Nightcrawlers kick ass on steelhead.... I love using them for late winter fish. late febuary through march and into april. They seem to work best after a little rain.
When I was about 14 a frind and I rode our bikes to the shell hole on the Coquille river On Oregons south coast. This hole is right in town so it was an easy bike ride. It was saturday and there were some other guys there. My friend pulls out a dozen worms he bought the day before, This ne ole guy just laughed and said " you boys must be out for trouts" Well guess who got in the last laugh??? We did. 7 hook ups later and 4 bonked steelhead. Now I look back and realize why they worked so well. The fish had been pounded on with eggs and spinners etc. Nightcrawlers were just something different and natural. The steelhed couldnt resist them.
Oh yea, hold on tight when you use them, Steelhead take em hard!!!!!