Harpoon Hunters S01 E01
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00:00Off the shores of Cape Cod, generations of harpoon fishermen made their living with nothing
00:19but a fast boat, a strong arm, and nerves of steel.
00:27Today, only a handful of locals continue this centuries-old tradition, and their bounty
00:37is bluefin tuna.
00:38Hit him!
00:39Hit him!
00:40Hit him!
00:41Hit him!
00:42Back it down!
00:43Back it down!
00:44Woo!
00:45The bluefin they hunt demand the highest prices around the world.
00:47You can make a lot of money.
00:51Wild-caught bluefin tuna are one of the most sought-out fish in the ocean.
00:55Nice throw!
00:56Yeah, brother!
00:57That was perfect!
00:58The bluefin tuna have rebounded significantly over the last decade.
01:02They're big.
01:03They're strong.
01:04They're fast.
01:05Oh, yeah!
01:06And they're incredibly hard to catch.
01:07Get him!
01:08Stick him!
01:09Get him!
01:10You got him, baby!
01:11The window to catch is short.
01:14Time on the ocean equals money in your pocket.
01:16The competition, brutal.
01:17You're following my plan around, and you know it!
01:20Come mouth off to me, buddy!
01:21See how that works out!
01:23And the financial risks, severe.
01:25Big pressure on to get some fish on the boat.
01:28We've got to support our families for the whole winter, so we need to get some fish.
01:31It's opening day for the bluefin harpooning season.
01:34Battle stations, boys!
01:36You get a plane, you get a chance, you get a fish.
01:39And it's time for the harpooners to take their shot.
01:58All right, let's get this thing done.
02:01Now, go underneath.
02:04You got it, baby.
02:06I need the front of the pulpit to probably go up a foot.
02:09Okay, you got to go nose up a little bit.
02:12What this thing's supposed to do, it sticks 27 feet over the water,
02:1527 feet closer to the fish,
02:17before they sense the presence of the boat and they swim away.
02:21All right, you want to go for a boat ride?
02:24It's time to go harpooning.
02:27Good day to fish.
02:29You're on your way.
02:32Been ready for this day for the last four months.
02:35My name is Tyler McAllister, and I am the captain and owner of the Cynthia C2.
02:39I've been harpoon fishing since 1985.
02:41This is my 40th year fishing.
02:43I'm the most experienced harpooner in this fleet.
02:45I've landed more bluefin than anyone else out here.
02:47They don't have to like me, but these guys know what I'm capable of.
02:51Cynthia C2 is arguably the best harpoon boat ever fished.
02:57For stealth, and everything I do to the boat makes it even stealthier.
03:01I maintain the boat with a high attention to detail.
03:04There's $100,000 worth of aluminum on this thing.
03:06You have to have a tower and a pulpit,
03:08and they have to be built to your boat.
03:10It's a very expensive endeavor just to get started.
03:13But the boat itself, I'm confident,
03:16is going to be performing very, very well.
03:19I'm a crack addict when it comes to harpoon fishing.
03:24How do you flush the toilet in this sucker?
03:28The first fish is always the start of the season for all of us.
03:32Obviously, my goal is to get the first fish of the season.
03:38I just got a text.
03:40Tyler left.
03:42Let's go.
03:44Are we good? We're rolling?
03:46My name is Joe Dion, and I'm captain of the Red Rum.
03:50I'm one of the youngest in the fleet.
03:53I've been doing harpoon fishing since I was around 13 years old.
03:56I took 2 years off of harpooning
03:58because my kids got sick with muscular dystrophy.
04:01I took those 2 years to start a foundation,
04:04but now I'm really excited to get back on the water.
04:07I missed the hunt, and I need the money to support my family.
04:11Lower the pulpit, bolt it up, get ready to go.
04:14The owner of the boat, Nathan Elliott,
04:17he's new to the harpoon game.
04:19Whoa, whoa, whoa!
04:22A lot of people don't realize how hard it is,
04:25so Nate's hired me to teach him the ropes.
04:28Oh yeah, solid, dude, all good.
04:30It's stressful.
04:32I'm really rusty at the beginning.
04:34It's the start of the 2024 Lufen Tuner Harpoon Fishery.
04:38I'm going to try not to let the pressure get to me,
04:41but I need to get used to the boat,
04:43and I need to get used to throwing again.
04:45All right, let's roll.
04:47We're going to smoke this category
04:49All right, Kevin, I'm ready whenever you are.
04:52You got it?
04:54Yeah.
04:56Just putting the pulpit down.
04:58It is 19 feet, 1 inch.
