bait makes the job easier when fishing for picky fish, but in the end, it's just a big dumb trout and odds are that if it looks like bait, it'll give it a taste test.
i didn't really start fishing roe or shrimp much until a couple years ago, most of my fish were taken on a corky/yarn setup. i can safely say i didn't catch many fish in muddy water, and i really didn't hook all that many fish under optimal conditions either.
if there's less than 8" of visibility and i don't have bait, i concede defeat and go home. unless you're lucky enough to bop one on the nose with a pink worm or something, the fish won't smell it and probably won't see it either, which really decreases your odds of hooking something(unless you're one of the types that fish the 8' leaders and a tiny tuft of yarn, but i'm not gonna lump you in with those goobers just yet).
i've had phenominal luck fishing soft plastics in the last year or so. when water visibility is two feet or greater, i generally leave the egg box at home. gooey bobs and yarn bugs work extremely well when fishing in high visibility conditions, drifted or fished under a bobber depending on what type of water you're fishing and what technique you prefer. i'm even starting to turn on to those pink worm things
strangely enough, a hit on something soft is generally easier to feel than it is on bait.
strangely enough, i often find the old mainstay of the drift fisherman, the little corky, taking the sideline when fishing baitless. i've found that i have better luck using something soft, or fishing a multicolored ball of yarn by itself. the corkies get saved for when i'm fishing bait and want something for a little contrast and flotation, rarely as a primary attractor.
it's my belief that steelhead strike largely on visibility, so if that river's nice and green or clear, tie on something artificial! nice side benefit is that you don't "waste" your eggs on steelhead...you can build them up for fish that it's almost a requirement for, like silvers and kings!
