I don't keep dark fish at all either. Did bring home some steelhead bucks earlier this month that are starting to show more color but they were still good eating. Need to get a couple of bright chinook or silver hens and cure some more eggs. Rich, I like to use an assortment of bait for steelhead. Have had a lot of success with prawns, sand shrimp, eggs (borax and sulfite cures), and crawdad tails. The last steelhead I caught bit a crawdad tail in whitewater. Couldn't get him to bite again after a few more casts. Then I switched to eggs and got him. It sure helps to switch bait especially after giving them a sore mouth.