Wicked Tuna (2012–…): Season 7, Episode 4 - Don't Quit Your Day Job - full transcript
When inexperienced fishermen, better known as "googans," crowd the water, the fleet has to fight through additional obstacles in order to earn a paycheck. As the googans create chaos with ...
(air horn blares)
MIKE: Get out of here,
jerkoff!
PAUL: It's like fishing
in a parking lot.
NARRATOR: On this
episode of Wicked Tuna...
TJ: What are you doing?
NARRATOR: Inexperienced
fishermen...
PAUL: Total googan!
NARRATOR: Plague the
commercial fleet.
TJ: Don't (bleep)
anchor there.
MARCIANO: Come on!
DAVE: We're not
gonna get this fish.
MARCIANO: I guess we
really suck at life.
NARRATOR: But one boat will
emerge from the crowd...
PAUL: He's right here.
See him?
NARRATOR: To score
the biggest payday
so far this season.
-Yay.
JARRETT: Back on, baby, whoo!
-We got 'em on!
MARCIANO:
Resistance is futile.
Yeah.
(grunts).
-You got one?
-Got one.
NARRATOR: This is Wicked Tuna.
PAUL: This fish is fighting
for his life and we're
trying to get a paycheck.
NARRATOR: At the start of
week four of fishing, Hot
Tuna has regained the lead,
but the young duo on Pinwheel
is nipping at their heels.
Meanwhile, family
operation Hard Merchandise
trails behind the pack,
with only one fish.
JARRETT: Nightshift
turns into dayshift.
TJ: Just getting
started this morning.
Jarrett jigged up a
bunch of beautiful bait.
Conditions are great.
Maybe today's the day.
So, we're just
gonna give it hell.
The last few years in
Gloucester we finished in
the middle of the pack,
and then earlier this
year in the Outer Banks
we really struggled,
and it's a season we
really wanna put behind us.
Our reputation has
suffered and I'm determined
to rebuild it fish by fish.
Can you believe this (bleep)?
We've got this idiot
who anchored an eighth
of a mile away from us.
Googan is the nickname the
commercial Bluefin fleet has
given to the inexperienced
fishermen who can make our
lives and our livelihood
really difficult.
As people have come
to realize that Bluefin tuna
are the ultimate glory fish,
more and more of these
guys have invaded the water
looking to check something
off their bucket list.
They don't know the rules
and they don't really care.
We're the only boat
here and, and this edge runs
three miles and you anchor an
eighth of a mile away from us?
It's fishing etiquette
not to anchor any closer
than a quarter mile
away from someone.
When we have a
fish on, our fishing
line can extend up to
200 yards away from the boat,
and when that fish realizes
its hooked up it can swim
up to 45 miles per hour.
So, when you've
got another boat 200
yards away with a guy
that doesn't know what
he's doing and your fish
decides to run that way,
our chances
of landing that fish
decrease significantly.
When you get jack bags
like that anchor an eighth
of a mile away from you,
it's just disheartening.
It's everything that's
wrong with this fishery,
is that right there.
(beeping)
MIKE: Just marked one at 150.
Oh come on,
baby, come on, baby.
(beeping)
(clicking)
(reel unspooling rapidly)
We're on! We're on!
Get on the rod, we're on!
JARRETT: Back on, baby, whoo!
TJ: Let's move this
rod away from the boat.
Bubby, get him off the anchor.
MIKE: Get off your
anchor, please!
FISHERMAN (over radio):
No, man, I'm pretty sure
we're far enough away from you.
-Unbelievable.
-He's not getting
off his anchor?
-What a schmuck!
-Feel like a keeper?
-It's a big fish.
-Give it some slack.
Give it some slack.
-Come on, baby.
-This fish is going
right towards his gear.
If our fish gets
tangled in the other
boat's anchor line,
it's very likely
the line will rub and
chaff until it burns off
and we'll lose the fish.
-Yep. He's going
right over.
-Oh come on, come on.
Oh, you prick.
-Feels funny, TJ.
-He's tangled.
It's definitely wrapped up.
Take it easy, Jarrett,
the line's gonna break.
Right now I'm pissed off.
To lose what was definitely
a big fish because of
a googan is unacceptable.
MIKE: Googans have no
clue about the game.
-We just lost potentially
a $10,000 payday
because of this guy and I
think he needs to know.
-Oh, he is gonna
go over there.
TJ: I can't let this
kid get away with that.
This guy's about to
get a piece of my mind.
An eighth of a mile, bro?
Three miles of
edge and you give me an
eighth of a (bleep) mile?
Why would you anchor
next to someone an eighth
of a mile when there's
three miles of edge?
-Sorry, man.
-You're an eighth of a
mile away from me, bro.
-I thought you
had enough room.
-An eighth of mile,
who does that (bleep)?
-I'll get farther
away next time.
-Dude, what the, it's, it's
a, it, it's a three-mile bank.
You should have got off of
your anchor as soon as we
told you we were hooked up.
You've got no idea about
fishing etiquette, man.
We lost our
fish because it got
tangled in your gear.
Jerkoff.
Eighth of a mile.
A quarter mile is pushing
it, an eighth of a mile?
-Don't be anchoring on
top of the HT, especially
first thing in the morning.
-Let's get away from this damn
googan and find another spot.
PAUL: Here we go!
RICK: Going to get 'em!
PAUL: Rick and I only
have two fish this season and
we're at the back of the pack.
But I know from years
of experience, we're
about to hit our stride.
I was born into this fishery.
I don't know anything else.
So, I was screwed
from day one.
This is what I was born to do.
And the Bluefin
industry has changed
since I've started.
There's twice as many
boats as there used to
be when I was a kid.
As far as you can see there
are boats, everywhere you go.
And a lot of these guys are
not experienced fishermen.
They're just weekend warriors.
They're just out
here chasing the biggest
glory fish in the ocean.
This is just something
they can brag to their friends
about on the golf course.
Anybody with
a boat can get a federal
fisheries permit, anybody.
There's no test, no nothing.
Fifty bucks?
You're a tuna fisherman.
It's insane.
Am I okay to go?
PAUL: Wow, look at
them all coming.
Every summer,
there's a Bluefin fishing
tournament in Gloucester.
It's running for
the next few days.
Anybody with a boat
and $1,300 for an entry fee
trying to win a trophy and
get their photo in
the local newspaper.
They're weekend warriors
out for a good time,
and they're all standing
between me and my paycheck.
Look it, they don't even know.
-Googan day.
PAUL: When you're getting
100 yards from the bridge,
you call the bridge.
You have to get clearance
by the bridge operator or
you'll have a collision in
the middle of the bridge
and the current's running,
you know, ten knots.
But every Tom, Dick
and Harry is out today and
they see the bridge go up and
they fly right through.
I can't even get out of the
harbor because obviously it's
Take Your Googan to Work Day.
They're all going against
the traffic right now.
They're not supposed
to be coming right now.
It's like getting on the
freeway going the wrong
way, all these guys.
Tell them they're supposed
to turn their radio on.
-You got to have the radio on.
-Does anyone have a radio?
-Not today, apparently,
unbelievable.
They don't even know
what they're doing.
-Are you kidding me?
Total googan.
-Thank you very much.
Look out, guys, the
circus is in town today.
DAVE: Look at this
guy, he's dropping his
anchor right by us.
He just doesn't have a clue.
SANDRO: Don't be rude, Dave.
Everybody has the right
to fish in the ocean.
MIKE: That idiot turned
around, looks like he's gonna
anchor right off Dot Com.
TJ (over radio): Is that guy
gonna anchor right next to you?
DAVE: Sure looking
that way, isn't it?
You can anchor
anywhere in here.
-What the (bleep), like,
what is this guy doing?
MIKE: "Oh, there's Hot
Tuna and there's Dot Com.
Let's anchor right there."
These tournament fishermen
like to park right next to the
best commercial boats in
the fleet because they know
we know where the fish are.
So they figure fishing
by us will give them the
best chance to catch a giant
Bluefin tuna and landing
the tournament trophy.
It's annoying and
disrespectful.
DAVE: I don't get it, man.
This guy is gonna, is gonna
be right on my anchor, dude.
-Please don't drop it there.
Please do not drop
your anchor there.
He's dropping it right there.
-Oh, god.
-If he gets a bite,
I'm gonna get sawed right off.
-I can't believe this
guy just anchored there.
(air horn blares)
MIKE: Get out of here,
jerkoff!
You (bleep) morons!
-Oh my God, dude,
dude, yo, T, T!
-Get the binoculars.
MIKE: Get that piece
of (bleep) out of here!
-Don't (bleep) anchor there!
(air horn blares)
-TJ's blowing the horn at 'em.
MIKE: You (bleep) morons!
TJ: That was savage, dude!
MIKE: Get out of here!
(air horn blares)
TJ: The googan deterrent is
not working this morning.
-This is what you
call moron fest.
Just morons.
MARCIANO: I spy with my
little eye, something that
begins with the letter G.
(beeping)
The good news is we're
on a hot spot with plenty
of bait and marks galore.
JOE: That's a herring
ball right there.
We're jigging up these
herring and all of the sudden
we saw this tuna come up.
-The bad news is it's polluted
with googans trying to win
a fishing tournament trophy.
I get frustrated
when guys don't respect
a little distance out
there on the water.
Right now, if we hook
up our fish could go
right in his anchor.
