Mention salmon fishing in the West, and most folks envision big water and big boats festooned from bow to stern with the latest electronics, downriggers, rod holders, multiple outboards, high-dollar rod-and-reel combos and a slew of baits, lures and other terminal tackle. However, there’s another side to Western salmon fishing that doesn’t involve a boat at all. Indeed, many salmon anglers stick to terra firma and catch all the hard-fighting, fresh-from-the-ocean kings and silvers their arms can handle.
But there’s a bit more involved in shore-based salmon fishing than randomly choosing a spot on a jetty and slinging the first thing you grab from the tackle box. In fact, there are some perhaps surprising similarities between bank and boat fishing, and if you’re looking to consistently capitalize on salmonids from…