Shep,

Crawdad tails can be an excellent steelhead bait. Keep in mind that top quality eggs are hard to beat but we don't always have these in supply, do we?

Summer steelhead, especially in late summer/fall when the water is low and clear will devour a properly presented crawdad tail. They are best used fresh and peeled as the guy above noted. Don't cook them. If your catching them for later use, freeze the tail with with shell intact in ziploc bags with water. When thawed, they are like fresh.