Yarn balls, jigs, beads, and hardware

[killigan]

I have been patiently awaiting winter steelhead season to arrive on the coastal systems I fish. While waiting, I have been slowly getting things ready. I'm an artificial guy when steelhead fishing, with confidence in using beads, yarnies, jigs, and hardware. I've been tying up yarnies the last few days, pink/white my best combo. Added a few more jigs to the box, and topped off a few favorite colors of beads. Hope everyone else is excited as I am for winter fishing!
Does anyone have a favorite yarnie color combo they like to tie up?

 

[hobster]

Excited for winters? Not me I have an obscene amount of jigs tied up, Probably about 40 or 50 I've been tying since last winter. Didn't use too many this summer so i'm stocked up. 20 or so beads tied up with a leader and as many corkies/yarn leaders on pipe insulation. Plenty of hardware as well, i'm ready to loose some gear! I'm really hoping for a good run, I think it will be :thumb: I have lots of color variations for different conditions but like the 10mm orange beads, orange/pink corkies and white/pink yarn for winters. Of course red/black also comes in handy. Looking forward to seeing you out there!

 

[TheKnigit]

I can't wait for the season to start! I am almost in the opposite position as hobster though. I went through a bunch of my gear last year and need to start tying some up. I think I am down to something like 3 of 4 yarn balls, a couple of beads, and maybe 2 pink worms. I still have a decent amount bait hooks though.

Favorite yarn combos...I would have to say chartreuse yarn ball with a pink pearl or red corkie, or a red and light pink or white yarn ball. I have grown to be quite the believer in the pink worm also.

 

[pinstriper]

[No message]

 

[Fishnbuck]

I have grown to be quite the believer in the pink worm also.

Do you mind sharing how you prefer to rig the pink worm? I am curious if there are proven methods beyond the bobber and jig. Coming from San Diego, where we used plastics to fish large-mouth bass in reservoirs, I am not sure how well those techniques will translate to stream fishing for salmonids.

 

[TheKnigit]

I will see if I can take a photo this evening and post it. All of my steelhead rigging is done using hand tied bait loop hooks that I tie myself. I think it saves me a little bit of money in the long run, and it is kind of therapeutic.

I am sure there is a better way to do it, or maybe some fancy tool, but I simply thread the hook through the worm and slowly work it up the line until the hook is completely out of the worm. I try and set the worm so that it rests on the eye of the hook and the base of the hook is about even with the tail of the worm. Then I thread pink pearl corkie on top of the worm.

When I fish it I typically drift it without a bobber. My mainline runs to a tri-barrel swivel that has a snap on the middle branch. Off of the snap I place whatever weight gets me to just bounce off of the bottom in the current, then on the lower swivel I tie the worm.

 

[Hookset]

I have also been slowly getting ready for the winter season. I also have many favorite colors depending on water conditions. Go to set up would be a flat red corkie with white yarn. I am amazed at the amount of people that like the pink worm. I have fished it for a few years in many different configurations with out catching a fish. I have even convinced my self that I didn't give it enough time for it to work so i dedicated full day of fishing to the worm on a couple of trips and nothing still. Maybe someday it will work.

 

[C_Run]

I heard of a winter caught on the coast this past week, FYI.

Other than that, I have made up a batch of my spoons for the season, and I have so many jigs and pink worms left over, I can't imagine getting into tying my own. One of these days I will learn how to drift fish.

 

[hobster]

I have also been slowly getting ready for the winter season. I also have many favorite colors depending on water conditions. Go to set up would be a flat red corkie with white yarn. I am amazed at the amount of people that like the pink worm. I have fished it for a few years in many different configurations with out catching a fish. I have even convinced my self that I didn't give it enough time for it to work so i dedicated full day of fishing to the worm on a couple of trips and nothing still. Maybe someday it will work.

Same here. I have landed steelies on everything I've tried except the pink worm. I have drifted with a corkie like TheKnigit described and used a jig head as well. I've used worms of all colors and sizes and no luck. I don't use them that much because I don't have the confidence in them, and I think that is most important on the river (once you know what you're doing). See what happens this winter, i'll bust em out at some point.

 

[TheKnigit]

No Title

Sorry it took so long to get any photos up. The last photo is a shorter leader than I normally run, but I was trying to get everything all in one photo. Hopefully you can see it. I have had pretty decent luck with this, but the water has to be relatively clear. It seems that if there is any tinge of brown, or mud, in the water at all they don't work. Which I am sure makes using them on certain rivers kind of pointless.

 

[Fishnbuck]

Thanks for the pics.

 

[hobster]

Sorry it took so long to get any photos up. The last photo is a shorter leader than I normally run, but I was trying to get everything all in one photo. Hopefully you can see it. I have had pretty decent luck with this, but the water has to be relatively clear. It seems that if there is any tinge of brown, or mud, in the water at all they don't work. Which I am sure makes using them on certain rivers kind of pointless.

Those look like fish slayers. I have also seen another method in which the line is threaded through the worm with a needle from the bottom. That way you have a smaller hole in the worm and you can also attach a small bead above the hook so it does not slide back up into the worm. I've had that happen to me, but I also can't catch fish with em

Right on Barb, If anyone wants to purchase jigs get them from Waco. He makes great quality jigs for a very reasonable price. I still have a few and they are so pretty I don't want to fish them Also has blanks so you can tie your own, and they are better quality and cheaper than the Gami's I get at Bi Mart.

 

[TheKnigit]

I never thought of using a needle. That is a pretty darn good idea. Those jigs are sweet. I might have to give those a try.

 

[steelhead_stalkers]

Crazy! I never thought I would see Barb post an advertisement like that.

 

[hobster]

I use your beads, yarn, worms and krill scent in my guidepack on the river. Steelhead Stalkers is another great local business owned by a forum member! There's a little plug for you Chad

 

[BaldTexan]

My go to is silver/gold #4 and silver/blue spinners, but I also do well with 10 mm beads. Having said that, I caught my first ever winter on a black/red/white worm rigged as above but without the corkie. I also like rigging them under a bobber but hook them perpendicular to the hook shank right in the middle of the worm. Looks very enticing in the water.


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[killigan]

The pink worm has not produced for me either, but I lack confidence with it, so that could be the main factor. Found this nose down wacky rig setup; will be giving it a try this winter. Cheers