And if he hooks up,
we're gonna have to move
to get out of his way.
But, guess what?
We were here first
and we're staying put.
(beeping)
Oh yeah, no, that's a fish.
Your rod should be
bending any minute now.
(beeping)
(clicking)
(reel unspooling rapidly)
-We're on!
We're on!
We're on!
-We're on! We're on.
How's it feel, Joe?
Like a good one?
-Yeah, feels like a nice one.
Coming at us.
We really want
to get this fish.
Ugh. Still coming at us!
Bump it. Bump it!
-Okay, okay!
We've only caught
one fish this season
and we've lost four.
We can't lose another
because some tournament entrant
out for glory is getting
in our way.
-That was a close one.
Good job, Gel.
-Let him run.
-It's a screamer.
-Might be one of
them sea monsters.
-Oh there he is out there!
There he is on the surface.
-There he is, right
on the surface.
ANGELICA: Papa, we're
getting kind of close
to that other boat.
-I see him.
We've got a lot of boats
around us and it's gonna take
some fancy footwork to get
around them with this fish.
I just hope everyone's
paying attention.
-Come on, Joe!
-You got to pay attention
for something that won't
feel like a fish that's
him rubbing on
the anchor line.
-If it goes near
it, what's my move?
-We don't have one.
I don't even think they
realized we're hooked up.
If it gets in their
lines, we're (bleep).
They have no idea.
They have no clue.
-There's a party
boat behind us.
-Yeah, yeah, I see them.
-Okay.
-We're getting
close to that ball.
-I know. I know.
-We're headed right
towards some guy's ball.
-I know. I know. I know.
-Okay.
-We're right here,
we're (bleep) if we get in it.
(grunts).
MARCIANO: Come on!
ANGELICA: We're headed right
towards some guy's ball.
MARCIANO:
I know. I know. I know.
-Okay.
-We're right here,
we're (bleep) if we get in it.
These guys are our
worst nightmare and they
don't even have any idea.
-It's like right there.
-Well, I know.
Is he getting
off the ball or is he
still sitting there?
MARCIANO: Our fish is running
right at this other boat.
The guy's not getting
off his anchor for us.
Our only option is to
crank fast and to hope we can
get him on the boat before
he gets tangled in the
other boat's gear.
-Come on, Joe!
Come on, Joe!
You got this!
-He's giving us the chance
to gain, we gain, but he's
just taking it right back.
It's just really a
stalemate right now.
MARCIANO:
Come on, fish, give up.
Resistance is futile.
Come on, fish!
Come on! Here we go.
Go, Joe. Go, Joe. Go.
-I have him.
-There he is.
Where is it? Where is it?
(inaudible) right there.
-There he is!
-There he is.
Let's get a gaff.
-Yup. Get your tail
strap ready hon, yep.
-Yup.
-Ugh. Yeah!
-You almost got him.
You almost got him.
-Yeah!
-Yeah.
-Yeah!
-Got him.
(grunts).
-Good job, guys.
Great job!
Gel, good job, hon, great job.
-Ugh.
-We had a lot of
challenges thrown our way.
And with all the tournament
boats out here, getting this
one on board definitely feels
like a major win for
the Hard Merch and I'm very
proud of my crew right now.
This one was a pain
but we got him.
-97!
MARCIANO: 97!
The perfect tuna is
shaped like a football
with a tail on it.
That's the ideal shape.
I got high hopes of doing
big money for this one.
ANGELICA: We definitely
deserve this win.
♪ BRAD: God loves the
moon and the moon loves me. ♪♪
MATT: There's
a lot of boats out here.
-Fishing is not an easy job.
It requires not just
expertise, but a work ethic.
You have to put in the time,
and that drive is what sets
commercial fishermen
apart from the rest.
When it's tournament time
in Gloucester, guys are out
here just for the thrill of it.
Just another obstacle
in trying to make a
living on a tuna boat.
(beeping)
(beeping)
(clicking)
(reel unspooling rapidly)
Here we go!
MATT: Let's get
another one, cap!
Good move, Brad,
that was good work.
-Yeah, buddy.
Going in front of you.
Come on, tuna.
-Going straight
out the port side.
Uh-oh. I'm rubbing, Brad,
it feels like it's rubbing.
-On what?
-I don't know.
Hopefully not someone
else's anchor.
Behind us or something, man.
-It can't be that far.
-It just feels like rubbing.
-Oh yeah, it is.
-Definitely.
We can't see
what's in front of us
or what's around us.
That's not good.
We got the fish wrapped up
in someone's anchor ball.
This is the
worst-case scenario.
-Hey, man.
We got a fish on.
Can you throw your anchor?
No response.
-We're just gonna take it
very easy on him right here.
We're gonna drive up on this
guy's anchor here, behind us.
-I'm, we're going that way.
-Switch holders there, Brad.
I think you're
gonna run him over.
Keep going.
All right, that's good.
-Matt, are we clear?
-We're still rubbing, Brad.
Come on.
This is a nightmare.
-He's sound asleep. Wake up!
-Wake up!
We got a tuna in your ball.
-Wake up!
The more our line rubs
in this guy's anchor,
the more at risk we
are of losing this fish.
If I can't wake this
guy up, I'm gonna take
matters into my own hands.
Come on, man, wake up!
I'm gonna ride over to
that ball, see if I...
-Yeah. He's sound
asleep, there's no
way he's gonna get up.
See that line,
we're wrapped up right
in this guy's anchor.
Get the line.
The line, here, here.
-No, this guy.
-We're wrapped up
good around this guy.
-We're out.
-Let him go.
I'm just gonna back
up just a little to get
away from this (bleep).
-He's running.
He ain't done yet.
-Get a bump, Brad.
Quick.
Quick, Brad, go!
All right, you're good.
That's good, you're
good, you're good.
This is crazy.
Those are the big ones, the
ones that can't stop eating.
They eat all day
and all night.
Oh!
-Terrible. Pulled the hook.
-No, something broke.
It's the googan's fault.
That was such a big fish, man.
-That's a letdown.
We're out here
trying to make a living and
we just got sabotaged by
some guy sleeping on a boat.
It hurts.
I'm not gonna cry, but I
could, like it's like, ugh.
-Heartbreaking,
but we'll get him.
TJ: Monkey in the middle,
putting out a fresh round.
Got a guy yanking on
one there, a guy yanking
on one over there,
a guy yanking on
one over there.
Oh, man, this is not our trip.
Nobody wants to be a
spectator out here.
But, it's especially hard
watching inexperienced
guys getting lucky,
while the guys I know,
that are out here grinding
away for days at a time,
are losing paychecks.
DAVE: Look at all these boats.
Look at this, one, two,
three guys coming in.
Look at this.
SANDRO: Did this guy
just go off over there?
I think so.
Yeah, they're on.
-Is he really?
There are boats everywhere
you look and we're watching
Tournament Fishermen
hook up left and right.
It's really frustrating.
-Counting like 13
boats right now.
All the tournament
boats are gonna be here.
-It's like fishing
in a parking lot.
-Ah, the boat behind
us just got a bite.
-He's probably a banker
or a financial advisor
or a lawyer or a doctor,
somebody that has millions
of dollars that doesn't
do this for a living.
Everybody that does this
for a weekend, they're not
out trying to make money.
They've already made their
money, Monday through Friday.
They don't do it for
the money; they do it
for the glory of it.
TYLER: Who's this (bleep),
(bleep) right here?
There's no doubt about
it that guys who are not
commercial fishermen,
they're out there chasing
the real guys around.
They drive to different spots,
and if they see a guy that
they know that catches fish,
they mug them right up.
ANGELICA: There are two people
at the back of the boat.
MARCIANO: Looks like
everybody's hooked up but us.
I guess we really
suck at life.
PAUL: Give the
Pissah a break, huh?
We'll get ours. Huh, Rick?
-Absolutely. We always do.
-We always do.
-Been a tough day out here.
There's a ton of
boats and everyone's
trying to get a bite.
And every boat that
gets a bite, it's an
opportunity we missed.
-If you want something bad
enough, you'll work at it.
-Yup.
Paul's got a young daughter.
I have three boys.
This is how we provide
for our families.
We have to catch fish
to pay the bills.
-We're marking!
-Nice.
Let's get 'em to
bite, get 'em to chew.
-Marking like crazy right now.
(beeping)
(clicking)
(reel unspooling rapidly)
-Yeah, we're on!
-Yes!
-Nice fish, he's
taking a nice run here.
Big boy!
-We got a screamer.
-I know.
-This is a huge fish.
Could be a big payday
for us and our families.
-Careful, Paul.
PAUL: We're gonna be in
his anchor, I know that.
I got to walk him
away from this anchor.
Trying to get away, I'm
going with the fish.
We are really close
to another boat.
I need to guide
this fish away.
I don't want
this fish to get tangled,
but this fish is gonna run
wherever he wants to run.
Are you kidding me?
We're in it!
What is this googan doing?
We're in it! Drop it!
-Drop the anchor!
Drop the anchor!
PAUL: Total googan.
PAUL: Are you kidding me?
We're in it!
What is this googan doing?
We're in it! Drop it!
RICK: Drop the anchor!
Drop the anchor!
-We're gonna be
right under it.
I got to have you get tight.
-Yeah,
we're in it, all right.
-Hold on.
It's not a good
situation to be in.
