what are some of the "non traditional" lure/fly/bait you've caught steelies with?

CAUTION LAPIP
(long azz post in progress)
 
  I'm not a troutgawd like many here... and  have had plenty slow bite/no bite days while chucking junk at finicky lockjaw'd fish in gin clear low/no flow pools
 
years ago I'm fishing just such conditions over a 100+ fish all to myself ( 20 years ago that was possible on Elk )
and relatively common on weekdays in poor rain starved conditions..... "you shudda been there"...
...anyway, after a couple hours of tying on every traditional fly/yarn/bugger/streamer in every size and  color of the rainbow ....
and not getting so much as a look, I'm frustrated as 'ell
 
so I went off the res and tied on a 2.0 bass hook and gigundo soft plastic bass bait
as soon at it hit the water fish start reacting..some from 20-30ft away as it slowly drifted suspended/weightless thru the water column.
 
NOW I'm having fun
Didn't catch many due to the gigundo size  appendage, tail 'n skirt flailing soft plastic thing (it was my BIG bass goto) and large hook 
did manage to catch a couple that attacked/bit/slashed at   it at the right angle to get the hook in the mouth
But  I'm having a ball watching fish charge and swat at it with face and tail regardless of hook-ups .
 
one of the more interesting things I observed was when  one of 'em forced it down and  gave  it head butts against the creek bed .
Didn't bite, just used the side of it's face  to mash the uglybug on the bottom
 
 
since that learning experience , I've gone "off the res" many times with success when "normal" stuff wouldn't produce 
and seen some guys over the year kill 'em on non traditional stuff
 
 
here's the only pic I have of one
that's like a 1 oz smallie jig I was splunkig in a slow clear pool for chits 'n giggles
I killed 'em on it til I hung up on bottom and lost it
 

 
 
 
 
what "non traditional" baits/flies/lures have you landed steel on?
 
 
..L.T.A.

Bare slow sinking, twisted gum wrapper, shaped into a hook. Just had that natural appeal.😎

can't say till January still catch them on it every year not a spoon from bass to steelhead easy transition . 

He meant he can’t tell anyone till January so no one uses it lol

A big floppy green diLLDO

nope not it . is that your favorite color you use ?

Biggest, ugliest streamer you can find. Or, the smallest little nymph you can hold. Side note: was fishing in CO this past week and was nailing Rainbows on a purple San Juan with a pink tungsten bead. Just interesting enough for them to take!

genieman77

rsquared
Never caught any steelhead on anything out of the norm, but I still chuckle at how readily they'll eat a 3" bright pink piece of rubber.  

 
ever had one bite your float?
 
 
that's happened a handful  of times to me over the years
 
.L.T.A.

I even caught a few on my float a few times,  way back when I used a spinning rod.  I was using a little pink styrofoam ball. I kept getting hits at it, so I attached a hook to it, and started getting more hits on it than my egg sacs.

genieman77
 
ever had one bite your float?
 
 
that's happened a handful  of times to me over the years
 
.L.T.A.

 
Since I'm a lowly bait chucker I just call 'em bobbers 
 
Yep, I've had 'em bite my bobber and even pull it under.  Never got lucky like the captain though.  

My biggest Steelhead from the Niagara River was caught on a piece of imitation rubber skein. They looked good in the package so I tried them ....no smell too ! Had a friend fishing with me on Oak Orchard in the 80's landed a nice fat 10lb. Brown ...asked him what was the secret bait ?....he reached in his vest and showed me a container with green peas !....lol 
 I've seen it all !

No BS, cigarette butt cotton. Also, pink piece of carpet.
Those are the 2 memorable anyhow.
 
BH

don't know if power bait is out of norm threw a pole out with orange glitter forgot about the pole seen a steelhead jumping all around boat biggest one I got to date .

Many years ago there was a small group of older gentleman that regularly fished the tribs. They were locals, active 3CU members and good guys. Anyways, they fished pieces of colored sponge soaked in vaseoline and cod liver oil with great success. Anyone still use sponge?
 
PT2 

C'mon fess up..... how many, all yinz all squirted yinz baits with WD 40??

Be honest now, remember yinz all will go to heck, for lieing.

Wait...! What??

How silly of me, fisherman don't lie, we merely fabricate the truth!!!😇

lol yeah i seen a guy use tuna in oil tied into small fingernail sacs smear them once no kidding