Worms for steelhead

[Slough Rat4]

I've seen a few fish hooked on pink worms and I'm wondering how many of you have used them and had success? A guide I fished with was running them with divers down the Wilson. Are they best fished drifted or under a Bobber?

SR4

[husker]

SR-

seems to me that u had some excellent training while fishing with the guide. please explain how the setup worked and give us details how to rig the pink worm

[nerta]

:grin: Don't know much about the pink worms. But as a kids we fished the wallowa behind grandpa's flys with garden takle and caught two to one that he caught most days. :cool:

[Steelie Ben]

I have been itching to use a pink worm behind a diver, the shake and roll of them behind a diver would drive steelhead nuts. I just don't have a boat to try this with and behind a side plainer is just way to much confusion. Any of you ifishers ever try one behind lets sat a hot n tot or maybe a mag wart?!? Maybe a 3-4' leader of some 12# stren? I would think you would want the limpest leader you can get to transfer all the shake of the diver to the worm. As far as how to rig it I would try to thread the worm up the leader so the hook would come out near the tail of the worm, I would imagine that get all those short strikers :tongue:
SB

[ 12-19-2002, 05:31 PM: Message edited by: Steelie Ben ]

[Steeliehunter]

Pink worms behind a diver are deadly. I have been using them for six years now. The hot n tot divers give the worm a great action. You can also put a slight bend in the body which gives it a little more action. Most of all the type and how you run the hooks I feel are the most important. Big Poly lil thumper has a nice paddle tail and a thin body just befoe the tail which make the tail just move real gool. You can pick them up at any Gi Joes. I like a two hook set up on a 36" to 48" leader. The one draw back is that you have to thread the leader through the worm with a needle because the two hook setup will tear the small bait apart. Keep the hook size small so you don't take away to much of the action. The fish will hit them like a frieght train and sometimes swallow them. I hope this helps some.
Sean

[skrimmy]

Husker, here's a link to one way of rigging them....

http://www.steelheader.net/steelhead/pink_worm_rigs.htm

[Steelie Ben]

I also heard that putting a small spin n glow at the head helps in high and dirty water!! I need a boat so I can test this theory. :depressed:
SB

[RichH]

http://www.ifish.net/uploads/374917352.jpg

Heres one from a couple of years ago. Six inch power worm behind a hot n tot about 4 feet, one 2/0 hook threaded with the hook near the tail. No subtle bite here. :dance:

[Spot]

For you bankies, try your favorite worm on a jig (with or without marabou). I've had more success on these without a bobber. If you don't get a bite on the initial drop, let it drift naturally and if possible, don't retrieve until after it's finnished its' swing. There can sometimes be a nice surprise waiting for you as the jig/worm swings back to the bank. Also, if you're fishing from an elevated position (like on a cliff), try casting out and jigging your worm back. Let it hit bottom before pulling back again. If a Steelie wants your worm, you'll know it. The takes are usually vicious.

Good Luck!

PS This technique works with small rubber squid also. I like blue in the early winter or in low visibility and pink later on.

[Navigator]

At the end of a day fishing on the Clackamas with no hook-ups I decided graemlins/idea.gif to put on a pink worm I found on the bank and had stashed in with my gear. This worm was beat up. I threaded it on a Uncle Josh's maribou jig and whammo! - fish on! graemlins/1zhelp.gif The fish came unbuttoned after a couple of head shakes and turns. The worm was still good and I made another pass - whammo! fish on! Clearly a different fish. Came unbuttoned :hoboy: . I fished for another half hour with no more takes.

Looking at the steelhead.net techs, I think the idea of a dropper would of helped me. My worm extended beyond the hook a good 2 inches or more - and those Uncle Josh hooks are pretty big (it was a big worm). The water was low and clear (remember early December?) and the big worm in no way spooked the fish. Just the opposite. This will be a go to technique for me in the future.

[steelheadslayer]

I've done well with pink worms driftfished like you would with a bait of eggs. In higher colored water a small spin n glo with 2 beads above a knot of pink yarn tied just above the hookeye can be deadly. Soak the yarn with shrimp scent and hang on. I haven't tried the bait diver or float yet, had to much success just bumping it along. :cheers: