Some anglers need every lure, plug, jig and rig that hits the sporting goods store shelves. But once on the water, they may spend more time changing from one thing to the other and miss out on hook-in-the-water time.

There’s a better way to go about it, one that combines all three keys to attracting big salmon: sound, scent and sight.

Buy the Silver Horde Ace Hi Fly in blue and green, a handful of No. 8 Gold Wing glow beads (both green and white), some 40-pound Maxima leader, a Hot Spot Flasher -- and if you want to get fancy, a couple of wing bobbers and some Smelly Jelly.

Now, rig a 42-inch-long leader as follows: First, snell two hooks -- one point up, the other point down. Add five glow beads in alternating colors. Thread the leader through the Ace Hi Fly and start on the next one.

The stiff Maxima leader is critical, since it effectively transmits to the fly the flasher’s violent side-to-side motion. The Ace Hi Fly’s multi-faceted head and its sparkling Mylar and plastic skirt catch the UV light to attract fish. The flasher provides both noise and light. The Smelly Jelly does just what its name implies.

One final rigging tip: Salmon are short-strikers, so when you tie the leader, make sure the second hook extends beyond the fly skirt.

When you get ready to fish, attach the flasher to your running line. Tie the leader to the other end of the flasher. Then daub Smelly Jelly or another attractant on the rear hook, the head of the fly, the length of the leader, and the flasher.

Don’t smear any on the fly skirt, or it’ll clump the skirt together, defeating the fish-catching action.

Before you hitch your boat for the drive out to Neah Bay, make sure you check the current fishing regulations pamphlet for Marine Area 4’s season opening and any special emergency regulations.

For those new to Neah Bay fishing, the Salmon University Web site, www.salmonuniversity.com, has area maps, fishing and weather reports, and other great information to review before you go.

INSIDE NEAH BAY
There are tons of good areas to fish inside Neah Bay. But the fishing is usually a bit tougher, if only because the fish are slightly more focused on traveling than feeding.

John Keizer, co-founder of Salmon University, favors vertical jigging around Waddah Island and Duncan Rock. Keep your tackle basic by using a 50-pound, low-stretch running line, 4 to 6 feet of 25-pound monofilament leader and a white Point Wilson dart.

“If you’re not vertical, you’re not jigging,” Keizer said. So use your motor to control drift if necessary. Special rods aren’t necessary. Just be sure they have plenty of backbone and are rated for your running line.

Motor-mooching or trolling off downriggers works as well. Look for water where the bottom drops off from 100 feet down to 250 feet. Fish along the dropoff to hook the chinook following the contour lines, said Wiest. Structure-oriented chinook travel those lines as they migrate along the north edge of the Olympic Peninsula into Puget Sound. But this tactic won’t work if you are fishing later in the year for coho, which swim right down the middle of the Strait.

OUTSIDE NEAH BAY
Out here, most boats run flashers and hoochies off downriggers. If you’re on the water at first light, set one rod at 30 feet, the second at 45 feet and another at 60 feet. There will be schools of fish between those extremes.

As the sun rises and the fish descend, drop your gear with them -- to about 150 feet. On occasion, the bait balls and the salmon feeding on them will be 50 fathoms down. Make sure you have lots of cable.