Our paycheck is in
this guy's hands.
We have to get this taken
care of immediately.
Here we go. Here we go.
We can't lose this fish.
-Ow!
-Sorry!
-It ain't over yet. Back up.
We're clear, Rick.
Thanks for nothing.
Are you ready?
-Yeah.
-The line is weak, Rick.
It's chafed to hell.
Be very careful
from here on out.
-Nice fish.
It's gonna break water.
It's gonna break
water, right there.
That's a lot of
money on the line.
-Reel him up to me.
-Let's get him, Paulie.
There's your shot,
Paulie, throw it.
-Got him.
Yup, loosen up.
Okay, where can I go?
Over here?
-Yup. Yup.
-That's why we do it.
You smoked him.
-You smoked him.
-He was a tough fish.
RICK: Paulie didn't
miss a beat in dealing
with that googan's anchor.
What a pro.
I have so much to
learn from this guy.
-That's it.
Lean into it.
84 inches.
-84.
-What a nice fish.
-Yeah.
-Nice job, Rick.
This ain't tournament fishing.
This is commercial
tuna fishing, baby!
MARCIANO: Great job, gang.
We made it through
the googans.
-Thanks, Dad.
SCOTT: The Hard
Merch, back at it.
MARCIANO: Tough little bugger.
-Ta-da!
-This is only our second
fish of the season and
so far these other guys are
running away with the
competition.
All right, what
do we got, Scotty?
SCOTT: 415 pounds dressed.
-Nice. Well done.
-Nice.
-The buyer's looking
for bright red color
and a whole lot of fat.
I'm hoping for a good price
for this fish so we can get
out of this bottom spot.
SCOTT: Look at this thing.
-So what's it look like?
SCOTT: So greasy.
-Yeah.
-Okay. Good.
-It's got a lot of
fat and a super greasy fish.
Good color on it too.
It's definitely a good fish.
We'll get you guys,
$19 a pound.
-Nice. All right.
-Nice, nice, nice!
-Good job. Boom. Well done.
-Good job. Good job, Gel.
MARCIANO: On the Hard Merch,
when the chips are down, we
step up and make guacamole.
In tuna fishing we say,
"TGIM, Thank God It's Monday."
Because that's when the
googans dock their boats
and go back to work.
MATT: Look at this guy.
He's gonna anchor
up right next to us.
-It's not a good trip so far.
Crowded waters are not
conducive to fishing.
Other boats are managing
to make things happen.
Merch and Pissah
both caught fish, we're
coming up empty-handed.
We lost our only hookup
so far this week when our
line got chafed in a googan's
anchor and it snapped.
-Maybe that guy was looking
to anchor right up on us.
-No, yeah, he's freaking
going out there looking
at our (bleep) bait,
where our baits are at.
Some people have high
frequency fish finders, they
can drive right up to your
bait and they can see
where your bait's sitting
on their depth machine.
It's like copying
your homework.
-Jack wagon.
Go on jack wagon!
BRAD: Get the
(bleep) out of here.
-(bleep) out of here.
-It's so aggravating dealing
with these googan boats
doing whatever they please.
They come here and cause
chaos because they don't
really have any stakes.
They're out here for a
good time and it doesn't
matter at whose expense.
-Come on!
-Is he anchoring?
-Right here!
Whole ocean!
(bleep), (bleep).
Jack wagon.
TYLER: Other guys
are catching fish,
they're catching up.
It's heated.
The fish don't discriminate
whether you're a commercial
guy or a tournament fisherman.
They swim in and they swim
under someone who's got a
beautiful bait out and they
eat it and, you know,
you could be sitting there
and they might not never
even make it to you.
They get caught before
they even get to you.
Hey, Duff, something
googan this way comes.
Holy crap, is that
the old Pinwheel?
I sold my boat last winter
to a businessman who wanted
to spend his downtime
trying to catch a tuna.
I've got a ton of
memories on that boat.
I'm a better reel man
than he is a swimmer so
we're gonna take him out.
Reel, brother, reel, come
on, bend that thing over.
When I was just a kid
figuring things out,
she taught me a lot.
We're fighting for
our livelihood.
And I'm sure she'll
teach those guys too.
Well, if it isn't
the old Pinwheel.
You guys need anything?
Not all googans are bad.
I can vouch for this guy
and I know he wouldn't dare
set up anchor around us.
DUFFY: Karma. Karma
is what it's all about.
That's why we're here.
TYLER: I'll help him out
with a little bait and he'll
be on his way and it'll give
me a chance to make sure
that the old boat is
being taken care of.
I have a soft spot for him
and I have a really big
soft spot for that boat.
Throw them right in the well.
A couple of squid,
couple of herring.
TYLER: So I wanna see that
boat in good hands and I wanna
see that boat doing what it
was made to do which
is to fight tunas and
do circles and so,
I hope that he
catches some fish.
Hey, the boat
looks great, guys.
Good luck, guys.
Go get 'em.
-Catch 'em up.
I miss her.
There she goes.
-Is that a tear
I see a little bit?
-I don't know.
-All the good times, the bad
times, blowing out windows.
I yelled your name!
Blown out tempers.
Look at it going away.
-She's in good hands, Duff.
Not all googans are bad.
-Hah! Just most of them.
SANDRO:
They are on!
No (bleep) way!
Oh, God, trimmed by a
(bleep) bunch of googs.
Trimmed by the goog.
Googan trimming.
♪ Trimmed by the googs.
Trimmed by the googs. ♪
♪ We just got trimmed
by the googs. ♪♪
GEORDIE: We're struggling
a little bit right now.
So it's kind of hard
to watch these weekend
warriors catch fish.
It's good for them.
They have fun doing it,
but we need a paycheck.
So it's a little
bit different.
(beeping)
(clicking)
(reel unspooling rapidly
We're on!
-Here we go!
-We're on!
-There he is!
We're on! We're on!
Start it up! Start it up!
-There he is!
-We got him on. Whoa!
-We are on.
Keep going backwards.
-Backwards, reverse, Sandro.
You got one?
-Got one.
-Oh, yeah!
-Okay. Bring it back!
-Ready? Jump on.
(inaudible) hold
it right there.
-Oh, wow.
Okay, we did it.
Woo.
-Wow, this is great.
-Got one on.
-Woo!
We got fish on now.
-Oh, this guy anchored
up right behind us.
DAVE: We could lose
this fish at any minute.
All it takes is to get
wrapped up in his fishing
gear and he's gone.
uy anchored
up right behind us.
-Wow.
-Can you feel it?
I know.
It feels funny.
-Yeah, it does.
-You ready?
SANDRO: Yeah, we
got an anchor line.
(bleep) this
(bleep) anchor line.
-Anchored right up next
to us, now we're in his
anchor line just like that.
This has been
happening to everyone.
Fish Hawk lost a fish
and Hard Merch and Wicked
Pissah caught theirs by the
skin of their teeth.
I can't believe once again
another inexperienced captain
is making our job harder.
We're not gonna get this fish.
-It's gone.
That fish has got
to be way out there.
-Yeah.
DAVE: Our fish is wrapped up
around this guy's anchor ball.
So we need to get the ball
and untangle this line
before we lose this fish.
-Wow.
SANDRO:
He's right here.
He's right here.
-Hit him.
Hold up, hold up.
Take a shot!
Yeah, baby!
-Not done yet.
-Come left. Come left.
-Tail rope left of Sandro.
-Take it up, buddy.
-Whoo! Baby!
-Yes! Yeah!
Teamwork all around.
-Okay. (inaudible)
whose anchor's next?
-Yeah.
-Little bit of adversity
on that one, eh, boys?
-That was a close one.
I wasn't sure we're
gonna land it.
But we're a great team on
the Dot Com and no googan's
gonna get in between
us and our fish.
These fish, just for us it's
not coming easy this year.
-That's a double high-five.
Twice.
That's one five,
now, three, two, one.
-Nice.
-Let's measure him up.
-82, 83 inches.
-83!
-83 and a half!
-Oh.
-That's because you
always one up me because
you know I'm always right.
-I am victorious.
-He always has to one up me
because I'm always right so.
-This week
with all the tournament
fishermen on the water,
it's been an uphill battle.
So we're happy to have
this fish on board.
We really needed a win.
Hey, maybe all the googans
have gone home now.
PAUL: Look at the
freaking bait.
Watch what happens
this afternoon.
-Things are
looking good, Rick.
Let's get some
fresh baits out.
-What's this guy doing?
-Oh, he's not gonna
anchor there, is he?
-Yeah, I hope he's
not anchoring there.
-I cannot believe this
is happening again.
Why can't these guys just
find their own piece of ocean?
There's bait everywhere.
There's no need for that.
He thinks this is the only
place that the tunas swim.
They don't swim over there,
they don't swim over there.
They don't swim
over there, they just swim
right there, nowhere else.
I always try to give
people plenty of room so
we don't lose fish or they
don't lose fish in my anchor.
These people that have
never done it before,
they don't have a clue.
Wacko.
It pisses us off like some
people could care less.
They have money, but
this is all we got.
It's called common courtesy.
-And it's fishing,
fishing etiquette.
-It's fishing etiquette.
Wacko. Wacko. Wacko.
DAVE: Cannot believe we
managed to get a tuna out
of that guy's anchor line.
Good going.
What's up, Luke?
LUKE: What's up, guys?