05:00As we all know, that extra inch makes all the difference.
05:03My name's Nico Chaprales.
05:05I'm captain of the fishing vessel Easy Does It.
05:08I've been a competitive powerlifter since I was 14,
05:11and when I wasn't harpooning with my dad,
05:14I built my career as a champion strongman.
05:18But this season, it's time for me to step up.
05:20This is a very unique season,
05:22considering this is my first year
05:24as the captain of the Easy Does It.
05:26Unfortunately, we lost my father, Billy, last year.
05:28He was always our captain,
05:30and he was always the one that everybody turned to,
05:33and now that responsibility falls on me.
05:35The big question mark really is
05:37how are we going to be able to perform
05:39without Billy at the helm?
05:41All right, let's get out of here.
05:43We're headed out east end of the Cape Cod Canal.
05:47The joys of being 6'3 and having a small boat.
05:53Big day, big day.
06:03It's the first day of the season,
06:05and this fishery's managed by a quota system.
06:07The quota for the harpoon category
06:09is a little over 59 metric tons.
06:11And once 59 tons is caught, the season's over for us.
06:16In the harpoon category, you're allowed 5 fish a day,
06:19and that's because it's such a weather-dependent fishery,
06:22you don't get a lot of days
06:24where you have the opportunity to catch multiple fish.
06:27You know, the season can be 4 weeks long,
06:29it could be 6 weeks long.
06:31We don't know.
06:33So every day counts.
06:35There's two harpoon boats up there.
06:37Already?
06:39Oh, yeah, I got them.
06:43It's the red rum.
06:46Oh, that's a good sign.
06:48See a bait.
06:51One of the tuna's favorite food, bogeys.
06:54We can't let Tyler get to these fish first.
06:56No, we don't want Tyler to get any fish before us, no.
06:59We're going up.
07:01We want to get the first fish of the year.
07:03We want to stay ahead of Tyler.
07:05Tyler McAllister is probably our biggest competition this year.
07:08All right.
07:10He's a competitive guy, we all are.
07:12We have to fight for this limited quota,
07:15and a lot of harpooners, you'll learn, don't like each other.
07:17And it's tough to get us in the same room.
07:19I respect Tyler.
07:21I mean, I just want to beat him.
07:23It's been 2 years since I've fished,
07:25but Nate hired me because he wanted the best.
07:27So I have to prove myself.
07:35Humpback.
07:37What a beautiful animal, man.
07:41Being the first day of the season,
07:44everyone wants to get the first fish
07:46because the first fish traditionally
07:48brings the biggest price,
07:50and you want that nice big fat paycheck first.
07:54Give me some tail, baby.
07:56He's right under us.
07:58The first day, we're at the spot
08:00that has traditionally been a good spot
08:02for us in Cape Cod Bay.
08:04As the captain, I made the decision
08:06to stick close to home and fish the waters
08:08that we know best on day one
08:10and try to pick something up.
08:13Oh-ho-ho!
08:15When you're looking for bluefin tuna
08:17on the water,
08:19you want to look for signs of life.
08:23Look at the birds up in there, Joe.
08:25I see it. That's what I'm going to look at.
08:27The whole friggin' area up here.
08:29Look at it.
08:31Without birds, whales,
08:33and bait, the bluefin won't be there.
08:35What do we got?
08:37A little baitfish over here.
08:392 o'clock, one football field.
08:42Baitfish are the lowest run of the food chain
08:44and everything feeds on the baitfish.
08:46Porpoise?
08:48Oh, yeah, that's porpoise.
08:50If you can get to an area where there's predators
08:52that feed on the same thing as bluefin tuna,
08:54you're more than likely going to be in an area
08:56with bluefin tuna.
08:58I'm back.
09:04Oh, dolphin right here.
09:06We're looking around the ocean about 9 to 12 knots.
09:08We're always moving.
09:11We've got an anchor waiting for the fish to come to us.
09:13We are actively pursuing the fish.
09:15We are hunting the fish.
09:17Look at all the whales up there.
09:19There's whales all over, huh?
09:21Jumping out of the water up there.
09:23There's no way Tyler can get the first fish.
09:25We're going to have one.
09:27We're hunting these fish that are so elusive
09:29and we need to wait for that certain time of day
09:31where they just want to come up on top
09:33and digest their food.
09:35We're sight fishing more than anything.
09:37I don't even use electronics.
09:40Make a quick turn to the north out there.
09:44There's Marky.
09:46He's in a turn.
09:48Anything down south there?
09:50Whales and baits
09:52still on this inside edge.
