When most people think of fishing, they immediately envision a serene and relaxing activity that is the perfect way to spend a beautiful day. However, that image changed for a lot of people in 2005 when Deadliest Catch debuted on the Discovery Channel. The series follows crab fisherman as they venture out into the ocean in search of Alaskan king crab and snow crab. The fishermen often have to brave harsh weather and intense storms and the job can quite literally turn deadly in just a matter of seconds. At the same time, however, the reward that comes with huge hauls makes many people feel like the job is worth it. So, just how big can these hauls be? You might just be surprised. Continue reading to learn more about the biggest hauls in Deadliest Catch history.
1. Josh And Casey’s Huge Haul
Josh Harris and Casey McManus have been part of the show since season 10 and during that time they have made some some serious cash. Their fearlessness has allowed them to weather all sorts of storms only to come out on the other side with more crab than most people could imagine. In 2020, they found themselves in a tough situation when they started to experience some issues with the F/V Cornelia Marie’s block. Not only were they able to fix the issue, but it resulted in them bringing in a very big haul. One the crabs started hitting the deck, everybody on the boat was overjoyed.
2. $1.8 Million Dollar Season
Prior to Deadliest Catch, most people weren’t aware just how much money people could make fishing for crabs. In 2019, Mandy Hansen of F/V Northwestern reminded viewers just how lucrative the crab fishing business can be. After following a gut feeling, Mandy decided to set down parallel strings. The decision may have seemed risky at the time, but it turned out to be the right one. The cages were full of crabs and resulted in a $1.8 million season for the crew. In addition to earning money, Mandy also earned the respect of her father and the rest of the guys on the boat.
3. Success On Ice
One of the cool things about crab fishing is that you never know what you’re doing to get. Sometimes this can work against you, but there are also times where it can really work in your favor. Jake Anderson and the F/V Saga crew got to experience the positive side of this in 2020 when they found themselves in the perfect spot to bring home some crab. Each time a cage was hauled up, it was full and Jake almost couldn’t believe his eyes.
During the clip, Jake mentioned that each pot was worth about $6,000 to $7,000 and they were hoping to bring in at least 70 of them. With those numbers, the crew could easily bring in half a million dollars from fishing in that one spot alone. By the time they were done, there was crab all over the boat and Jake referred to is as “the hottest snow crab fishing I’ve ever seen in my life.”
4. Crab Jackpot
Just because dealing with storms is a regular part of fishing for crab doesn’t make it any less stressful. Needless to say, if these fishermen are going to risk life and limb, they want to at least come back with sometime to show for it. When Josh and Casey found themselves heading towards rocky waters, they didn’t know what to expect. Still, in the midst of one of the season’s biggest storms they continued to hope for the best – and that’s exactly what they ended up getting.
Their haul ended up bringing in massive amounts of crab. Instead of the typical 200 crab that is typically in an opie pot, Josh and Casey found themselves bringing up about 800 crabs per pot. In the clip, Josh said, “this is the best opie fishing I’ve seen in my career.”
5. Northwestern Team’s Surprisingly Big Haul
When you’re working out at sea, surprises can either be a really good thing or a really bad thing. In 2019, the crew on the F/V Northwestern got one of the best surprises ever. Not only was it not a good day for the boat, but they were already a bit behind for the season. Despite feeling discouraged they decided to keep pushing forward. That decision resulted in them bringing home a massive haul. Each pot brought in more crab than the team was anticipating. Not only was Sig happy about the money, but he was also happy that he could finally start heading home to his wife.
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