-We got one for you.
-All right.
-Let's get him up.
-Sounds good.
DAVE: This is only our
third fish of the season.
Meanwhile, two other
boats in the fleet have
landed five so far.
We need a good paycheck for
this fish to close the gap
between us and the top boats
and then we need to get
right back out there.
-What's the dressed weight?
-243 dressed.
-Yeah, 243.
-What do you think of that?
-Little red but there
is a little fat in there.
Real oily.
It's a decent fish.
-Oh. What do you think?
-$16 a pound.
-That's a paycheck.
-All right.
-Absolutely.
-I'll take 16 all day long.
-All right. Cool. Thanks.
-Thanks, buddy.
Appreciate it. Thank you, Luke.
-Thanks, bud.
All right, everybody keep your
anchors to yourselves, please.
DAVE: Please.
PAUL: Come on, tuna time.
-You want another orange
balloon for that, Paul?
-No, it's gonna be close.
Through all this
freaking chaos this week,
we're one of
the only commercial
boats to land a fish.
But so far this season, we've
only landed three keepers.
We have to go out there
and make ends meet
because we have kids.
So we really need to keep
grinding and land more fish
and hopefully no googans will
get in our way.
We're waiting for the magic.
-That's all.
Well, we'll be ready.
-We're ready.
When they come through,
they run the edge and
they're, uh, coming up on top
looking for the food.
Big marks! Look at that.
(beeping)
-One down there.
-What?
BRAD: Something down there.
So far, it's been an
unsuccessful trip.
We lost a jumbo earlier
in the week when our line got
caught in a googan's anchor and
it's been hard knowing
that inexperienced fishermen
have been getting lucky and
landing tuna this week.
Every fish one of these
doctors or lawyers lands to
brag to their friends about at
their next cocktail party,
is a paycheck our families
are missing out on.
One shot.
It came up one time
and took a look.
-Come on,
it's tuna time, baby.
Makes me happy.
MATT: Ooh, I can
smell 'em, Brad.
PAUL: Come on, tuna.
BRAD: Wishing a tuna will bite.
(reel unspooling rapidly)
-Oh, we're on! We're on!
-Thank God. Come on, tuna.
(reel unspooling rapidly)
-We're on!
-We're gonna
get 'em, man.
Yeah, buddy.
-Yeah!
We got 'em on!
Yeah, Ricky. Nice!
-Got one. Just
reeling up the bait rod.
-Yeah! Look at him go!
Boy, how nice would it
be to get a big boot?
Boy, I hope we get a
chance at this big fella.
-Get us off the anchor, Matt.
-We're good, Brad.
-And start reeling
these other lines in.
-Right now we're hooked up,
just trying to clear these
other lines out of the way so
we can get this fish.
-We've got our anchor
line to worry about.
We've got other boats, I'm
just trying to keep the
tuna away from all of it.
We got our lines out the back,
this tuna ran to
the back and I wanted to
get him out of my anchor.
He's all over the
top going crazy.
-All right, Brad, I got
the lines out the way.
-If the fish gets tangled
up at any of this stuff, the
line could snap and he's gone.
PAUL: He is one strong fish.
The only way to do it
with a fish like this
is to let him tire out.
It's like how do you
stop a freight train?
There you go, buddy.
Good job, Ricky.
-That damn boat's too close.
-It's going right
under his boat.
-Tuna's swimming right at it.
-Move it over, cap.
Not too fast.
Oh, my God, the
lines are tangled.
-We're gonna work the
tangle over this way.
You just get ready to
get the hook off here.
When I grab the rod,
pull it in the cabin.
-Just loosen your drag.
I see your hook.
Your hook's on the line.
-Fish Hawk's fortune
is tangled up in
this googan's line.
This is nuts.
-Here you go.
-Want me to go over you?
-Matt, don't lose this fish.
Be very careful.
MATT: This is nuts, cap.
get the hook off here.
When I grab the rod,
pull it in the cabin.
MATT: Just loosen your drag.
I see your hook.
Your hook's on the line.
BRAD: Fish Hawk's fortune
is tangled up in
this googan's line.
This is nuts.
-Here you go.
-Want me to go over you?
-Matt, don't lose this fish.
Be very careful.
Hold on, hold on.
MATT: This is nuts, cap.
We're back in the game, Brad.
-Take it.
Keep the tip down.
Fish Hawk, baby.
We'll fight him out here now.
Keep it down.
-Good job.
-Gaining more line.
-Okay. Good job.
-We're gaining more.
Right in back of us, Paul.
-Yeah. I see.
This fish is fighting
for his life and we're
trying to get a paycheck.
-You know, I'm
psychically exhausted.
My hand's blistered up.
I got blisters
all over my hand.
I can't talk.
I might lose this thing.
-There you go.
He's coming now.
This is when he
does his thing.
We're gonna get a
shot here soon, watch.
He's right here.
See him?
-Yeah. Yeah.
-I told you he's big.
-Oh, my God.
Right here in the back.
Swivel on the reel.
-All right.
-Go forward left, Brad.
Go! Forward right!
All right stop, Brad.
Hold on!
Don't put it in gear.
I got him straight
up and down, Brad.
I got swivel, deep color!
-He's right here, Paul.
-Look out.
Oh, you (bleep)!
-Come on, get the
harpoon, get him, come on!
Yeah, I got him
right on the top of
the water, come on!
Hit him, Brad.
-Got him. Got him.
-Gaff. Gaff him.
There you go!
You got him?
-Yeah.
-Quick, grab a gaff.
Hurry up.
-Fish Hawk, baby.
-Do the honors, Rick.
Tail rope that baby. Yeah!
-That's how we do, baby.
Fish Hawk.
-You did great on
that one, Ricky.
-Thanks, Paul.
-Woo! Yeah! I love it.
-It's a big bastard.
-Here, pull him up.
With all the
googan boats out on the
fishing grounds for the
Bluefin tournament this week,
it's been a battle for
us commercial guys to land
a fish and make a paycheck.
He sacrificed his
life today for us so we
could feed our families.
God bless him.
82 inches.
-Yeah, game over.
-82 inches, we'll take him.
-Fish Hawk.
-Sorry, buddy, but
you're coming with us.
-That was awesome, bro.
-Good job.
-Now walk backwards like this.
See what I'm saying, now down.
Keep going. Pull.
He's big, huh?
-Bigger than he looks
in the water, isn't he?
-Yeah, he's a jumbo,
115, that's big.
-Nice, nice.
-That's amazing
that we got him.
It's amazing.
-Kaw! Kaw!
Fish Hawk, baby. Woo!
What's up, Gut,
we got one for you.
We're gonna get
right back out there.
GUT: Why does everybody ask
me for money all the time?
It's all about the money, huh?
-Yeah, you think we like you?
PAUL: Wicked
Pissah coming at you.
-Holy cow.
-They're a couple nice
ones for you, brother.
-Way to go, boys.
-Yeah.
-Beautiful, this
one's a nice one, Gut.
Butterball highway.
-What have you
got for size, PJ?
-227 pounds dressed.
-Nice.
-What have you got, Gut?
-251 dressed on that one.
That's a good size.
-How'd our second one do, PJ?
-713 pounds.
-Hey guys, let's check
this fish out, huh?
-So far this season,
we've gotten between $17
and $22 per pound per fish.
I'm hoping for a similar
price on this one so we
can keep putting pressure
on the rest of the fleet.
He's greasy.
-Little burn, yeah?
-Not too bad.
I like that core.
-What can you give for
us on this one, Gut?
Come on.
-That fish there.
-Come on, Gut.
-$19.
-We'll take that, Gut.
-All right. Woo! Gut!
-Feels good to
make some money.
-Go get, go get some more,
will you?
-All right.
Let's get out of here.
-We're gonna go get
some more of those.
-Nice color, guys.
Excellent handling as
always on the Wicked Pissah.
Could use a little more
fat, but it's not bad.
This one here, guys.
-Come on, there's
not much fish.
He's a nice little one.
-$16 per pound.
-Nice.
-Nice, we'll take it.
-We'll take it.
Let's check out the big boy.
-Let's look at him.
-At the start of the
week, we were near the
bottom of the pack.
But we're the only
boat that's brought in two
keepers this week and one of
them is a giant.
So hopefully these two fish
will get us back in the game.
Nice fish.
-Nice fish.
Look at these diamonds.
-Yes.
-Very well handled again,
beautiful core color.
This fish here.
-What do you got?
-A big fat fish...
$22 a pound.
-Yes!
-Very nice.
-Yes.
-That's a nice little.
-Thanks, PJ.
-Good job, guys.
-These two-fish brought
us almost 20 grand.
We went to work
and we brought home a huge
paycheck and that feels great.
Payday, baby!
NARRATOR: At the end
of week four of fishing,
Wicked Pissah's
payday of almost $20,000
launches them
into the lead for the
first time this season,
while Fish Hawk's good
quality tuna nudges
them ahead of the
young duo on Pinwheel.
MAN (over radio):
Oh, my God! It's beautiful!
TJ: What?
MARCIANO (over radio): Is this
guy fishing for tuna or is this
one of those dirty phone calls?
ANGELICA: That's awful.
MAN (over radio): I just
caught my first Bluefin tuna.
-That's awesome.
(laughter)
SANDRO: Gift from the tuna gods.
TJ: Oh, I'd love one of those.
