FORT WORTH, Tx., April 11, 2012 — The Discovery Channel’s “Deadliest Catch” started its eighth season Tuesday night with our favorite crab fishermen of the Bering Sea.
There have been a few changes but it’s still the show fans know and love.
Deadliest Catch veterans Captains Johnathan and Andy Hillstrand of the F/V Time Bandit, and Captain Sig Hansen of the F/V Northwestern and their crews are back once more.
Monte Colburn, brother of Deadliest Catch veteran Captain Keith Colburn of the F/V Wizard is sitting out this season due to shoulder surgery he had three weeks before fishing began. He will hopefully be back to fish for Opilio crabs.
Josh and Jake Harris, sons of the late Captain Phil Harris are on different boats this time around. It wasn’t possible to take the F/V Cornelia Marie to sea then so Josh is now on the F/V Time Bandit and Jake is now aboard the F/V Northwestern.
Captain Elliot Neese welcomes childhood friend Aaron Steiner to the F/V Ramblin’ Rose and Captain “Wild Bill” Wichrowski of the F/V Kodiak replaced his entire crew from last season. F/V Seabrooke Captain Scott Campbell Jr. re-hires his brother, Chris “Whipper” Welch. Only time will tell how these new developments work out.
With his 30th birthday coming in mid-season, young Captain Elliott Neese of the Ramblin’ Rose is more determined than ever to earn respect from his crew, owners, and fellow captains. Photo: Discovery Channel.
This season has the captains dealing with crab quotas that are down due to a decrease in the red king crab population. To give the critters a chance to increase in numbers again the Alaska Department of Fish and Game has cut catch quotas in half.
In response to this several of the captains have decided to fish for red and blue king crab to try to make up for money lost because of the new rules. Blue crabs are not in the usual fishing grounds and they are farther north where the sea is a lot rougher and they are more elusive than their red counterparts.
The debut episode begins the night before heading out to sea. A group from the F/V Northwestern plays a joke on the crew of the Hillstrand’s boat—one of the infamous jokes they are all known for. Members of Captain Sig Hansen’s set an inflatable rubber raft to make a racket opening while the conspirators yell “fire!” after sneaking aboard the F/V Time Bandit. The fire alarm also goes off at this time waking up the ship’s crew who, half asleep, are trying to figure out what happened.
Cameraman Breck Warwick shows off a prize Red King Crab. Photo: Discovery Channel.
It doesn’t take long to guess who is behind the antics. Stay tuned to see what the Captains Hillstrand and group will do in response to their interrupted slumber.
This first show is a great start to what promises to be an exciting 2011 King Crab fishing season.
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