Originally developed as a steelheading technique on Vancouver Island, the pink worm is perhaps the most popular conventional tackle offering in Canadian waters for both summer and winter fish. The pink worm is beginneg to develop a following in the Pacific Northwest.

The pink worm can be rigged several different ways. In Canada, the pink worm is most often "bottom bounced". We've had success in fishing it on a bare jig hook under a float, and backtrolled behind a diver. These worms float, so it is necessary to add weight to keep them in the steelhead's field of vision. Adjust the depth below the float to keep the worm a foot or so off the bottom.

The pink worm can be rigged for drift fishing as well. Many times a steelhead will follow the worm and take it as it dances enticingly in the soft water below you.

Use a bait threader, or long needle to thread the leader through the worm.

Threading the worm is easy, if you get a Bait Threader (Needle). We find it easiest to wet the threader before proceeding, then starting about an 1 1/2 inches above the tail, slide the threader into the worm.

Your next step is to thread the needle up the worm, this is best achieved by a combination of pushing the needle in and pulling down on the worm. Just make sure to do your best to thread straight through the body. If you exit the side, just slide the needle back a little and keep working it up the needle.

Make sure to exit the worm at the very tip top. Then, continue to slide the worm down the needle (threader). This is best achieved by grabbing the entire body of the worm with your fingers in order to keep it from bunching up too badly as you push the needle all the way through.

Your next step is to take a leader (with a hook attached of course) and run just an inch or two through the hole (eye) of the needle. For hooks, we generally run 2/0's. We'll use about three feet of leader for use under a bobber and about five feet for use behind a bait diver.

Then, just as you would pull a needle and thread through a piece of cloth, pull the threader and line through the worm. Again, you might find it best to grab as much of the worm as you can when you slide the leader through until you get to the hook. You'll find that you kind of have to stretch and move the worm in order for it to lay straight on the leader. It must lay straight on the leader rather than curled for it to impart fish-catching action (or so it seems to me, anyhow). As you are fishing it, sometimes you'll have to adjust the worm so that it lays in a straight line.

Fishing the bobber and worm works best along current seams. Make sure to allow the rig to sit in some of that totally slack water too, you'll be amazed at how many fish you yank out of it.

Products discussed in this article:
The pink worm
Bait Threader


piscatorialpursuits.com contributed to this article

Anyone fishing with the pink worm? As the river flow increases, I plan on switching to this technique.

Have only had limited success with the pinks here on the east side. Will keep trying though.