(bleep) googans.
MAN (over radio): I
can't wait to tell the
guys in the office tomorrow.
Captioned by Cotter
Captioning Services.
MIKE: Get out of here,
jerkoff!
PAUL: It's like fishing
in a parking lot.
NARRATOR: On this
episode of Wicked Tuna...
TJ: What are you doing?
NARRATOR: Inexperienced
fishermen...
PAUL: Total googan!
NARRATOR: Plague the
commercial fleet.
TJ: Don't (bleep)
anchor there.
MARCIANO: Come on!
DAVE: We're not
gonna get this fish.
MARCIANO: I guess we
really suck at life.
NARRATOR: But one boat will
emerge from the crowd...
PAUL: He's right here.
See him?
NARRATOR: To score
the biggest payday
so far this season.
-Yay.
JARRETT: Back on, baby, whoo!
-We got 'em on!
MARCIANO:
Resistance is futile.
Yeah.
(grunts).
-You got one?
-Got one.
NARRATOR: This is Wicked Tuna.
PAUL: This fish is fighting
for his life and we're
trying to get a paycheck.
NARRATOR: At the start of
week four of fishing, Hot
Tuna has regained the lead,
but the young duo on Pinwheel
is nipping at their heels.
Meanwhile, family
operation Hard Merchandise
trails behind the pack,
with only one fish.
JARRETT: Nightshift
turns into dayshift.
TJ: Just getting
started this morning.
Jarrett jigged up a
bunch of beautiful bait.
Conditions are great.
Maybe today's the day.
So, we're just
gonna give it hell.
The last few years in
Gloucester we finished in
the middle of the pack,
and then earlier this
year in the Outer Banks
we really struggled,
and it's a season we
really wanna put behind us.
Our reputation has
suffered and I'm determined
to rebuild it fish by fish.
Can you believe this (bleep)?
We've got this idiot
who anchored an eighth
of a mile away from us.
Googan is the nickname the
commercial Bluefin fleet has
given to the inexperienced
fishermen who can make our
lives and our livelihood
really difficult.
As people have come
to realize that Bluefin tuna
are the ultimate glory fish,
more and more of these
guys have invaded the water
looking to check something
off their bucket list.
They don't know the rules
and they don't really care.
We're the only boat
here and, and this edge runs
three miles and you anchor an
eighth of a mile away from us?
It's fishing etiquette
not to anchor any closer
than a quarter mile
away from someone.
When we have a
fish on, our fishing
line can extend up to
200 yards away from the boat,
and when that fish realizes
its hooked up it can swim
up to 45 miles per hour.
So, when you've
got another boat 200
yards away with a guy
that doesn't know what
he's doing and your fish
decides to run that way,
our chances
of landing that fish
decrease significantly.
When you get jack bags
like that anchor an eighth
of a mile away from you,
it's just disheartening.
It's everything that's
wrong with this fishery,
is that right there.
(beeping)
MIKE: Just marked one at 150.
Oh come on,
baby, come on, baby.
(beeping)
(clicking)
(reel unspooling rapidly)
We're on! We're on!
Get on the rod, we're on!
JARRETT: Back on, baby, whoo!
TJ: Let's move this
rod away from the boat.
Bubby, get him off the anchor.
MIKE: Get off your
anchor, please!
FISHERMAN (over radio):
No, man, I'm pretty sure
we're far enough away from you.
-Unbelievable.
-He's not getting
off his anchor?
-What a schmuck!
-Feel like a keeper?
-It's a big fish.
-Give it some slack.
Give it some slack.
-Come on, baby.
-This fish is going
right towards his gear.
If our fish gets
tangled in the other
boat's anchor line,
it's very likely
the line will rub and
chaff until it burns off
and we'll lose the fish.
-Yep. He's going
right over.
-Oh come on, come on.
Oh, you prick.
-Feels funny, TJ.
-He's tangled.
It's definitely wrapped up.
Take it easy, Jarrett,
the line's gonna break.
Right now I'm pissed off.
To lose what was definitely
a big fish because of
a googan is unacceptable.
MIKE: Googans have no
clue about the game.
-We just lost potentially
a $10,000 payday
because of this guy and I
think he needs to know.
-Oh, he is gonna
go over there.
TJ: I can't let this
kid get away with that.
This guy's about to
get a piece of my mind.
An eighth of a mile, bro?
Three miles of
edge and you give me an
eighth of a (bleep) mile?
Why would you anchor
next to someone an eighth
of a mile when there's
three miles of edge?
-Sorry, man.
-You're an eighth of a
mile away from me, bro.
-I thought you
had enough room.
-An eighth of mile,
who does that (bleep)?
-I'll get farther
away next time.
-Dude, what the, it's, it's
a, it, it's a three-mile bank.
You should have got off of
your anchor as soon as we
told you we were hooked up.
You've got no idea about
fishing etiquette, man.
We lost our
fish because it got
tangled in your gear.
Jerkoff.
Eighth of a mile.
A quarter mile is pushing
it, an eighth of a mile?
-Don't be anchoring on
top of the HT, especially
first thing in the morning.
-Let's get away from this damn
googan and find another spot.
PAUL: Here we go!
RICK: Going to get 'em!
PAUL: Rick and I only
have two fish this season and
we're at the back of the pack.
But I know from years
of experience, we're
about to hit our stride.
I was born into this fishery.
I don't know anything else.
So, I was screwed
from day one.
This is what I was born to do.
And the Bluefin
industry has changed
since I've started.
There's twice as many
boats as there used to
be when I was a kid.
As far as you can see there
are boats, everywhere you go.
And a lot of these guys are
not experienced fishermen.
They're just weekend warriors.
They're just out
here chasing the biggest
glory fish in the ocean.
This is just something
they can brag to their friends
about on the golf course.
Anybody with
a boat can get a federal
fisheries permit, anybody.
There's no test, no nothing.
Fifty bucks?
You're a tuna fisherman.
It's insane.
Am I okay to go?
PAUL: Wow, look at
them all coming.
Every summer,
there's a Bluefin fishing
tournament in Gloucester.
It's running for
the next few days.
Anybody with a boat
and $1,300 for an entry fee
trying to win a trophy and
get their photo in
the local newspaper.
They're weekend warriors
out for a good time,
and they're all standing
between me and my paycheck.
Look it, they don't even know.
-Googan day.
PAUL: When you're getting
100 yards from the bridge,
you call the bridge.
You have to get clearance
by the bridge operator or
you'll have a collision in
the middle of the bridge
and the current's running,
you know, ten knots.
But every Tom, Dick
and Harry is out today and
they see the bridge go up and
they fly right through.
I can't even get out of the
harbor because obviously it's
Take Your Googan to Work Day.
They're all going against
the traffic right now.
They're not supposed
to be coming right now.
It's like getting on the
freeway going the wrong
way, all these guys.
Tell them they're supposed
to turn their radio on.
-You got to have the radio on.
-Does anyone have a radio?
-Not today, apparently,
unbelievable.
They don't even know
what they're doing.
-Are you kidding me?
Total googan.
-Thank you very much.
Look out, guys, the
circus is in town today.
DAVE: Look at this
guy, he's dropping his
anchor right by us.
He just doesn't have a clue.
SANDRO: Don't be rude, Dave.
Everybody has the right
to fish in the ocean.
MIKE: That idiot turned
around, looks like he's gonna
anchor right off Dot Com.
TJ (over radio): Is that guy
gonna anchor right next to you?
DAVE: Sure looking
that way, isn't it?
You can anchor
anywhere in here.
-What the (bleep), like,
what is this guy doing?
MIKE: "Oh, there's Hot
Tuna and there's Dot Com.
Let's anchor right there."
These tournament fishermen
like to park right next to the
best commercial boats in
the fleet because they know
we know where the fish are.
So they figure fishing
by us will give them the
best chance to catch a giant
Bluefin tuna and landing
the tournament trophy.
It's annoying and
disrespectful.
DAVE: I don't get it, man.
This guy is gonna, is gonna
be right on my anchor, dude.
-Please don't drop it there.
Please do not drop
your anchor there.
He's dropping it right there.
-Oh, god.
-If he gets a bite,
I'm gonna get sawed right off.
-I can't believe this
guy just anchored there.
(air horn blares)
MIKE: Get out of here,
jerkoff!
You (bleep) morons!
-Oh my God, dude,
dude, yo, T, T!
-Get the binoculars.
MIKE: Get that piece
of (bleep) out of here!
-Don't (bleep) anchor there!
(air horn blares)
-TJ's blowing the horn at 'em.
MIKE: You (bleep) morons!
TJ: That was savage, dude!
MIKE: Get out of here!
(air horn blares)
TJ: The googan deterrent is
not working this morning.
-This is what you
call moron fest.
Just morons.
MARCIANO: I spy with my
little eye, something that
begins with the letter G.
(beeping)
The good news is we're
on a hot spot with plenty
of bait and marks galore.
JOE: That's a herring
ball right there.
We're jigging up these
herring and all of the sudden
we saw this tuna come up.
-The bad news is it's polluted
with googans trying to win
a fishing tournament trophy.
I get frustrated
when guys don't respect
a little distance out
there on the water.
Right now, if we hook
up our fish could go
right in his anchor.
And if he hooks up,
we're gonna have to move
to get out of his way.
But, guess what?
We were here first
and we're staying put.
