We’ve put together a good selection of plugs that will cover every situation you’ll find on our local rivers.

Plugging for Steelhead

Every year here in Washington State, some of the biggest Steelhead are caught using plugs. A plug is a lure that dives in the river current. The shape of a plug’s bill will cause it to wiggle with an erratic action, triggering some pretty explosive Steelhead strikes.

Mostly fished from a boat, the trick is to maneuver down the river while working your plug through stretches that most likely hold Steelhead. As the plug works it’s way through a drift, a Steelhead will need to make the judgement call to either retreat or attack.

An aggressive Steelhead couldn't turn down a Yakima Bait Mag Lip 3.5 in the Doctor Death color! Photo by Will Stoll.

Steelhead Plugging FAQ’s

What are good plugs for Steelhead fishing?

We offer a dozen really productive plug models for Steelhead. Here is a list of our top 6 best plugs that we would recommend for Steelhead fishing in Washington State.

1. Yakima Bait Mag Lip 3.5
2. Yakima Bait Mag Lip 3.0
3. Brad's Wiggler
4. Storm Wiggle Wart
5. Luhr Jensen Kwikfish 11X
6. Luhr Jensen Hot Shot 30

How to pick the best plug color for Steelhead?

Conditions can change from day to day on your river, and selecting the right plug shape, color and size can make all the difference. Not only is river color/clarity a factor but so are where you are in the river, water temperature, and river height. We alone offer over a hundred variations of colors & sizes for Steelhead Plugs, but the best rule is to have a variety of color types. Chrome, Gold and Copper are great base colors for clear water, some of our colors add a splash of color to the base spicing them up a little. Brighter colors like metallic pinks, blues, purples are great options when the river is a little off-color and the fish are aggressive. When the river is running high and dirty, metallic pinks, metallic chartreuse and brighter reds and pinks can be the ticket to catch Steelhead.

What kind of rod and reel should I use for Steelhead plugging?

Typically you want plug rod that has a sensitive tip that shows the action of the plug, but enough power to control a big Steelhead and get them to net or shore when the battle is over. We like a 7’6” to 8’6” magnum taper rod. Pair it with a Daiwa Lexa 100/300 Line-counter reel or an Okuma Coldwater 20 Line-counter reel. Here are a couple rods we really like for pulling plugs:

• Okuma SST Cork Handle, 2-piece 8-17 lb line, Med rod
• Okuma SST Carbon Handle, 2-piece, 8'6" 8-17 lb line, Med rod

• Okuma SST Carbon Handle, 2-piece 8'6" 10-25 lb line, Med-Hvy rod

What hooks should I use on my Steelhead plugs?

All of the plugs we showcase above come rigged with two treble hooks and can work great right out of the package. Some rivers require only single point hooks, one hook, or barbless hooks. Check out the regulations before you go, if you need to swap hooks and want some ideas, check out our post Our Favorite Hooks Options for Steelhead Plugs

What kind of line should I use for pulling plugs?

The main decision you need to make is whether to use a braided line or a copolymer line. Braided line is nice because it has zero stretch and it transfers every action of the plug to your rod tip, making it very obvious when your plug is working and when it isn’t. We will run P-Line EndurX or X-Braid in 30 to 50 lb. Copolymers are really popular with some plug pullers, as it is a little more spongy and has some stretch, when that Steelhead inevitably hammers your plug.

How much line should I let out when pulling Steelhead plugs?

When we are fishing from our drift boat, we usually let out between 40’ to 50’ of line. This allows the plugs to work their wiggling magic far in front of our boat.

What is the best way to fish Steelhead plugs from my boat?

The two most common methods is to pull plugs (backtroll) or anchor, each has it's time and place.

Backtrolling Steelhead Plugs

When your river is at it’s prime, with average flows and good clarity, Steelhead will find themselves either holding in a nice spot or slowly moving up the system. When you approach a nice stretch that has a good depth of 4 to 10 feet and moderate speeds (walking to running speed), position the boat on the upper end and deploy those plugs. If you’re in a drift boat or raft, the oarsman keeps the boat picks a line to follow as they slowly maneuver the boat down the drift, backing those plugs down, hopefully intercepting a Steelhead holding in the run.

Anchoring with Steelhead Plugs

This method is most effective when the river has high flows and lower visibility. Steelhead typically use these conditions as an opportunity to migrate up the river. They will usually take the path of least resistance when travelling, and when the river is high, those soft edges along the main current will usually be the best place to anchor and intercept. Find an area where you think there is a Steelhead travelling lane, set your anchor and let those plugs out, this technique is more of a waiting game, but really fun with the river is off color and too high for other techniques.

Can I fish plugs from the bank?

While most Steelheaders would consider plugs to be more of a “boat lure” there are a few situations where fishing plugs from the shore can be worthwhile. The most common bank fishing technique with plugs would be plunking. If you are plunking for Steelhead, sliding a plug down the line can be a really effective method, and one of the best lures to use if you are fishing on a river with a bait restriction. Check out our Steelhead Plunking with Plugs rigging guide.