The Art of Plugging: Catching Steelhead with Salmo Rattlin' Hornets
When most anglers think of the Salmo Hornet, their minds immediately jump to walleye and bass. It's a reputation well earned — but it's also one that has long overshadowed a fascinating origin story. The Hornet was originally designed as a trout lure, and for steelhead anglers willing to think outside the drift-fishing box, it remains one of the most devastatingly effective presentations on the water. Enter plugging: a technique that is as simple in concept as it is thrilling in execution.
In a recent outing on a Great Lakes tributary, Brandon from Salmo showed how plugging with Salmo Hornets works for steelhead. Fishing from a bridge over a tributary where migratory steelhead run, he broke down the technique from lure selection all the way through to landing fish — including one he estimated was easily pushing 14 pounds.
What Is Plugging, and Why Does It Work?
At its core, plugging is an elegantly straightforward technique. The angler drops a crankbait — in this case a Salmo Hornet — back into the current and allows it to swim in place, held by the tension of the line against the natural flow of the river. Rather than casting and retrieving, you're essentially stationing the lure in prime steelhead holding water and letting the river do the heavy lifting.
The technique is best executed from a drifting or anchored boat, which offers maximum control over lure placement. However, as Brandon demonstrated, well-positioned bridges and certain shoreline access points can be equally productive. The key is finding runs where migratory steelhead are actively pushing upriver — and in the fall, those fish are on the move.
"These steelhead right now in the fall, they're moving around a lot. They're pushing up the river, and when they come across that Hornet swimming in one of these runs — it absolutely just drives them crazy."
Why the Salmo Hornet Is Built for This Job
Brandon calls the Hornets the ultimate lures for plugging steelhead.
Each Hornet is handcrafted and individually tank-tested before it ever reaches the retail shelf.
"Every single one of these lures is handcrafted. They're tank tested and tuned individually before they go into the box, so they're always going to run true for you in this river current."
Every Hornet is also fitted with Mustad KVD Triple Grip hooks, which Brandon believes are the best hooks on the market right now: super sharp, and durable enough to hold up to the thrashing fight you get with a steelhead.
Silent vs. Rattling: Choosing Your Presentation
The Salmo Hornet family includes both silent and rattling models, and understanding when to deploy each is part of developing a refined steelhead plugging game. The original Hornet is a comparatively quiet lure — its only audible signature is the subtle tick of split rings contacting the body as it swims. There are days when that understated presentation is exactly what steelhead respond to.
Most of the time, however, the Rattlin' Hornet is the weapon of choice. The lure features a loud internal rattle chamber that, when combined with the Hornet's signature rod-shaking action, creates a sensory package that steelhead find genuinely difficult to dismiss. The vibration telegraphs up the line and into the rod tip, giving the angler a constant, reassuring confirmation that the lure is performing correctly.
"When you combine that loud internal rattle with that legendary rod-shaking action, these steelhead just can't resist it."
Dialing In Your Depth: The Line Counter Advantage
When you're dropping a Hornet back, Brandon says, figuring out how much line you need to get it in the zone is somewhat of a guessing game, and it can take some time to dial in.
To take the guesswork out of the equation, Brandon relies on line counter reels. Once he finds a depth that's working, he notes the exact footage displayed on the counter. That number then becomes a repeatable reference point for every rod on the bridge or in the boat.
"Once you figure out a depth that's working, you can look at how many feet out you have with that lure and you can dial in your other rods so that everything is matching and you have everything in the zone where those steelhead are."
Reading Your Rod Tip: The Critical Strike Indicator
In plugging, your rod tip is your best friend and your most important diagnostic tool. The consistent, rhythmic pulsing transmitted by a properly swimming Hornet should be visible at the rod tip at all times. If that shake disappears, Brandon says, you have leaves or other debris stuck on the lure.
Leaves and other debris can collect on the lure or the line and completely kill the Hornet's action. A fouled lure, no matter how perfectly positioned, will not catch fish. Monitoring the rod tip is therefore not a passive act — it requires active attention throughout the entire presentation.
"You need to make sure that the rod tip is always shaking from that Hornet's action. If you notice the tip doesn't have that shake, that means we have leaves or some other debris stuck on the lure and it's not going to catch a fish."
When debris accumulates, the fix is usually straightforward. A sharp shake of the rod will often dislodge lighter material. If that fails, the lure needs to be retrieved and cleaned before being re-deployed. It's a small interruption that pays significant dividends in overall effectiveness.
Rod Security, Drag Settings, and Safety on the Bridge
Fishing from a bridge brings a few practical considerations. First, secure your rod: these steelhead can literally rip a rod off the bridge, and you'll lose gear.
Second, keep your drag loose. When a steelhead hits, it will most likely take off on a big run and thrash around.
Make sure you follow all local rules and regulations, and that it's okay to fish from the bridge you want to use. And if the waterway has boat traffic, be mindful of boats: they may not see you or your lines, so pull your line to let them pass.
"If you're fishing a waterway that has boating traffic, please be mindful of the boats. Many times they may not see you. They may not see your lines. So if you see a boat coming, just be courteous — pull your line so the boat can pass."
The Reward: Great Lakes Steel on the End of the Line
During the session, Brandon hooked one fish he called a monster, easily pushing 14 pounds, and landed another he called just a beautiful Lake Michigan steelhead.
"Check that out — just a beautiful Lake Michigan steelhead. These are the kind of fish you can catch while plugging with Salmo Hornets and Rattlin' Hornets."
Brandon says plugging is best done from a boat, which he calls by far the best way to do it, but there are plenty of opportunities from shore and from bridges like this one. Salmo planned follow-up videos on plugging from a boat and from shore with planer boards.
Based on a FishUSA video on plugging for steelhead with Salmo Hornets.
