A few years back (200, I was privileged to have visited friends who lived on Douglas Island, just across the Gastineau Channel from Juneau, Alaska. A fishing trip was arranged so I could fish for salmon in the Inside Passage. What they had was a little cabin cruiser (maybe 30') which was powered by an inboard engine that used a lot of gas (very expensive in that area!) and so they had rigged a motor mount on the stern using a 9 hp Evinrude outboard just for trolling. Everybody did their turn on the tiller of the little outboard so everyone had an opportunity to fish, and when it was my turn we were on the leeward side of Shelter Island - I tried to post one of my pics but could not get it to work so I found one on a Goggle search listed below so you can see the area. Anyway, I had just got started my turn when all of a sudden, not any more then 50' from the boat, two humpbacked whales surfaced, side by side, and traveling in the same direction we were heading. Now, I've never in my life before that ever seen a whale, let alone have one that close! Their tails were every bit as large as the boat! I like to have made a mess in my britches! Someone had to relieve me of my turn steering as I was that overwhelmed at the sight! The locals told me that frequently happens, kinda like they come up to see what your doing and maybe say hello. And let me say I saw the eye of the nearest whale and it did seem he/she was looking at us!

Bottom line, that was the greatest experience I've ever had fishing. And that Alaska fishing trip was a trip of a lifetime for me. By the way, we caught silver salmon, I caught two of them ... and do they (did they) ever eat good!


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shelter...d_%28Alaska%29