(beeping)
Oh yeah, no, that's a fish.
Your rod should be
bending any minute now.
(beeping)
(clicking)
(reel unspooling rapidly)
-We're on!
We're on!
We're on!
-We're on! We're on.
How's it feel, Joe?
Like a good one?
-Yeah, feels like a nice one.
Coming at us.
We really want
to get this fish.
Ugh. Still coming at us!
Bump it. Bump it!
-Okay, okay!
We've only caught
one fish this season
and we've lost four.
We can't lose another
because some tournament entrant
out for glory is getting
in our way.
-That was a close one.
Good job, Gel.
-Let him run.
-It's a screamer.
-Might be one of
them sea monsters.
-Oh there he is out there!
There he is on the surface.
-There he is, right
on the surface.
ANGELICA: Papa, we're
getting kind of close
to that other boat.
-I see him.
We've got a lot of boats
around us and it's gonna take
some fancy footwork to get
around them with this fish.
I just hope everyone's
paying attention.
-Come on, Joe!
-You got to pay attention
for something that won't
feel like a fish that's
him rubbing on
the anchor line.
-If it goes near
it, what's my move?
-We don't have one.
I don't even think they
realized we're hooked up.
If it gets in their
lines, we're (bleep).
They have no idea.
They have no clue.
-There's a party
boat behind us.
-Yeah, yeah, I see them.
-Okay.
-We're getting
close to that ball.
-I know. I know.
-We're headed right
towards some guy's ball.
-I know. I know. I know.
-Okay.
-We're right here,
we're (bleep) if we get in it.
(grunts).
MARCIANO: Come on!
ANGELICA: We're headed right
towards some guy's ball.
MARCIANO:
I know. I know. I know.
-Okay.
-We're right here,
we're (bleep) if we get in it.
These guys are our
worst nightmare and they
don't even have any idea.
-It's like right there.
-Well, I know.
Is he getting
off the ball or is he
still sitting there?
MARCIANO: Our fish is running
right at this other boat.
The guy's not getting
off his anchor for us.
Our only option is to
crank fast and to hope we can
get him on the boat before
he gets tangled in the
other boat's gear.
-Come on, Joe!
Come on, Joe!
You got this!
-He's giving us the chance
to gain, we gain, but he's
just taking it right back.
It's just really a
stalemate right now.
MARCIANO:
Come on, fish, give up.
Resistance is futile.
Come on, fish!
Come on! Here we go.
Go, Joe. Go, Joe. Go.
-I have him.
-There he is.
Where is it? Where is it?
(inaudible) right there.
-There he is!
-There he is.
Let's get a gaff.
-Yup. Get your tail
strap ready hon, yep.
-Yup.
-Ugh. Yeah!
-You almost got him.
You almost got him.
-Yeah!
-Yeah.
-Yeah!
-Got him.
(grunts).
-Good job, guys.
Great job!
Gel, good job, hon, great job.
-Ugh.
-We had a lot of
challenges thrown our way.
And with all the tournament
boats out here, getting this
one on board definitely feels
like a major win for
the Hard Merch and I'm very
proud of my crew right now.
This one was a pain
but we got him.
-97!
MARCIANO: 97!
The perfect tuna is
shaped like a football
with a tail on it.
That's the ideal shape.
I got high hopes of doing
big money for this one.
ANGELICA: We definitely
deserve this win.
♪ BRAD: God loves the
moon and the moon loves me. ♪♪
MATT: There's
a lot of boats out here.
-Fishing is not an easy job.
It requires not just
expertise, but a work ethic.
You have to put in the time,
and that drive is what sets
commercial fishermen
apart from the rest.
When it's tournament time
in Gloucester, guys are out
here just for the thrill of it.
Just another obstacle
in trying to make a
living on a tuna boat.
(beeping)
(beeping)
(clicking)
(reel unspooling rapidly)
Here we go!
MATT: Let's get
another one, cap!
Good move, Brad,
that was good work.
-Yeah, buddy.
Going in front of you.
Come on, tuna.
-Going straight
out the port side.
Uh-oh. I'm rubbing, Brad,
it feels like it's rubbing.
-On what?
-I don't know.
Hopefully not someone
else's anchor.
Behind us or something, man.
-It can't be that far.
-It just feels like rubbing.
-Oh yeah, it is.
-Definitely.
We can't see
what's in front of us
or what's around us.
That's not good.
We got the fish wrapped up
in someone's anchor ball.
This is the
worst-case scenario.
-Hey, man.
We got a fish on.
Can you throw your anchor?
No response.
-We're just gonna take it
very easy on him right here.
We're gonna drive up on this
guy's anchor here, behind us.
-I'm, we're going that way.
-Switch holders there, Brad.
I think you're
gonna run him over.
Keep going.
All right, that's good.
-Matt, are we clear?
-We're still rubbing, Brad.
Come on.
This is a nightmare.
-He's sound asleep. Wake up!
-Wake up!
We got a tuna in your ball.
-Wake up!
The more our line rubs
in this guy's anchor,
the more at risk we
are of losing this fish.
If I can't wake this
guy up, I'm gonna take
matters into my own hands.
Come on, man, wake up!
I'm gonna ride over to
that ball, see if I...
-Yeah. He's sound
asleep, there's no
way he's gonna get up.
See that line,
we're wrapped up right
in this guy's anchor.
Get the line.
The line, here, here.
-No, this guy.
-We're wrapped up
good around this guy.
-We're out.
-Let him go.
I'm just gonna back
up just a little to get
away from this (bleep).
-He's running.
He ain't done yet.
-Get a bump, Brad.
Quick.
Quick, Brad, go!
All right, you're good.
That's good, you're
good, you're good.
This is crazy.
Those are the big ones, the
ones that can't stop eating.
They eat all day
and all night.
Oh!
-Terrible. Pulled the hook.
-No, something broke.
It's the googan's fault.
That was such a big fish, man.
-That's a letdown.
We're out here
trying to make a living and
we just got sabotaged by
some guy sleeping on a boat.
It hurts.
I'm not gonna cry, but I
could, like it's like, ugh.
-Heartbreaking,
but we'll get him.
TJ: Monkey in the middle,
putting out a fresh round.
Got a guy yanking on
one there, a guy yanking
on one over there,
a guy yanking on
one over there.
Oh, man, this is not our trip.
Nobody wants to be a
spectator out here.
But, it's especially hard
watching inexperienced
guys getting lucky,
while the guys I know,
that are out here grinding
away for days at a time,
are losing paychecks.
DAVE: Look at all these boats.
Look at this, one, two,
three guys coming in.
Look at this.
SANDRO: Did this guy
just go off over there?
I think so.
Yeah, they're on.
-Is he really?
There are boats everywhere
you look and we're watching
Tournament Fishermen
hook up left and right.
It's really frustrating.
-Counting like 13
boats right now.
All the tournament
boats are gonna be here.
-It's like fishing
in a parking lot.
-Ah, the boat behind
us just got a bite.
-He's probably a banker
or a financial advisor
or a lawyer or a doctor,
somebody that has millions
of dollars that doesn't
do this for a living.
Everybody that does this
for a weekend, they're not
out trying to make money.
They've already made their
money, Monday through Friday.
They don't do it for
the money; they do it
for the glory of it.
TYLER: Who's this (bleep),
(bleep) right here?
There's no doubt about
it that guys who are not
commercial fishermen,
they're out there chasing
the real guys around.
They drive to different spots,
and if they see a guy that
they know that catches fish,
they mug them right up.
ANGELICA: There are two people
at the back of the boat.
MARCIANO: Looks like
everybody's hooked up but us.
I guess we really
suck at life.
PAUL: Give the
Pissah a break, huh?
We'll get ours. Huh, Rick?
-Absolutely. We always do.
-We always do.
-Been a tough day out here.
There's a ton of
boats and everyone's
trying to get a bite.
And every boat that
gets a bite, it's an
opportunity we missed.
-If you want something bad
enough, you'll work at it.
-Yup.
Paul's got a young daughter.
I have three boys.
This is how we provide
for our families.
We have to catch fish
to pay the bills.
-We're marking!
-Nice.
Let's get 'em to
bite, get 'em to chew.
-Marking like crazy right now.
(beeping)
(clicking)
(reel unspooling rapidly)
-Yeah, we're on!
-Yes!
-Nice fish, he's
taking a nice run here.
Big boy!
-We got a screamer.
-I know.
-This is a huge fish.
Could be a big payday
for us and our families.
-Careful, Paul.
PAUL: We're gonna be in
his anchor, I know that.
I got to walk him
away from this anchor.
Trying to get away, I'm
going with the fish.
We are really close
to another boat.
I need to guide
this fish away.
I don't want
this fish to get tangled,
but this fish is gonna run
wherever he wants to run.
Are you kidding me?
We're in it!
What is this googan doing?
We're in it! Drop it!
-Drop the anchor!
Drop the anchor!
PAUL: Total googan.
PAUL: Are you kidding me?
We're in it!
What is this googan doing?
We're in it! Drop it!
RICK: Drop the anchor!
Drop the anchor!
-We're gonna be
right under it.
I got to have you get tight.
-Yeah,
we're in it, all right.
-Hold on.
It's not a good
situation to be in.
Our paycheck is in
this guy's hands.
We have to get this taken
care of immediately.
Here we go. Here we go.
We can't lose this fish.