09:54And we've got a regular party
09:56going on over here.
09:58Using a spotter plane
10:00to harpoon for bluefin tuna
10:02is a huge advantage.
10:04We cover so much more ground
10:06with an airplane
10:08than going 80-90 miles an hour.
10:10In a boat
10:12we're going around 10-12
10:14miles an hour all day.
10:16And we can't see that far.
10:18Up on the tower
10:20we can probably see a mile.
10:22See fish on top.
10:24Plankets, 10 miles.
10:26Having the advantage of seeing
10:28the big picture of the day
10:30we're going to catch more fish with an airplane.
10:32Yep, he's going east.
10:34Almost 12 o'clock.
10:38I see a boat way up there
10:40about 5 or 6 miles
10:42to the northwest.
10:44That would be me.
10:46Alright, I'm coming your way.
10:48I call this name Doug.
10:50The spotter plane is an extension of the boat.
10:52It flies at
10:54800 feet off the water
10:56at 70 miles an hour.
10:58He's able to go out and look for
11:00all the signs that would indicate where the tuna are.
11:02We're paying $1,000 today
11:04to keep that plane up in the air.
11:06The first half of the first fish
11:08is going straight to the plane.
11:12What the hell is that?
11:16I see a lake.
11:22I think I had a little school right here.
11:24When we're trying to look
11:26for a bluefin tuna, we look for wakes.
11:28When a torpedo-looking
11:30tuna fish is swimming through the surface
11:32it disperses a wake
11:34behind them that looks like
11:36a half moon or a bee.
11:42It almost looks like
11:44a boat wake without the boat.
11:58Full speed, wide open throttle
12:00for this boat is just about 22 knots
12:02if we have the current.
12:04We try to keep the plane within 30 miles
12:06from the boat.
12:18Joey hasn't thrown a harpoon in two years
12:20so we'll see how he does today.
12:22Hopefully he shakes the rest off from a two-year layoff.
12:28We're getting kicked out of this run
12:30right in our head.
12:44Is it working?
12:46Yeah, what did you say, Mark?
12:48The fish are going the opposite direction.
12:50They're coming towards me.
12:52Alright. We got some fish here, Mark.
12:54He found seven of them all lined up
12:56like soldiers.
12:58I'm going to try to pick the biggest one
13:00and throw the harpoon at it.
13:02A touch.
13:04Got to come back right now a little.
13:06That's it.
13:08Hold that cord.
13:10Start throwing down.
13:12Start throwing down.
13:14They're right there.
13:16I see them right there.
13:18They're coming right at you.
13:24See that shaky water there?
13:26Lock it back.
13:28Lock it back.
13:30My wheel man is Mike Miller,
13:32also known as The Hacker.
13:34Now they're far away, Joe.
13:36I always have to trust Mike's instincts.
13:38From the end of the pulpit, I can't drive the boat.
13:40So if he sees something,
13:42I'll follow his lead.
13:44They're coming away a little more.
13:46The break's at one o'clock.
13:48I see them. They're right up there.
13:50I got him, Joe. I got him.
13:52Let him touch a little more.
13:54I haven't done this for a couple years, so
13:56I'm nervous, especially this year
13:58because the stakes are high
14:00and I'm fishing on someone else's boat.
14:02Okay, twelve o'clock now.
14:04Boat's hot.
14:14They spooked.
14:16They spooked
14:18in the last second.
14:20I saw that.
14:22It went just a touch too early.
14:24It didn't let me get the harpoon shot.
14:26Bluefin tuna swim on the surface
14:28to digest their food.
14:30As we come close, sometimes they
14:32get scared of us and swim down deep.
14:34And we can't see them or hit them anymore
14:36with the harpoon.
14:38The squirrely changing directions.
14:40They took off right at the last second.
14:42Let's go.
14:44Let's find another one.
14:46The stakes are super high this year
14:48for me.
14:50I got out of the fishery a couple years ago
14:52because two of my children were diagnosed
14:54with limb-girdle muscular dystrophy.
14:56Walk it back.
14:58It's a muscle-wasting disease.
15:00You can do it.
15:02I wanted to spend time to start a foundation
15:04and hope to develop
15:06a cure and keep my kids
15:08walking and healthy.
15:10It's everything to me
15:12and that's why I got out of it.
15:14But I realized I needed to get back
15:16on the water to start hunting
15:18and fishing.
15:20I need the money to support my family.
15:22That sucks.
15:32I just got a text.
15:34Joey on the Red Rum lost a fish.
