Fisherman Dave

Steelhead are known for being finicky. Use small hooks, light line, "invisible" (flouro) leader if you can with a micro swivel. I am a firm believer in always carrying a couple dozen worms with me, vs. my buddy who will use roe basically all day. If neither appeal to you I would use 1" yarn flies or clusters sacks, some trout flies/woolley buggers, small pink worms (I really don't know why pink, just going with the flow on this one, they work lol), and single egg beads (you put them on your leader and I personally jam a toothpick in there to keep them pegged 2" above the hook). Flies really seem to work when even the kitchen sink isn't, but still personally my ol' faithful is definitely a fat nightcrawler. Take a peak at your water, do you see eggs or flies drifting by? Match.

As for how to fish them, base that on the conditions and your ambition. Nothing beats some nice drifts and watching your float sink, however if you want to relax with a can and a lawn chair, if there aren't many snags around then go ahead and still fish/bottom bounce (make sure to keep your bait off the bottom though). You can do this with either just split shots, Carolina rig, or a 3 way swivel. Is there enough of a current to drift? If not, usually pointless to have your float sit in one spot. Is the wind going to impede drifts? Maybe stay on the bottom then.

One thing I feel like I need to add, and I feel like I am giving out a secret even though it is so darn obvious: if the 20 guys around you are all still fishing/float fishing using bait and NOT catching anything - USE SOMETHING DIFFERENT! If you want the fish and you are seeing none being caught using the methods most dudes tend to default too (float/bottom bouncing) then rig up a spinner, spoon, or small crank bait and start chucking. Can't tell you how many times I wanted to be lazy but my gut told me I won't catch fish the same way the 20 guys beside me are failing, throw on a spinner, and then next thing you know I got 2 on the bank and everyone is starting to change to spinners. Or vice versa, I was just super bored watching my rod tip to start bouncing and start chucking to kill some time and what do you know? Some of my most productive steelhead days have been off of lures, I'm DONE watching that stupid glow stick on my float before sun rise, I will always chuck till I can actually see the float, then I will float a bit, by then I should see around me what they are (or aren't) being caught on and then adapt. I know it's a catch 22, do you use what you know works and have faith or do you switch it up, me personally I switch things up frequently and have had success, maybe cuz I have piss poor luck and can't rely on the trout hitting my roe vs. the 20 other row sacks on hooks around me on a slow day.

@fisherman2280 that one almost looks like a coho to me, but that's off quick glance. Spots all over tail = rainbow, spots on upper half of tail only = coho. I think, jesus the memory is starting to go...

Where I prefer to fish, there are several spots of so stupid shallow water (we are talking 4" or so) for 50-100 meters, basically 1 or 2 km from the mouth. There's times you go when the water level is low and say "how the hell do these trout make it up this shallow water?" But there are also times you go and say "there is 0 chance a trout is making it up this shallow water." The latter is the issue were facing this year I fear. Trout are not like salmon that will beach themselves and keep bouncing until they make it to the next pool. Of course some of the brave (stupid?) trout will try to make it up those stupid shallows, but they are not like salmon who just go go go no matter what the water is like, trout stack up and stage in pools a hell of a lot more than salmon due this time of year. I have no choice but to move out of my comfort zone to chase the chrome now, which sounds dramatic but I just mean I am going to have to go to tribs that I don't like the look/drive as much and are likely to have more jerkoffs. But the 2-3 tribs I really like to fish are simply not going to get the run this year, so unless I want to still fish in a chair at the pier for a few hours I am going to have to take my hiking elsewhere.

You know the old joke that the run is cancelled this year? Well there is no rain in the forecast where I fish, water is lower than it's been "in 40 years" says every old guy I run into, and my favourite spots way up river are not going to hold fish for a long time because the fish can't get past the first 3 holes due to too shallow water and being pulled out by every angler who are now condensed to those same 3 holes. Crazy because I feel we got the best Chinook run that we have in FOREVER (95% American fish, but still) despite this shallow water, but it's been dry since may so any rain will just get absorbed by the fields instantly. Will be a while yet for the fields to get frozen to the point water can run-off, and were still getting temperatures in the 20's. Before you know it, extended season will be closed without me venturing further than 2km from the mouth. Never thought I would willfully choose to go face the white bucket brigade in some places, but this sucks!

/endrant