I feel like I've been led astray. Although I haven't given it too much time, and I've seen SO many pictures and heard stories of steelies on pink worms, I haven't caught one. I do lose faith quick if a tactic isn't working right off the bat and I know it's a very productive way to catch fish, so what are some specific surefire setups for fishing this so called " pink worm? " Also things like water conditions, type of water, and which pink worms to use would be much appreciated.

LOL... You sound exactly like me from a few years ago. I was practically convinced that the whole thing was a sham. I fished the crap out of them through good water and couldn't get a take. I could even pass back through the same water with different gear and get grabbed but no love on the worm. Then... things changed for the better.

Keep fishing them. I tend to like softer worms with a lot of wiggle. I either fish them with a weighted head under a sliding float or drift fish them behind a slinky. Eventually, it will happen and, from that point, confidence will breed confidence. I think they fish better in dirty water but I've also seen some fish get really snappy with them in clear conditions too.

I've had the same experience. My problem is that once the worm gets torn up I rip it off and use the setup to drift bait, inevitably hooking into fish.

That being said I tied up a bunch more, smaller ones this time, to try in a few weeks.

I've tried it a few times drift fishing with no success, so like most I bag it and go with something I have confidence in.

Has anyone tried the worm side drifting, or is this strictly a float/bobber, or drift tactic.

Years ago I bought a doz and put them in my vest, then one day at blue creek in late summer there were lots of fish but no one could get them to bite. I was thinking about those articles written about canadian fishing styles and remembered those pink worms. I waited till about noon when most folks walked out for lunch and gave it a whirl. Concocted a story about hearing about smallmouth bass in the Cowlitz......wow first cast fish on then lost......set it back up with two hooks and again 1st cast, fish on and on the bank.......the long and short of it is I could have sold every one of those worms for 5 to 10 dollars no sweat.

I usually run the pink worm for winter metal in no bait zones and do well with them,like said above it took a few trips to start beleiving in them.I like to bobber dog them myself.Good luck,
SZ

I've got them side-drifting out of the sled on pink worms. I have more success with that in dirty water.

Like any other fishing lure...presented properly, at the right time, to the right fish, Pw's side drifted can be very good. Then again, other times you might as well have a Swisher Sweet cigar on for bait...
P.S Not the most used bait for hatch brats...

can't go wrong with Buzz.

I have fished the pink out of it too.

To this day, the only thing I have hit on it is a ho and a dolly. But for some sick reason, I keep fishing it without any luck. As soon as I change up to a jig or bait things change.

Fished them a lot, never did not beleive in them
I've found they work in all conditions, high and dirty, low and clear, and all waters between.

As is true with nearly 100% of all other methods used to catch Steelhead, the hardest part is finding the Steelhead.

Like any thing else if the fish are around they'll work.

I’ve been fishing pink worms and floats since back in the 80’s. Because dink floats and worms weren’t readily available around here at that time, it was a good excuse to go to Canada to not only stock up for the year on gear but fish also.

I remember fishing the Elochoman around that same time frame down here and a few fishermen walked up to me and said “we don’t fish like that around here”.

It looks like they do now.

The question ought to be, "what won't a steelhead hit?"

Answer: "We're still looking."

Sg

I ran into a guy that gave me 10 of them pretied but when I got home I threw them in the garbage....

There's better applications for no-bait type water....

But........ One of the silliest new trends on the CR for Springers is to hang one off your back hook when trolling herring. Although I never did it I had a buddy that swore by it... Then again, he was using herring I had brined up for him....

Keith

I could fish the whole winter with just pink worms and be just fine and happy! I could also do the same with jigs, yarn balls and UEC. There are times when we have fished all of our favorite jigs, lures and bait through a hole and on the way out my bro in law drifts "big pink" a 6 inch pink worm through and get slammed! This has happened many times through out the winter!

I caught my biggest steelhead yet a couple of years ago, using a pink worm and float combo. Until then, I really did not have much confidence in the pink worm. That all changed when I caught this fish. My first thought when seeing it jump out of the water should been something like Wow! That was one big ass fish! Instead, it was Wow! The pink worm actually worked! To say the least, I fished pink worms for the rest of the winter with good results. You just have to make up your mind and then do it.

I've only been fishing with him a couple times, but, based on my experience, I think there's probably not a much better pink worm professor than the owner of this website. Probably take a couple years off the learning curve to book a trip with Bob.

I hooked more than a few last winter on the coast, drifting them but lost everyone. But I. Figured it,I wasn't ready for how aggressive they were. Later that same winter I returned and had much better luck!! Easy. Worm's and. Mad river worked the best for me! Good luck

I guess Ill rig a few up and use them for a last resort until I'm convinced. Thanks fot the advice!

I fish them high up in the river after the steelies have had a look at everything that everyone else has thrown at them, and most of the hits are as subtle as when they take a plug.
True story time (really!)
I was fishing legally up high in a no-bait, barbless stretch, came down to a hole where a guy was fishing with egg spooge on his hands.
Hmmm.......
Smiled at him, threw in my SPW (stupid pink worm), picked up a 10 pound buck on my first cast. Released it, it was a wild fish, smiled again, and kept going down the river. Haven't seen him up there since. I hope the fish gods punished him with extreme prejudice.
I recommend the 4 inch worms as well.