15:36The opportunity for the first fish
15:38is still there.
15:40I want that first fish.
15:42Keep your eyes open over here.
15:44I got a whale.
15:48I've been passionate about the bluefin
15:50since I killed my first fish in 17.
15:52I dedicated 40-plus years of my life
15:54to fishing for them
15:56but also studying them and understanding them.
15:58And it's ingrained
16:00in who I am.
16:02Oh, man.
16:04In such nice conditions
16:06for him not to see anything.
16:08Very discouraging.
16:11Okay, come this way.
16:13I got him.
16:15Oh-ho! I see something!
16:17I got a fish! I got a fish!
16:19There's about six or seven of them.
16:21They're going straight away.
16:23There you go. Straighten up there.
16:2512 o'clock. That looks good.
16:27Check my zapper. Make sure it's reset.
16:29The harpooners use a method
16:31of electrocuting the fish.
16:33We're pumping 1,000 watts of power
16:35through the harpoon.
16:37There's no real struggle for the fish
16:39and they're captured and dispatched
16:41very quickly, so it's very humane.
16:43I'll keep an eye on the fish.
16:45You keep an eye on him.
16:47The fish quality is much higher
16:49on electrocuted fish because
16:51they don't have a chance to heat up
16:53during a struggle and build lactic acid
16:55in their meat, thus rendering them
16:57potentially worthless.
16:59It looks like they're moving
17:01just a tad back to the right.
17:03They're pushing away at a pretty good clip
17:05for overclock.
17:07Yeah, I got him right there.
17:09I got him right there.
17:11Touch of power.
17:13There you go.
17:15Two boats.
17:17Straight down there.
17:19To your left.
17:21To your left. Right there.
17:23Big one. Right there.
17:25Pull up.
17:27I got him. I got him.
17:29Hit him. Hit him.
17:31That's your cap.
17:33Keep backing down.
17:35John.
17:39What do you got?
17:41John, I got it down here.
17:43Come on down.
17:45It's not tied off. Tie him off.
17:47It's on.
17:49All right. We own him.
17:51Yeah, captain! Yeah!
17:53Woo!
17:55Woo!
17:57Catching the first fish eliminates
17:59all of your fears as the boat's sneaking.
18:01Is your crew ready to go?
18:03It's your zapper work.
18:05Can you still hit fish?
18:07Call it to you?
18:09Eighty-five.
18:11Hopefully he'll command a high price.
18:13Let's go. Let's go.
18:15Let's roll, boys. Let's roll.
18:17Go back to work.
18:34Watch over there.
18:36See that? What?
18:38That fish right there?
18:40Looks like it to me.
18:42I think I got a bunch right here.
18:44If you want to look at this one first.
18:46You got a bunch right there?
18:48Sure. I'll come that way.
18:52What's this? Somebody else?
18:58That looks like him.
19:00Maybe he just wants to watch us catch him.
19:04Dylan on the Pine Box
19:06isn't using a spotter plane,
19:08and I feel like he's getting a little close.
19:10He can find fish on his own.
19:12He just has to go in a separate direction,
19:14not under my airplane.
19:16Come easy. Come around to 3 o'clock
19:18and come this way.
19:20I'm Dylan Caldwell, captain of the harpoon vessel Pine Box.
19:23I've been harpooning for about 35 years.
19:25It's been fun fishing with my son.
19:27That was kind of a dream I had my whole life,
19:29to spend some time with my son fishing.
19:31He's 21 now, and most 21-year-olds
19:33don't really want to hang out with their dad,
19:35so it's nice that I can use this as a vehicle
19:38to have a nice relationship with him.
19:40All right, well, where are we right now?
19:42We can go east.
19:44We just got to find some fish.
19:46It's frustrating, but...
19:56That's a good direction if they want to run that way.
20:00Joe Dion, he's an amateur,
20:02so he doesn't know to turn his radio down
20:04when he's near other boats.
20:06I heard his pilot say there's 2 bunches ahead of them.
20:09Yeah, they're going up this way.
20:11Hey, we got a bunch of fish here.
20:13Let's find something we can catch.
20:15In the first few days of the season,
20:17it's difficult to find tuna because your initial first trip,
20:20you're literally going out blind.
20:22You never know which way to go
20:24unless you've spoken to airplanes or somebody else.
20:2712.30, almost 1 o'clock.
20:29That's a very small boat, and we're all competing for it.
20:32Oh, there they are. There's a bite.
20:34That's a nice one. I got him!
20:38There's 2 fish right here now.
20:40Probably 20 boats.
20:50We got a plane today.