-Ow!
-Sorry!
-It ain't over yet. Back up.
We're clear, Rick.
Thanks for nothing.
Are you ready?
-Yeah.
-The line is weak, Rick.
It's chafed to hell.
Be very careful
from here on out.
-Nice fish.
It's gonna break water.
It's gonna break
water, right there.
That's a lot of
money on the line.
-Reel him up to me.
-Let's get him, Paulie.
There's your shot,
Paulie, throw it.
-Got him.
Yup, loosen up.
Okay, where can I go?
Over here?
-Yup. Yup.
-That's why we do it.
You smoked him.
-You smoked him.
-He was a tough fish.
RICK: Paulie didn't
miss a beat in dealing
with that googan's anchor.
What a pro.
I have so much to
learn from this guy.
-That's it.
Lean into it.
84 inches.
-84.
-What a nice fish.
-Yeah.
-Nice job, Rick.
This ain't tournament fishing.
This is commercial
tuna fishing, baby!
MARCIANO: Great job, gang.
We made it through
the googans.
-Thanks, Dad.
SCOTT: The Hard
Merch, back at it.
MARCIANO: Tough little bugger.
-Ta-da!
-This is only our second
fish of the season and
so far these other guys are
running away with the
competition.
All right, what
do we got, Scotty?
SCOTT: 415 pounds dressed.
-Nice. Well done.
-Nice.
-The buyer's looking
for bright red color
and a whole lot of fat.
I'm hoping for a good price
for this fish so we can get
out of this bottom spot.
SCOTT: Look at this thing.
-So what's it look like?
SCOTT: So greasy.
-Yeah.
-Okay. Good.
-It's got a lot of
fat and a super greasy fish.
Good color on it too.
It's definitely a good fish.
We'll get you guys,
$19 a pound.
-Nice. All right.
-Nice, nice, nice!
-Good job. Boom. Well done.
-Good job. Good job, Gel.
MARCIANO: On the Hard Merch,
when the chips are down, we
step up and make guacamole.
In tuna fishing we say,
"TGIM, Thank God It's Monday."
Because that's when the
googans dock their boats
and go back to work.
MATT: Look at this guy.
He's gonna anchor
up right next to us.
-It's not a good trip so far.
Crowded waters are not
conducive to fishing.
Other boats are managing
to make things happen.
Merch and Pissah
both caught fish, we're
coming up empty-handed.
We lost our only hookup
so far this week when our
line got chafed in a googan's
anchor and it snapped.
-Maybe that guy was looking
to anchor right up on us.
-No, yeah, he's freaking
going out there looking
at our (bleep) bait,
where our baits are at.
Some people have high
frequency fish finders, they
can drive right up to your
bait and they can see
where your bait's sitting
on their depth machine.
It's like copying
your homework.
-Jack wagon.
Go on jack wagon!
BRAD: Get the
(bleep) out of here.
-(bleep) out of here.
-It's so aggravating dealing
with these googan boats
doing whatever they please.
They come here and cause
chaos because they don't
really have any stakes.
They're out here for a
good time and it doesn't
matter at whose expense.
-Come on!
-Is he anchoring?
-Right here!
Whole ocean!
(bleep), (bleep).
Jack wagon.
TYLER: Other guys
are catching fish,
they're catching up.
It's heated.
The fish don't discriminate
whether you're a commercial
guy or a tournament fisherman.
They swim in and they swim
under someone who's got a
beautiful bait out and they
eat it and, you know,
you could be sitting there
and they might not never
even make it to you.
They get caught before
they even get to you.
Hey, Duff, something
googan this way comes.
Holy crap, is that
the old Pinwheel?
I sold my boat last winter
to a businessman who wanted
to spend his downtime
trying to catch a tuna.
I've got a ton of
memories on that boat.
I'm a better reel man
than he is a swimmer so
we're gonna take him out.
Reel, brother, reel, come
on, bend that thing over.
When I was just a kid
figuring things out,
she taught me a lot.
We're fighting for
our livelihood.
And I'm sure she'll
teach those guys too.
Well, if it isn't
the old Pinwheel.
You guys need anything?
Not all googans are bad.
I can vouch for this guy
and I know he wouldn't dare
set up anchor around us.
DUFFY: Karma. Karma
is what it's all about.
That's why we're here.
TYLER: I'll help him out
with a little bait and he'll
be on his way and it'll give
me a chance to make sure
that the old boat is
being taken care of.
I have a soft spot for him
and I have a really big
soft spot for that boat.
Throw them right in the well.
A couple of squid,
couple of herring.
TYLER: So I wanna see that
boat in good hands and I wanna
see that boat doing what it
was made to do which
is to fight tunas and
do circles and so,
I hope that he
catches some fish.
Hey, the boat
looks great, guys.
Good luck, guys.
Go get 'em.
-Catch 'em up.
I miss her.
There she goes.
-Is that a tear
I see a little bit?
-I don't know.
-All the good times, the bad
times, blowing out windows.
I yelled your name!
Blown out tempers.
Look at it going away.
-She's in good hands, Duff.
Not all googans are bad.
-Hah! Just most of them.
SANDRO:
They are on!
No (bleep) way!
Oh, God, trimmed by a
(bleep) bunch of googs.
Trimmed by the goog.
Googan trimming.
♪ Trimmed by the googs.
Trimmed by the googs. ♪
♪ We just got trimmed
by the googs. ♪♪
GEORDIE: We're struggling
a little bit right now.
So it's kind of hard
to watch these weekend
warriors catch fish.
It's good for them.
They have fun doing it,
but we need a paycheck.
So it's a little
bit different.
(beeping)
(clicking)
(reel unspooling rapidly
We're on!
-Here we go!
-We're on!
-There he is!
We're on! We're on!
Start it up! Start it up!
-There he is!
-We got him on. Whoa!
-We are on.
Keep going backwards.
-Backwards, reverse, Sandro.
You got one?
-Got one.
-Oh, yeah!
-Okay. Bring it back!
-Ready? Jump on.
(inaudible) hold
it right there.
-Oh, wow.
Okay, we did it.
Woo.
-Wow, this is great.
-Got one on.
-Woo!
We got fish on now.
-Oh, this guy anchored
up right behind us.
DAVE: We could lose
this fish at any minute.
All it takes is to get
wrapped up in his fishing
gear and he's gone.
uy anchored
up right behind us.
-Wow.
-Can you feel it?
I know.
It feels funny.
-Yeah, it does.
-You ready?
SANDRO: Yeah, we
got an anchor line.
(bleep) this
(bleep) anchor line.
-Anchored right up next
to us, now we're in his
anchor line just like that.
This has been
happening to everyone.
Fish Hawk lost a fish
and Hard Merch and Wicked
Pissah caught theirs by the
skin of their teeth.
I can't believe once again
another inexperienced captain
is making our job harder.
We're not gonna get this fish.
-It's gone.
That fish has got
to be way out there.
-Yeah.
DAVE: Our fish is wrapped up
around this guy's anchor ball.
So we need to get the ball
and untangle this line
before we lose this fish.
-Wow.
SANDRO:
He's right here.
He's right here.
-Hit him.
Hold up, hold up.
Take a shot!
Yeah, baby!
-Not done yet.
-Come left. Come left.
-Tail rope left of Sandro.
-Take it up, buddy.
-Whoo! Baby!
-Yes! Yeah!
Teamwork all around.
-Okay. (inaudible)
whose anchor's next?
-Yeah.
-Little bit of adversity
on that one, eh, boys?
-That was a close one.
I wasn't sure we're
gonna land it.
But we're a great team on
the Dot Com and no googan's
gonna get in between
us and our fish.
These fish, just for us it's
not coming easy this year.
-That's a double high-five.
Twice.
That's one five,
now, three, two, one.
-Nice.
-Let's measure him up.
-82, 83 inches.
-83!
-83 and a half!
-Oh.
-That's because you
always one up me because
you know I'm always right.
-I am victorious.
-He always has to one up me
because I'm always right so.
-This week
with all the tournament
fishermen on the water,
it's been an uphill battle.
So we're happy to have
this fish on board.
We really needed a win.
Hey, maybe all the googans
have gone home now.
PAUL: Look at the
freaking bait.
Watch what happens
this afternoon.
-Things are
looking good, Rick.
Let's get some
fresh baits out.
-What's this guy doing?
-Oh, he's not gonna
anchor there, is he?
-Yeah, I hope he's
not anchoring there.
-I cannot believe this
is happening again.
Why can't these guys just
find their own piece of ocean?
There's bait everywhere.
There's no need for that.
He thinks this is the only
place that the tunas swim.
They don't swim over there,
they don't swim over there.
They don't swim
over there, they just swim
right there, nowhere else.
I always try to give
people plenty of room so
we don't lose fish or they
don't lose fish in my anchor.
These people that have
never done it before,
they don't have a clue.
Wacko.
It pisses us off like some
people could care less.
They have money, but
this is all we got.
It's called common courtesy.
-And it's fishing,
fishing etiquette.
-It's fishing etiquette.
Wacko. Wacko. Wacko.
DAVE: Cannot believe we
managed to get a tuna out
of that guy's anchor line.
Good going.
What's up, Luke?
LUKE: What's up, guys?
-We got one for you.
-All right.
-Let's get him up.
-Sounds good.
DAVE: This is only our
third fish of the season.
