Daily Experiences of Trolling for Salmon

Boat appears (white spot) as fog lifts
The state finally opened up troll fishing for 5 days a week two weeks ago so we have been doing a lot more fishing and having a lot less time with any cell service or internet connection. The number of fish caught is still relatively low but I continue to love the outdoor work and beauty of Alaska. Everyday is a new adventure – whether it’s breaching whales, state troopers boarding our boat or dense fog.
Radar. Each mark is a boat we can't see!

The West Channel was open for fishing just 1 day a week and this area is a bit further out to sea so everyone wanted to see if that is where the Kings are. So, last Monday, we joined 50 other boats in the same area in thick fog looking for fish!

Chart. Red mark is us trying to stay in 20+Fathoms
Piloting thru dense fog (maybe a ¼ mile visibility) is quite intense! There are no road markings to keep everyone in their own “lanes” as you have in a car so it is truly driving blind. our electronic instruments suddenly become very important! I had to keep a close watch on both the radar (to make sure I didn’t hit any other boats) and the charts (to make sure I didn’t drag any gear or run aground). This was the most stressful day of fishing so far by a long shot!

Another day we were boarded by the Alaska State Troopers. They periodically board boats to check fishing licenses and see what you have caught to ensure everything is legal. They come up behind the boat (between our inside fishing lines so this alone is a feat) and one trooper jumps aboard. Then they back their boat off and follow behind us while the onboard trooper checks all our paperwork, looks in our hold and totes and asks a bunch of questions.  I’m glad they are making sure everyone is following the rules, like we do, but it is a bit intimidating to have them on board and following close behind as I navigate around shallow spots!

Sea life continues to put on a good show. One day we saw a Minke whale (smaller then Humpbacks at 18 - 20 feet) about 50’ off our starboard. It swam in front of us and into St John Baptist Bay where it started breeching over and over again. It looked like a (very) large fish jumping completely out of the water and it did it 7 times! There was a small cruise ship passing thru the Narrows at the time and they stopped to watch it as it was very near their boat – I’m sure those passengers will relate this story to their friends and family as well!


We also saw a sea lion with a King that came to the surface to eat it. It almost appeared like he was playing with his food. He bit the king in the middle and then thrashed his head side to side, ripping a bite out as he flung the fish away. Then he grabbed it again and repeated the process, over and over, until all that was left was the tail, which he swallowed whole. It was fascinating watching, however we couldn’t help but wish we had caught that fish instead of him : )

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