20:52Everybody sees the plane flying around,
20:54so everybody's kind of creeping in
20:56like a bunch of feral dogs trying to find our fish.
20:59Fish are at your 11 o'clock now.
21:03Go up to the northeast.
21:05There they are, 12 o'clock. See them?
21:09Over there, right there! Stay there!
21:13Our pool boat's got a beeline right for me.
21:16He's right by my sights here.
21:20He and my pilot are working together,
21:23and Dylan is literally just following us around.
21:25It's kind of embarrassing.
21:27He should go learn how to find fish himself.
21:29I'm getting pissed.
21:35That's them right there, eh?
21:37Got him towards us somewhere?
21:39Yeah, there he is, right there.
21:41I see him.
21:43What the... do?
21:45This... guy crawled right up our... over here where we were.
21:49Slow down. Slow down all the way and go straight.
21:52Right there, 12 o'clock out.
21:54Come back left a touch and drift it right.
21:57Left a little bit. Left a little bit.
22:00Two and a half o'clock. Left a little bit more.
22:04Speed up a little.
22:06I see him now.
22:11Oh, I missed him! Take it out.
22:15I don't believe it.
22:18I can't find that... thing. Gone.
22:22Forget it. Sit down.
22:27Go up and talk to him! Go up and talk to him!
22:35Go up and talk to him!
22:37The... fish went down because of Dylan!
22:40Tell him to... find his own fish!
22:43Joey, keep your cool, all right?
22:49Who the hell is this guy?
22:52What is he doing?
22:54Guys, I'm working with the plane here. You gotta give me some space.
22:57Give me a break! You drive right by us while we're chasing fish!
23:01Really? You clown!
23:03You're following my plan around and you know it!
23:06Dylan is following our plan because he doesn't have one.
23:10It's very expensive to use a spotter plane,
23:13but you gotta spend money to make money.
23:15Let's play pirate! Come over here! Let's go!
23:17Harpooning's so competitive because you have such a limited amount of quota.
23:21I'm not gonna let it get to my head. I got a job to do here.
23:24I gotta harpoon some fish.
23:26F*** you guys.
23:28He's rolling a girl! Nice softball throw!
23:30Just stay the f*** away from us!
23:37Well, that was fun.
23:39When I go somewhere, he's right behind me.
23:42And he just sits there. He's not fishing. He's just following.
23:47He can say what he wants, but that's exactly what's happening.
23:51And that's why he's not gonna catch any fish, because he doesn't know how to.
23:55He costs my kids money.
24:02If it was up to me, I'd go right back under his plane, because what's he gonna do?
24:07I can easily get a couple fish today.
24:09I'm gonna go plug in my phone now, see if he can find a bunch.
24:17I got some fish!
24:19Where?
24:20Up in front of us, moving this way.
24:22Oh, I see them, yeah?
24:24Yeah.
24:25Keep going straight. Don't turn on them.
24:29That's a big single, maybe.
24:32Alright, turn towards them a little bit.
24:34Start trying to get behind them.
24:37Sometimes a tuna will get separated from the school and come to the surface
24:41and try to rejoin with the school by swimming left to right, left to right as a single on the surface.
24:46And they're exceedingly difficult to catch when they're like that.
24:50Alright, speed up a little and get behind him.
24:52Turn right at him and go.
24:57Come over here. Come over here.
24:59Alright, he's going.
25:01Alright, right there.
25:03Right here.
25:04Right there.
25:10Hit him! Hit him! Hit him!
25:12Hit him! He's dead, my brother!
25:14Got him!
25:17Nice job driving, Em.
25:19Joe, get the cap!
25:21Just leave it out, Em. We're good.
25:23It's out of gear.
25:25That was a crazy single.
25:27I know, he was all over us.
25:29Get his tail. Hold it up.
25:32Look out.
25:33Nice job, guys.
25:35Good job, Em.
25:37Beautiful job.
25:39Alright, let's get him in the boat.
25:41Ready?
25:42Here, let go of this.
25:43Another nice little fish.
25:45Ready?
25:46Not a big one, but we'll take it.
25:48Flatten the net out.
25:51There you go. Just pull his tail to the stern.
25:57Dylan got one.
25:59Dylan got one.
26:02Dylan was just showing off, trying to intimidate me.
26:06I'm not going to get intimidated.
26:08I just want to go find fish and support my family.
26:11This sucks.
26:13Well, we made a paycheck. Oh, my God.
26:16Let's get a measure on him.
26:18Right there, 86.
26:2086, Del.
26:22Nice job, Del.
