UNBELIEVABLE Crab Hauls, Hurricanes, Feuds & More Season 20 Moments! | Deadliest Catch

Mysterious Vessel on the Radar: A High-Seas Encounter

It started as an ordinary day at sea, but quickly turned into an intense mystery. A vessel appeared on the radar—unidentified, unregistered, and untraceable on GPS.

“Who the hell is that? He’s not on my GPS, but he’s on the damn radar,” the crew called out, confusion setting in. “Come check it out. See that? Oh yeah, he’s not over here, but he’s there.”

As the Time Bandit and its crew sailed through the rough waters, a vessel was detected 12 miles off the bow, heading south. The crew attempted to make contact. “Are you crabbing? Are you dragging?” Silence. The unknown ship remained elusive.

A Race Against the Unknown

The mystery deepened as the unidentified vessel moved toward the east side of the gear. The crew could see it on radar but not on AIS. “I’m going to go up and investigate.”

“Copy, copy. Be right behind you.”

The order was given to wake the crew and pursue the rogue vessel. “Addy, get the guys up and go after this guy.” As they approached, an impact sent a jolt through the ship.

“Oh man! What was that? I don’t see anything—we hit something! Get the guys up! We hit something!”

The crew scrambled to assess the situation. “There’s a bag—got line in the wheel. I got it, but it’s tight.”

Despite the disturbance, the unidentified vessel remained in sight, seemingly evading the Time Bandit. “Damn it! He’s running from me. We’re tracking him on radar. Freddy, get to the bow and try to get the numbers off this boat if we get close enough. I’m not losing this guy!”

A Battle at Sea

As the pursuit continued, the vessel showed no sign of slowing. “I’m coming in fast. I’m 8 miles off him now, but I’ve got something in the wheel.”

“Sig, you got me? Saga, I’m going to keep pushing. Those are all our buoys!”

Tension ran high as the crew realized the intruder had been tampering with their gear. “Oh my God, this isn’t a game anymore! I got this thing red-lined at 1600 RPMs and I’m catching him!”

The chase escalated until the Time Bandit crew saw an ominous sign—a black garbage bag floating near the mystery vessel. “What’s the numbers? No numbers. Blank bag.”

Then, disaster struck. “Norm, I got no gearbox! No forward, no reverse—nothing!” The Time Bandit was dead in the water.

“Come on, boys! Freddy, John, I want you on deck!” The crew worked tirelessly to free the tangled debris from their propeller while keeping an eye on the fleeing vessel.

A Message Sent

Determined to send a warning, the crew devised a plan. “Hey John, you got any empty drums over there? Lash them together. Grab every pallet we got. Stack them up, get that damn net, and douse it with fuel. We’re going to drop this off. Enough’s enough!”

The makeshift signal was ignited, sending flames soaring into the sky. “Light it up! Let him know his nets are burning! Get out of our waters, dick!”

As the fire crackled against the cold ocean air, the Time Bandit’s crew made a statement. Their fight for their livelihood, their waters, and their way of life was not over.

The Return to Open Waters

With the mysterious vessel gone, the crew turned to the next challenge: a high-stakes golden king crab fishery. Captain Sig Hansen and his daughter Mandy led the Northwestern into unfamiliar waters, ready to reclaim a long-abandoned fishery.

“Where are we starting?” Mandy asked.

“Most of the fleet is heading east. We, on the other hand, are going to follow the deep edge all the way to the Russian border. We’re going to be up there by ourselves.”

As they prepared for the grueling season ahead, the return of a legendary crew added to the excitement. Andy Hillstrand rejoined his brother Jonathan aboard the Time Bandit for the first time since 2016. “Where the hell have you been?” Jonathan joked.

“Welcome back to the American dream, brother!”

The golden king crab fishery was open access—a race where the best fisherman wins. With old rivalries and new alliances forming, the season promised to be one of the most intense yet.

A Clash Over Bait

Amid the preparations, tensions rose over a critical resource: bait.

“Did you take all the hanging bait?” Sig demanded.

“No, I special-ordered 6,500 pounds of fish a year ago. There wasn’t enough for you,” Jonathan replied.

With bait supplies dwindling and tempers flaring, the competition became even fiercer. “We’re already behind schedule, and we’re lucky to get these scraps.”

As the fleet set sail, old grudges lingered. Jonathan and Sig had history, and now, as they faced a high-risk, high-reward season, their rivalry threatened to explode.

The Bering Sea had seen countless battles—against nature, against the odds, and against each other. This season was shaping up to be another fight for survival.