For a different attack, try fly fishing. A Clouser Minnow patterned after a small shrimp on a sinking line can kill them. As others said, look for rips in the current, where the water appears to run out between two areas where waves break (on each side of it). Surfers use these rips to paddle out easily without having to battle the waves. For the fish, they sometimes sit on the edges and pick off the groceries going by. 2 -4 feet deep is often fine for many fish. No muss, no fuss. Keep a tight line and feel for the bite.
Keep moving if you're not getting bit.
Nothing but Halibut, Lings and True Cod are better than salmon in my book - and I change that opinion every time I eat salmon.