26:24He may not be a giant, but with it being early in the season,
26:27this fish could still bring in a couple thousand bucks.
26:31That was a gift.
26:34We needed this one, man.
26:44We got some bad boozhoo going on right now.
26:47Bad boozhoo.
26:49Bad boozhoo.
26:51We got to bless the boat with something.
26:53I know.
26:54No, it's really early.
26:57It's a lot of money to keep this boat moving.
27:01It costs so much to get into this game.
27:03We're already probably 17,000 to 19,000 in the hole
27:07before we even put a single fish in the boat.
27:10Having Nate on the boat,
27:13I have enough pressure hitting the fish.
27:15Having the owner of the boat,
27:17the person that's paying for everything, watching,
27:20is extra pressure on me to hit these fish.
27:25I always get the fish.
27:28I got to loose it up.
27:30I'm rusty.
27:31We got to look at the whole thing over there,
27:33the whole season, and I'll hit more fish than anyone.
27:37I just got to get a couple under my belt.
27:55Boy, I'll tell you,
27:56you'd think we would have run across something by now.
27:59I have really big shoes to fill.
28:01Everybody's used to looking at my father, the captain,
28:05to have all the answers,
28:06and now they're going to look to me.
28:08As far as the guys on my boat,
28:10Thomas has two young kids,
28:12Kevin has a young son,
28:14I have a young daughter.
28:15It's a lot of pressure and a big responsibility.
28:20I'm seeing some pretty big flashes.
28:22Oh, you see it?
28:23Yeah.
28:25See up there?
28:26It's like, see?
28:27Looks like they're making up up there.
28:29It's looking like something
28:30we should check out anyway, you know?
28:37They're going...
28:38Yeah.
28:39That's fish.
28:40That's fish.
28:41You see him, Thomas?
28:42I see him.
28:43All right, out of my way.
28:44Yep.
28:49A little less speed.
28:50Just a little less.
28:52They're up plowing.
28:55There they are.
28:59Oh, what the...
29:05A little less speed.
29:06Just a little less.
29:08They're up plowing.
29:10There they are.
29:14Oh, they're porpoise.
29:15What the...
29:16Porpoise.
29:19Oh, we can't kill them.
29:23All right.
29:26When you talk about
29:27the reputation of the Easy Does It,
29:29it has the reputation
29:31as not being a harpoon boat.
29:33It is the harpoon boat.
29:34I think that I have a lot to prove.
29:37They weren't like cresting, you know?
29:38They were swimming like fish.
29:41Just, oh, man.
29:43My confidence level has gone way up.
29:46Well, we just caught our first fish of the season,
29:48and the first fish is always the hardest fish to get.
29:51It's self-assurance that you still can do this,
29:54because, I mean, I'm not getting any younger.
29:57All right, let's get one here.
29:58Come on.
30:02All right, I think I got a big bunch
30:03right up on top down here.
30:05I think I got a big bunch right up on top down here.
30:07All right, let's get one here.
30:08Come on.
30:09All right, let's get one here.
30:10Come on.
30:11All right, let's get one here.
30:12I think I got a big bunch right up on top down here.
30:14I think I got a big bunch right up on top down here.
30:16I think I got a big bunch right up on top down here.
30:20You're on the wheel.
30:21I'm out of here.
30:24Okay, there's a 10 o'clock going right to left.
30:28Two boats at 10 o'clock.
30:32Don't do anything.
30:33Pull it out of the gate.
30:34It looks like they called the clock,
30:35but I'm not confirming it.
30:38I got nothing.
30:41To the right, to the right.
30:42I got Kala.
30:43Okay.
30:44Square up, right there.
30:45You're right in the center of him.
30:46There's one up in the back on the left.
30:50Okay, come back to quarter to 12.
30:52To the right, to the right.
30:53You got him?
30:54I got him, I got Kala, right there.
30:58Square up, square up.
30:59To the left, to the left, to the left.
31:00Hit him!
31:01Hit him, hit him, hit him!
31:02Back it down, back it down, back it down, back it down!
31:04Nice job, Jeff!
31:06Yeah, brother!
31:07Nice job, Sean.
31:07Nice job, Todd, holding that collar.
31:10Yeah, good call, Todd.
31:11They were cranking!
31:12Oh, yeah.
31:14All right, we own him.
31:15Woo!
31:15Nice shot!
31:17Drove him!
31:18To the right, to the right.
31:19You got him?
31:19I'll give a lot of credit to the boys in the tower
31:21because I kept losing color, but they had it,
31:23and they caught me right over top of the fish.