Meanwhile, two other
boats in the fleet have
landed five so far.
We need a good paycheck for
this fish to close the gap
between us and the top boats
and then we need to get
right back out there.
-What's the dressed weight?
-243 dressed.
-Yeah, 243.
-What do you think of that?
-Little red but there
is a little fat in there.
Real oily.
It's a decent fish.
-Oh. What do you think?
-$16 a pound.
-That's a paycheck.
-All right.
-Absolutely.
-I'll take 16 all day long.
-All right. Cool. Thanks.
-Thanks, buddy.
Appreciate it. Thank you, Luke.
-Thanks, bud.
All right, everybody keep your
anchors to yourselves, please.
DAVE: Please.
PAUL: Come on, tuna time.
-You want another orange
balloon for that, Paul?
-No, it's gonna be close.
Through all this
freaking chaos this week,
we're one of
the only commercial
boats to land a fish.
But so far this season, we've
only landed three keepers.
We have to go out there
and make ends meet
because we have kids.
So we really need to keep
grinding and land more fish
and hopefully no googans will
get in our way.
We're waiting for the magic.
-That's all.
Well, we'll be ready.
-We're ready.
When they come through,
they run the edge and
they're, uh, coming up on top
looking for the food.
Big marks! Look at that.
(beeping)
-One down there.
-What?
BRAD: Something down there.
So far, it's been an
unsuccessful trip.
We lost a jumbo earlier
in the week when our line got
caught in a googan's anchor and
it's been hard knowing
that inexperienced fishermen
have been getting lucky and
landing tuna this week.
Every fish one of these
doctors or lawyers lands to
brag to their friends about at
their next cocktail party,
is a paycheck our families
are missing out on.
One shot.
It came up one time
and took a look.
-Come on,
it's tuna time, baby.
Makes me happy.
MATT: Ooh, I can
smell 'em, Brad.
PAUL: Come on, tuna.
BRAD: Wishing a tuna will bite.
(reel unspooling rapidly)
-Oh, we're on! We're on!
-Thank God. Come on, tuna.
(reel unspooling rapidly)
-We're on!
-We're gonna
get 'em, man.
Yeah, buddy.
-Yeah!
We got 'em on!
Yeah, Ricky. Nice!
-Got one. Just
reeling up the bait rod.
-Yeah! Look at him go!
Boy, how nice would it
be to get a big boot?
Boy, I hope we get a
chance at this big fella.
-Get us off the anchor, Matt.
-We're good, Brad.
-And start reeling
these other lines in.
-Right now we're hooked up,
just trying to clear these
other lines out of the way so
we can get this fish.
-We've got our anchor
line to worry about.
We've got other boats, I'm
just trying to keep the
tuna away from all of it.
We got our lines out the back,
this tuna ran to
the back and I wanted to
get him out of my anchor.
He's all over the
top going crazy.
-All right, Brad, I got
the lines out the way.
-If the fish gets tangled
up at any of this stuff, the
line could snap and he's gone.
PAUL: He is one strong fish.
The only way to do it
with a fish like this
is to let him tire out.
It's like how do you
stop a freight train?
There you go, buddy.
Good job, Ricky.
-That damn boat's too close.
-It's going right
under his boat.
-Tuna's swimming right at it.
-Move it over, cap.
Not too fast.
Oh, my God, the
lines are tangled.
-We're gonna work the
tangle over this way.
You just get ready to
get the hook off here.
When I grab the rod,
pull it in the cabin.
-Just loosen your drag.
I see your hook.
Your hook's on the line.
-Fish Hawk's fortune
is tangled up in
this googan's line.
This is nuts.
-Here you go.
-Want me to go over you?
-Matt, don't lose this fish.
Be very careful.
MATT: This is nuts, cap.
get the hook off here.
When I grab the rod,
pull it in the cabin.
MATT: Just loosen your drag.
I see your hook.
Your hook's on the line.
BRAD: Fish Hawk's fortune
is tangled up in
this googan's line.
This is nuts.
-Here you go.
-Want me to go over you?
-Matt, don't lose this fish.
Be very careful.
Hold on, hold on.
MATT: This is nuts, cap.
We're back in the game, Brad.
-Take it.
Keep the tip down.
Fish Hawk, baby.
We'll fight him out here now.
Keep it down.
-Good job.
-Gaining more line.
-Okay. Good job.
-We're gaining more.
Right in back of us, Paul.
-Yeah. I see.
This fish is fighting
for his life and we're
trying to get a paycheck.
-You know, I'm
psychically exhausted.
My hand's blistered up.
I got blisters
all over my hand.
I can't talk.
I might lose this thing.
-There you go.
He's coming now.
This is when he
does his thing.
We're gonna get a
shot here soon, watch.
He's right here.
See him?
-Yeah. Yeah.
-I told you he's big.
-Oh, my God.
Right here in the back.
Swivel on the reel.
-All right.
-Go forward left, Brad.
Go! Forward right!
All right stop, Brad.
Hold on!
Don't put it in gear.
I got him straight
up and down, Brad.
I got swivel, deep color!
-He's right here, Paul.
-Look out.
Oh, you (bleep)!
-Come on, get the
harpoon, get him, come on!
Yeah, I got him
right on the top of
the water, come on!
Hit him, Brad.
-Got him. Got him.
-Gaff. Gaff him.
There you go!
You got him?
-Yeah.
-Quick, grab a gaff.
Hurry up.
-Fish Hawk, baby.
-Do the honors, Rick.
Tail rope that baby. Yeah!
-That's how we do, baby.
Fish Hawk.
-You did great on
that one, Ricky.
-Thanks, Paul.
-Woo! Yeah! I love it.
-It's a big bastard.
-Here, pull him up.
With all the
googan boats out on the
fishing grounds for the
Bluefin tournament this week,
it's been a battle for
us commercial guys to land
a fish and make a paycheck.
He sacrificed his
life today for us so we
could feed our families.
God bless him.
82 inches.
-Yeah, game over.
-82 inches, we'll take him.
-Fish Hawk.
-Sorry, buddy, but
you're coming with us.
-That was awesome, bro.
-Good job.
-Now walk backwards like this.
See what I'm saying, now down.
Keep going. Pull.
He's big, huh?
-Bigger than he looks
in the water, isn't he?
-Yeah, he's a jumbo,
115, that's big.
-Nice, nice.
-That's amazing
that we got him.
It's amazing.
-Kaw! Kaw!
Fish Hawk, baby. Woo!
What's up, Gut,
we got one for you.
We're gonna get
right back out there.
GUT: Why does everybody ask
me for money all the time?
It's all about the money, huh?
-Yeah, you think we like you?
PAUL: Wicked
Pissah coming at you.
-Holy cow.
-They're a couple nice
ones for you, brother.
-Way to go, boys.
-Yeah.
-Beautiful, this
one's a nice one, Gut.
Butterball highway.
-What have you
got for size, PJ?
-227 pounds dressed.
-Nice.
-What have you got, Gut?
-251 dressed on that one.
That's a good size.
-How'd our second one do, PJ?
-713 pounds.
-Hey guys, let's check
this fish out, huh?
-So far this season,
we've gotten between $17
and $22 per pound per fish.
I'm hoping for a similar
price on this one so we
can keep putting pressure
on the rest of the fleet.
He's greasy.
-Little burn, yeah?
-Not too bad.
I like that core.
-What can you give for
us on this one, Gut?
Come on.
-That fish there.
-Come on, Gut.
-$19.
-We'll take that, Gut.
-All right. Woo! Gut!
-Feels good to
make some money.
-Go get, go get some more,
will you?
-All right.
Let's get out of here.
-We're gonna go get
some more of those.
-Nice color, guys.
Excellent handling as
always on the Wicked Pissah.
Could use a little more
fat, but it's not bad.
This one here, guys.
-Come on, there's
not much fish.
He's a nice little one.
-$16 per pound.
-Nice.
-Nice, we'll take it.
-We'll take it.
Let's check out the big boy.
-Let's look at him.
-At the start of the
week, we were near the
bottom of the pack.
But we're the only
boat that's brought in two
keepers this week and one of
them is a giant.
So hopefully these two fish
will get us back in the game.
Nice fish.
-Nice fish.
Look at these diamonds.
-Yes.
-Very well handled again,
beautiful core color.
This fish here.
-What do you got?
-A big fat fish...
$22 a pound.
-Yes!
-Very nice.
-Yes.
-That's a nice little.
-Thanks, PJ.
-Good job, guys.
-These two-fish brought
us almost 20 grand.
We went to work
and we brought home a huge
paycheck and that feels great.
Payday, baby!
NARRATOR: At the end
of week four of fishing,
Wicked Pissah's
payday of almost $20,000
launches them
into the lead for the
first time this season,
while Fish Hawk's good
quality tuna nudges
them ahead of the
young duo on Pinwheel.
MAN (over radio):
Oh, my God! It's beautiful!
TJ: What?
MARCIANO (over radio): Is this
guy fishing for tuna or is this
one of those dirty phone calls?
ANGELICA: That's awful.
MAN (over radio): I just
caught my first Bluefin tuna.
-That's awesome.
(laughter)
SANDRO: Gift from the tuna gods.
TJ: Oh, I'd love one of those.
(bleep) googans.
MAN (over radio): I
can't wait to tell the
guys in the office tomorrow.
Captioned by Cotter
Captioning Services.