So I am curious does anyone else use night crawlers instead of me for steelhead?

Buck, I'd rather use a nightcrawler, instead you, for a steelhead any day. Why the amount of weight I'd need to use just to keep you down in the strike zone would make it hard to detect the bite anyway

Actually nightcrawlers work very well, that's why so many guys now use those pink rubber imitations, just why more don't actually use the real thing is strange, though they sure aren't as messy as say cured eggs.

Buck, how long have you used them, have you caught many steelies on them?

I tried them quite a bit this winter - mostly tipping them on my jigs. Not much luck.

I guess when the smolts are in, you need to stick with very large worms, or you end up catching/killing a lot of the little guys...

How do you fish them? Drift fishing?

Thread them head first all the way up the leader. Wrap egg loop around the shank to hold crawler on. Drift with light weight, very small corkie or wool with Smelly Jelly on it. Also can be very effective under a float and or on a jig head. #1 to size 4 hook.

Wool??? G, how far did you say to the border. Strategically close from the sound of that accent!

FJ...out.

The worms I like are...you guessed it...PINK.

Have any of you that use nightcrawlers tried the chartreuse (actually more flour. green) nightcrawlers that you can order from Cablea's? I believe they're called "Kryptonite Crawlers"... They also have a special worm bedding that you can order called Nitro Worm Bedding that will turn your nightcrawlers into chartruese-glow color. Both look pretty killer! I think someone needs to give em a good field test. Just wish you could turn them flour. pink!!

James

oh FJ I hope you're not talking bad about us whatcom county boys.(he he) The crawlers work great for silvers too.

Perfect drift I just saw the nitro bedding yesterday in Wal-mart. I might give it a try on trout for opening day on the lakes. Summer run steelies might like the nitro worms too.

~ Dr Pepper

Live nightcrawler is a killer bait for steelhead. They also catch searun cutts, bows, suckers, and whitefish. Unless you're sight fishing, you never know what's tap, tap, tapping on the other end. I like to bury the hook in the middle, and add a small corky for flotation. They're a good bait to run through a hole that has been pounded all day by conventional drift gear.

Pappa fish, Let's just say I don't catch many steelehead yet! I have used nightcrawlers for a while now. The last 2 steelhead I have caught have been on them. Last weekend I also caught 2 silvers using them. I like them better than eggs and shrimp, not as messy and stay on very good. I have caught fish with crawlers on a bobber and jig set up, and the one I caught yesterday was on a homemade rag with crawler. I also like to drift them without any yarn or corkie. I actually caught my last fish out of a hole that people had been pounding most of the day with the various eggs and shrimp combos. A few people came up to me and asked if i was using shrimp, when I told them crwalers they acted like they didn't believe me. So try them and let us know how you do.

Buck

For floatation you can always use a hypodermic needle to inject some air. I remember reading that as a suggestion in Field & Stream like 15 years ago. Your mileage may vary.

I use nightcrawlers tipped on my jig and think it makes a difference. I did not use anything on my jigs this winter. There was so many fish it did not matter. I have used the nitro worms. The store near my home has them. Can not say they worked any better just something a little different. I am interested in trying the brighter green worms from Cabela's. A few years ago I had the oppurtinity to site fish a steelhead. It is the best learning experience you can have. When I drifted a plain jig it spit it as fast as it took it. I then tipped the jig with sandshrimp and the fish held on much longer. It did not take my bobber down but I was able to see it shake its head and it was all over.

FJ, the cheeseheads have taught me the differance between "wool" and "yarn" BIG differance! Yarn, when wet, mats down and shreads. Wool when wet, puffs up like a round ball. Luhr Jensen sells yarn. The Bug Shop sells real wool.

Nightcrawler don't work in clear water!!!

Buck,
Used night crawlers for big rainbows in the Klamath River in eastern Oregon for many years, and caught a lot of them too. Rigged them up just like drift fishing for, steelies only with large split shot. I guess we were drift fishing before we even knew what to call it. My oldest son, Mike, caught his first rainbow, 7#er on a crawler.
They do work, for sure!

Nightcrawlers don't work in clear water? WOW, Then that last fish was one hella of big cutt!

Lets see gin clear water on a SW WA river. Jig tipped with crawler bobber goes under fish on, a few minutes later a nice 10 lb hatcery brat laying on the bank. Oh heck I guess they don't work in clear water? Oh well better luck next time?
Buck :p