the episode i saw the other day. heck, it was all they used.

Just spent2 days on the Clearwater in ID.

12 mm beads under a float out fished all others.

+1 on the jig and bobber. It is probably the easiest rig to get results with. When someone goes fishing with me that is new to steelhead, we bobber/jig exclusively.

With a bobber/jig, remember to get the jig up off the bottom. If your jig is bumping bottom, its most likely under the fish. Shorter your leader and you might start getting strikes. I prefer a fixed float rather than a slider when fishing shallower water because it keeps the whole rig clean. I'll use a lighter float (1/4 oz) usually with no other weight than the 1/8 oz jig.

My most effective colors are "nightmare" which is white head with black and red maribou, or some combo of pink. Get some live sandshrimp and tip the jig with a tail and it can coax a strike when others can't buy a bite.

Remember to mend your line (a longer rod really helps) and keep your drift natural. Your float will tell you what your drift is doing. If the tip points downstream, you're dragging your bait. If it leans upstream, you're not allowing it to flow with the current and your bait is probably riding up because of it.

Hope this helps.

indeed it does Sir, thank you.

Bobber and jigs work real well on the Clearwater but not so good on the Salmon..Funny how that is.

Jayco

Some water isn't appropriate for the technique. Sometimes its a water clarity thing. It pays to be versatile with different techniques. For a new steelheader, I try and pick a place that has a couple of different types of water so they can get used to looking at what the books describe as slots, seams, tailouts, runs, riffles, etc.

I think at the end of the day, you pick the technique that will put the bait in the strikezone the longest. Often, bobber/jig accomplishes that without the hangups and hazards of the other methods. Part of steelheading is the elusiveness of the fish. Some guys who really got their act together still don't catch fish every day they are on the water.

Sometimes have to fish runs with multiple types of gear, methods to catch fish.

It 's interesting that different rivers each have their own type of holding water.

WA Op rivers completely differentbthan E WA and ID rivers . And OR rivers different than WA and ID rivers.

can we see a picture of the bobber and jig set up?

I'll try and post some pics tonight. The rig changes depending on depth and current. In shallower water I use a fixed float. With deeper water, I use a slip float. Long thin floats for faster water and stumpier floats for slow water. Rod length depends a lot on surroundings and the size of the stream. Bigger water with longer casts, longer rod. Cramped confines and short casts allow for a shorter rod. 8'6 is usually my minimum, 9'6 to 10'6 is a good tweenerl, up to 13 feet for bigger water.

Here is typically what my friend uses on the Salmon with good results.
http://fishinshawn.wordpress.com/2011/02/27/bobber-and-jig-fishing-101/

That's a great article and I booked it for future use.

I grew up drift fishing roe from the bank, bouncing eggs and pulling plugs from a drift boat. All work well and have their place on the river.

I'm trying hard to learn how to float fish with jigs/jigs & pink worm/pink worms, here on the Rogue.

So far no luck, but I'm learning a lot and it beats yard work!

If you want a great video on float fishing for steelhead, PM me your shipping info and I'll send you a copy of "Floatfishing for Steelhead" by the Amato guys. Great video with water so clear you can see the fish reacting to the presentations. Lots of different setups and opinions are given as well.

I've damn near give up Roe as Yarn Balls work so well. Great bouyancy hold scent great too. Steelhead love'em! This is a pretty good video on how to make 'em.

When I tie my mainline to my swivel I leave about a 2" tail of mainline coming outa the knot. Hollow pencil lead crimps to tail of line. Anywhere from a 2' to a 6' leader depending on turbidity and cinch down my yarn ball in my egg loop.

I like mine between dime and nickle sized balls. This guy makes 'em bigger than me but whatever works. Favorite colors are flame and white or peach(salmon) hot pink and purple and of coarse pink and white.. This gut ties then with 5 strain's of yarn. I usually only use 3. Good luck!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cH21UaMr_zk&feature=related