31:27The result is, he's in the boat.
31:29That was a hell of a job, Sean and Todd!
31:31Thank you, Captain!
31:32That was a hell of a job!
31:33That was a hell of a throw, Captain!
31:35The boys did a great job, and we're proud of them.
31:37We're bringing the best quality fish we can give the buyer,
31:39and hopefully we'll get a great price,
31:41and we'll get a good return.
31:42All right, let's get the tape.
31:43Hold on.
31:44What do you got?
31:4687.
31:4787.
31:4887!
31:49Perfect!
31:50Fish number two, baby.
31:53You got a long ride home tonight.
31:56Never a long ride home when you got meat in the cockpit.
31:59Oh, God.
32:10Oh, ****!
32:11What's the matter?
32:12Tyler got one, too.
32:14Tyler got one?
32:17****.
32:29Whale out there.
32:32There's a whole pile of porpoises up here, too,
32:34you're going to see in a minute.
32:36Nate bought this boat to be used six weeks a year.
32:40So I'm sure he's getting stressed out.
32:43Hold on a second.
32:45I got something right here.
32:46I see a little weight pushing along.
32:50Hey, what's that?
32:52Right there, see him?
32:54See him?
32:55Oh, yeah.
32:55Oh, yeah.
32:56Good sight.
32:58Hold on, hold on.
33:01Watch your speed, watch your speed.
33:02Slow down.
33:03This is at your 1230, almost 1 o'clock.
33:09Go over to our right.
33:11See how they're just sinking out?
33:14Wait a minute.
33:16I don't see him.
33:17Hold that course steady, don't turn.
33:20Boy, they don't want to stay up.
33:23Yeah.
33:25Where is he?
33:26Where is he?
33:26Yo, he's right there.
33:28Oh, they're coming at us.
33:32Control!
33:46Hit it!
33:50Who said I can't hit head on?
33:52Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.
33:55Woo-hoo!
33:55Nice job.
33:57What a spectacular shot, if I don't say so.
33:59Ha, ha.
34:03Can I get the gap?
34:07I think it's good.
34:08You got bait.
34:11Come over here to fish a little bit.
34:14Want to get tape on him?
34:21Hey, Joey, 75 inches.
34:24Nice.
34:25That was a head-on shot.
34:28Very difficult. The fish ran right at him.
34:31Out of all the years I've been harpooning,
34:33I've probably only got four or five head-on shots.
34:36Hey, Tyler, you picking me up?
34:40Got one.
34:4175-inch head-on shot.
34:43Nice going.
34:44Go get another one.
34:46Hey, Nico, you picking me up?
34:48Yeah, go ahead, Joe.
34:49Let me know we broke the ice.
34:52Yeah, it's been a pretty slow start.
34:53Thanks, buddy.
34:55This is a joke.
34:56These guys are totally unprofessional.
34:58They're fucking idiots.
34:59Fucking go die on them.
35:02Hey, off your back there.
35:04Get that bookie off your back.
35:06Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.
35:08Let's go sell this fish.
35:10Hopefully, we can get some good money for it.
35:24What do you got?
35:25I don't know.
35:26Bait right here.
35:27So fucking thick.
35:29I might as well go take a peek, yeah?
35:31One of the telltale signs of tuna fish being around is bait.
35:35And when pogies sense that there are predators around,
35:38they form into these tight balls.
35:40They're like right on the fucking surface.
35:42I mean, I kind of just want to get a couple throws in,
35:45you know?
35:46Put me right over him, Kev.
35:51I hit one.
35:52I know.
35:53Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.
35:56I guess if I can hit one of those,
35:58we're in pretty good shape.
36:00Harpooning a bluefin tuna, it's harder
36:02than winning those wacky carnival games
36:04at those traveling circuses, man.
36:06It's impossible.
36:07There he is.
36:09Beautiful specimen of a creature.
36:11Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.
36:13I feel it.
36:15About eight inches long.
36:16Well, at least we missed the laugh at the end of the day.
36:22Oh, shit.
36:30What's up, Bubba?
36:31Hey, Joey, what's going on?
36:32We got one for you.
36:33Yeah?
36:34Finally found one?
36:35Broke the ice.
36:36Perfect.
36:37Let's get it off the boat.
36:45Joey, honestly, surprising for, you know, this early in June.
36:49I mean, this fish has fat in it.
36:51I see it coming through.
36:53I think I'll give you, being it this early in June
36:59with this much fat, I think we can do $20 a pound.
37:02That's a great price.
