With only weeks left in bluefin season and the quota quickly filling, Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks anglers will do whatever it takes to get their hooks on a fish. So, bring on the stormy weather, tight competition and equipment mishaps because nothing’s stopping these anglers from taking their vessels onto the Atlantic.
Tonight’s episode, appropriately titled “Risky Business,” airing at 9/8 CT on National Geographic shows just how challenging this season has become for some of the Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks stars. Onboard the Offshore Outlaw, Captains Eric and Adam Price seem to have run into some bad luck – literally. The crew ran through some rope which then tangled itself around the boat’s propeller. As most captains know, this can be a death sentence for your trip and for your engine. If you don’t shut off the power fast enough, you could overheat the engine, bust your motor and leave your crew stranded in the waters.
In the teaser video that Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks released, it’s unclear if the propeller still works. However, one crew member braved the waters with a knife in hand to break through the knotted mess under the boat. He sports a pair of goggles while he assesses the situation with the propeller. The only problem is that there are predators lurking nearby. A fellow crew member reported that he’d seen “lots of sharks today.”
Watch the nail-biting moment in the clip below.
“I got a pile of rope in my wheel,” said Adam Price. “I can’t even move.”
If the Offshore Outlaw crew member stays under for too long, he might become the catch of the day.
‘Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks’ Crew Plans to ‘Keep Pushing’
Previously, this season, the Offshore Outlaw crew have shown just how determined they are to making their mark on the leaderboard. As they navigated the Atlantic, they became optimistic upon seeing a pod of whales. While this isn’t the catch they’re looking for, the mammals’ presence indicates that there are fish nearby. A past National Geographic clip showed the Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks stars in action.
Second mate John-Michael Dickinson expressed some frustration, eager to “find that bluefin.”
“The bluefin have arrived, so we have to take advantage of the herd being around,” Captain Price explained.
“Even though we’ve had a good season so far, we just got to keep pushing hard and getting consistent paychecks,” he continued. “You know, it costs a lot of money to keep this boat up.”
Unlike previous seasons, once Price finds a patch of bluefin tuna, he’ll call in the location to other captains. The hope is to work together as the stars of Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks in spite of the challenges that the pandemic posed on the industry.
Although, it doesn’t look like the Offshore Outlaw crew will have much help with their botched propeller in tonight’s episode.