Has anyone ever used tube jigs for steelhead? They appear to me to be a natural - particularly if drift fished behind a small corky or spin glow.

Tube jigs are a mainstay when running floats in the Midwest. One of the best producers is a white tube jig (crappie size) tipped with a couple of wax worms or a 3-4 egg spawn bag. The tubes seem to work the best when the water is very cold and clarity is good. We fish the deepest, slowest frog water we can find (cold weather holding water), and use very light line and leaders. The fish have lots of time to look over your gear, so it's an absolute finesse gig. Typically, the jigs are 1/16 and 1/32 ounce, and staggered split shot on the line to make the float very unstable.

Other colors that work well are hot pink, black, and occasionally chartruese, in that order. I usually try to shoot a little smelly jelly or scent (Dr. Juice) up in to the body of the tube.

There is no reason that a 1.5 or 2 inch tube wouldn't work for nates. The guys over in Ohio and Pennsylvania were doing really well on 1" black berkley Power Craws last winter. Haven't tried tham yet, but I'm going to.

The above methods may be worth a try on those spooky clear water summer runs you have. Good luck and hope this helps.

Can the hooks on those little crappie jigs handle a Steelhead?

Yep, but you have to use the right rod. I use an 1141c or a noodle rod. We also don't use more than 6 pound line for mainline. If you look hard enough, you can find a nice heavy hook, and thread the tube skirt on it. Silver thread is a nice line for air temps in the low teens.

I have always ordered the plain lead heads from Rainbow jigs, the stuffed them inside the tube skirt. Make sure the hooks are needle sharp with a hand file.

You have to remember that water temps are pushing right around 30 degrees with shelf ice, so the fish are pretty lethargic. On light gear they fight fairly well, but it's mostly head shaking, and rolling. You don't get very many jumpers when the water is that cold.

I dont know about steelhead but every thing in the salt water take a white tube jig, one of the better lures ever invented like the white grub I'd say

Hey now rockfish,

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! let em keep throwing buzzbombs and 5/0 trebles.