37:03I'll give you the dress weight here,
37:05and, you know, we'll see what you really got on the fish.
37:07All right.
37:15185 pounds dressed.
37:17You know, at 20 bucks a pound, pretty good payday
37:19for a small little, you know, small fish.
37:22Yeah?
37:23They don't always have to be big to be winners.
37:24That's right.
37:26Thank you, Bubba.
37:29Guess what?
37:3020 bucks a pound.
37:31Wow, nice.
37:32Pretty good, right?
37:33I'll take it. I'll take it.
37:34Good start to the season, boys.
37:36It's a start, and we're going to get more tomorrow.
37:38Harpoon fishing is so competitive because it's
37:41such a limited quota.
37:42And once that quota is filled, the season is over.
37:46It's been two years since I've fished.
37:48I have a lot to prove, so it's going
37:49to be an interesting season.
38:08We're home.
38:08Awesome.
38:09That's what I wanted.
38:12Hey, Travis.
38:13How you doing?
38:14Great.
38:15Nice-looking fish.
38:16Good way to start the season.
38:16Yeah, day one.
38:17At least we got something.
38:20So we caught a fish today, first fish of the season.
38:23It's nice to have something.
38:25It's not a very big fish, but hopefully
38:27it's a good quality fish.
38:28We're going to take a look at the fish
38:29and see what it yields in terms of fat and color,
38:33and hopefully we'll get some money for it.
38:36All right, Dylan.
38:37Let's take a look at the tail cut here,
38:38see what we're working with.
38:40Moment of truth.
38:42Oh, yeah.
38:43Look at that.
38:44That's got great color on it, Dylan.
38:44Fish, great shape to it.
38:46And when you feel it, you can feel the fat.
38:48It feels nice and greasy when you touch it.
38:50Smaller fish, but smaller ones tend
38:52to be a little better this time of year.
38:54Yeah, easier to sell for sure.
38:56Exactly.
38:56Well, that's fantastic.
38:58Yeah, we're going to do right at $19 a pound for it.
39:00I'll take it.
39:04All right, we're sitting at $169, Dylan.
39:06So not the heaviest fish, but that high price
39:09is going to make up for it.
39:10Yeah, all right.
39:11Well, we'll take it.
39:14All right, Dylan, just need you to sign right here.
39:16You can get on out of here.
39:18All right, man.
39:19Great fish.
39:20Always nice to sign the first slip of the sea.
39:22Great fish, great way to start it.
39:23Hey, guys.
39:24How'd we do on that one, Dad?
39:25169 pounds, which isn't very big.
39:30But we got $19 a pound for it, though.
39:32So that pays.
39:33That's a hell of a price.
39:34Great way to start the season, man.
39:41Ready to go to work?
39:42Let's get her done.
39:43Let's go home, boys.
39:43Get light.
39:45What's going on, Bubba?
39:46I got two for you.
39:47What's up?
39:48Nice.
39:48All right.
39:50Where's another bucket?
39:52Really good day today.
39:52We got two fish.
39:53The fish were really spooky today.
39:55They wouldn't stay up, wouldn't give us
39:56a long time to work with them.
39:59Dougie worked really hard.
40:00I'll tell you, the boys in the tower
40:01today just really earned a gold star.
40:04Having two fish on the day is key for early June.
40:09Got a little bit of fat.
40:10Shape's not too great.
40:12Give you 15 a pound for this one.
40:15All right, we'll check out number two.
40:18This one's cleaner.
40:19Much better quality.
40:21Better color on it.
40:22You got fat actually going all the way through.
40:25Great shape on it, too.
40:27We can do 19 for this one.
40:28For sure.
40:29Yeah, this is really good quality in there.
40:36First fish dressed, though, we got 236.
40:39236.
40:41OK, perfect.
40:45Second fish is 287 pounds.
40:49287, 236.
40:51I love it.
40:53What'd you get?
40:54What'd you find out?
40:55First fish, 236, 15 bucks is what they offered.
40:59Second fish, much better, was 287, and that was 19.
41:04All right.
41:05Nice, nice.
41:06Way to go, man.
41:06Let's go home.
41:07All right, let's do it.
41:09Glad we got more money for the big fish.
41:11Yeah.
41:15Opening day ends with Captain Tyler's Cynthia C2
41:19in the lead after two catches.
41:21But Captain Joe's last minute fish on red rum
41:25puts them squarely in the hunt for the top spot.
41:28Captain Dylan on pine box grabs third place on the leaderboard,
41:32while Easy Does It's Captain Nico fails to land a bluefin
41:35to start their season.