Exactly, match your float and weight to the water you are fishing.
Like Biffchan said, Steelhead are way easier to entice a bite from then a salmon.
You just need to know how to control your drifts, and cover water till you find where they are.
I personally believe you can have good success fishing heavier gear for steelhead, although I try and keep mine to a minimum. My first year I did quite well with a thumb nail size gooey bob, 2/0 hook, and 12 pound leader. Just to give you an idea of how aggressive these fish are.
One thing about these fish are they will hold honestly anywhere, although I have a good idea where they would most likely hold. Some of the places iv seen them hold and bite still amazes me.
Another important part once you learn how to fish different pieces of water and read water, is to put yourself a circuit together. Once you learn a circuit, you can effectively and quickly fish through it and move on to your next circuit. Try having a circuit on the lower, middle and upper so you can keep up with the moving fish wherever they might be.
Also If you hook a fish in an area, keep fishing that area because there will be more around and I find they will sometimes hold in that same area for a week or two before moving out. Which are usually when people go through there fish streaks.Good luck.