| Genres: | Sports, Action, Nature |
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Wicked Tuna looks at how fisherman from Gloucester, Massachusetts navigate the waters of the controversial blue fin tuna industry.
It stars Bill Monte, the captain of the Bounty Hunter, Ralph Wilkins, the captain of the Odysea, Dave Marciano, captain of the Hard Merchandise, and Captain Dave Carraro of the Tuna.com sailing out to the Northern Atlantic to catch the endangered blue fin tuna, which can sell for tens of thousands of dollars per head to sushi restaurants around the world.
Viewers get to see how the fisherman use individual rods and reels, harpoons, and brute strength to catch one blue fin at time. Catching enough of this fish to support themselves and their families isn't easy, thanks to the dwindling numbers of fish, strict U.S.
blue fin fishing regulations, and the sneaky tactics used to keep each other away from lucrative fishing areas. In between show scenes, information about this species of tuna and details about the controversies surrounding the blue fish fishing industry is offered.
Meet the fleet, as peak season begins and the adrenaline rush of 'monstah' hunting hits Gloucester. We enter mid-season, but this is when the money is made and tempers run hot. Each captain loads his boat with three thousand dollars worth of fuel, bait, and ice, and heads off for open water where the blue gold is waiting. But it doesn't take long for things to sour when there's cash on the line.
After going bust on his last trip, Marciano of Hard Merchandise now wrestles with the trials of being an absentee father when he comes home empty-handed. Though he would prefer a paycheck to a three-thousand-dollar loss, Marciano's family has missed him and shows their love and support while his mind remains on the tuna.
Tuna.com continues its winning streak, catching two fish in one day while the rest of the fleet struggles to even find a spot to fish in between the flocks of 'googans' ' the weekend recreational boaters who seem to make every bite go wrong. Desperate for a catch, Bill of Bounty Hunter starts doing some sleuthing around Gloucester.
Meet Kevin and the Christina, a boat that gets its own real life fish story when it snags an eleven-hundred pound 'monstah' right out of the gate. The story of Kevin's catch, by far the biggest of the season, is the talk of the town and no one takes it harder than Dave on Tuna.com, a born competitor. Dave puts his boat on overdrive to catch up, while Marciano is forced to sit on the sidelines.
After a series of near misses on fish that are below the legal size limit, Captain Ralph of the Odysea is desperate for a keeper, and his first mate Pirate is desperate for a long-delayed paycheck. When he finally finds himself on top of some fish, Ralph gets a distress call from a boat with engine trouble, forcing Ralph to make a tough decision.
An intense storm slams into the shores of Massachusetts, and meteorologists are calling for winds up to 20 to 30 knots and 4- to 6-foot-high waves. Most wouldn't dream of steaming out into conditions like these, but a few are brave enough to dare risk their lives ' the fishermen of Gloucester.
A mixture of bad luck and mutiny brews in this tumultuous episode of Wicked Tuna. Tensions erupt on New England's top tuna boat, FV-tuna.Com, when Captain Dave and Paul get into a heated confrontation that causes Paul to quit! To his dismay, Captain Bill of the Bounty Hunter is working shorthanded as his wife, Donna, has to return to a job on land as a result of an unsuccessful year.
With just two weeks left until the end of tuna fishing season, Bounty Hunter gains a new deckhand. Paul, formerly of Tuna.com, joins the crew, and Captain Bill hopes he will help turn the boat's luck around. But tensions flare when Paul tries to teach a few things to First Mate Scott leaving questions about whether the new arrangement will work.
A hard season with little money to show has taken its toll on the crew of the Odysea, leading Captain Ralph to lash out at his first mate Pirate. The more Ralph yells, the more Pirate tunes him out, leading to more mistakes from Pirate. Something has to give: either Pirate shapes up, or Ralph may ship him out.
With winter approaching and the yearly quota almost filled, the fishermen push their limits to catch the final fish of the season. The clock is ticking, and the fishing is fast and furious. It seems everyone's hooking up but the king of the fleet, Dave, captain of the Tuna.com.
