Fishing With The Pink Worm

My introduction to the   Pink Worm 

           While fishing north of the Salmon River a few years ago,  I was accompanied by another skilled angler and a young protégé who we took under our wing for a full day of steelheading.  It was late Fall and we hit the road in the wee hours of the morning so to arrive at first light.  Our greenhorn was still fast asleep in the backseat of the truck, still smelling like last night’s indulgences, without the slightest clue as to what he was in store for.  Figuring we’d have to teach the kid a thing or two, we introduced him to traditional egg sacks under a float and worked hard for a few five-pounders.  My buddy and I each landed two fish, but the rookie had no luck.  We tirelessly worked the lower runs, but to no avail the bite was off.  I felt bad for the kid, four hours in a truck for nothing.  Insisting that he catch at least one, we moved upstream and set up again.  The pool looked perfect, great for a float.  After making several strategic drifts through the meat of the pool, we still had nothing.  I thought we were doomed. I knew that if I couldn’t’t get bit, our rookie never would.  Feeling his stare, I looked over to see him holding his brand new rod and a small yellow plastic baggie. “3” bubblegum worms,“ he said. “What do you think?” “My mom gave them to me for Christmas.” I didn’t know what to say.  There was no chance they’d work. If the fish weren’t turned onto my perfectly prepared eggs, they just won’t eat.  “Give it a try,” I said.  “You never know.”  He rigged the worm on his hook, nonetheless, and drifted the float ten feet and….fish On!  My only reaction was, NO WAY!!!  It couldn’t’t be.  They look like a joke.  But I’m no dummy.  I nearly wrestled him to the pack to get my hands on one for myself. Fish after fish, the three of us cleaned up. I was completely convinced this was one hot bait.  Twenty fish later, we packed up and headed back to Oswego for the night.  But not before we hit the tackle shop so I could purchase a pack of these killer baits.  

Think Big.

          After countless hours of Internet searches, it became apparent that many other steelheaders have experienced the same success with these soft plastics.  Steelhead possess a flight or fight instinct.  Steelhead will sometimes respond  better to  larger presentations, rather than  natural baits which offer a more subtle approach.  The pink worm may be the perfect bait to trigger this response.  It is not uncommon for anglers to drift 6” or larger worms as their offering , inducing vicious reaction bites. Steelhead are not always the shy spooky fish that we have been told, these fish have proven to be aggressive, striking uncommonly large and gaudy baits. 

Rigging The Pink Worm.  

          It is now my experience that worms for steelhead may be rigged in three ways. First, is the “wacky” style, which simply means hooking the worm through the middle and that’s it.  The worm pulsates as if it’s swimming and it is my preferred method when using 3” worms or smaller.  The second method is not quite as simple, but very effective. Begin by purchasing a very large sewing needle at your local craft store.   The needle should be large enough to thread mono through the eye. Cut your leader to length and tie your hook to one end.  Thread your leader thru the needle and insert into the body of the worm about a ½“ up from the bottom.  Then thread your worm up to the top. Pull the worm through onto the mono until the hook lays flat at the bottom.  When you visit the craft store for your needle, pick up something called sequins.  Sequins are those reflective specks used in costumes.  They will act as a washer between the hook eye and the plastic and should be placed on your leader above your hook prior to threading your worm.  The sequins primary job is to keep you from pulling the hook up into the body of the worm when the hook is set.  This presentation is very effective when fish are short hitting baits . The hooks relationship to the tail  ensures good hook ups.  The third and final way to use these plastic worms is with a jig head.  All you do is simply thread the head of the worm onto a lead head jig, tie it off to your leader and fish it like you would fish any other jig.  This presentation works especially well under heavy current conditions because you can really slow things down.  The bottom heavy jig will stay in the strike zone longer, improving your chances in fast moving water. All three methods mentioned above should be presented under a float for the best result.  However, keep in mind, most soft plastic worms float themselves. It is necessary to properly weigh your presentation down by using a split shot or two within about a foot to 18” from the bait.  It may not be necessary to weigh down your jig offerings, but river conditions will dictate. 

Keep Faith In Your Bait.  

Now that we all know how to properly rig the worm, I think it’s about time to talk about how to fish them.  Your technique should not really differ from the way you would fish eggs or any other steelhead bait.  Just concentrate on making the best drifts you can, allowing proper time to cover all the prime holding spots.  This aggressive bite will more than likely happen right away.  Again, “fight or flight“. However, if after spending time covering good water and nothing presents itself,  just move on.  Don’t stand there and fish the spot over and over.  Don’t lose faith in the bait, just find different water.  No bait is perfect, but when the fish want to bite, you can rest assured you will experience an aggressive attack like none other.  The pink worm will almost always deliver this response.

          Most steelheading techniques were born in the North Western United States and many of the products are produced in this region as well.  Thanks to online shopping, you‘ll have no trouble finding this reliable bait. Buy yourself some pink with pride. 

 Look for more fishing related articles to come from the HVS Pro Staff  

 FISH HEAD  - Kurt Schultz

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