Hook Dispute Almost Costs Time Bandit Its Pots! | Deadliest Catch

Battling Ice and Tensions: The Time Bandit’s Race Against Time

500 miles north of Dutch Harbor, the crew of the Time Bandit faces an impending threat: advancing ice flows. With pots spread half a mile apart, Captain Jonathan Hillstrand knows time is running out. “We got easterly and northeast winds coming, which is going to be evil again,” he remarks grimly, waiting for the latest ice report from his brother, Andy.

The update isn’t good—ice flows are marching at speeds of up to 10 miles per day. With only three days left before retreat, the crew must fish fast or risk losing their gear. “So I gotta go up there and stack that on… then I don’t know what I’m gonna do,” Jonathan contemplates, realizing an executive decision looms ahead.

Crew Tensions Boil Over

While dealing with nature’s challenges, internal conflicts threaten the crew’s efficiency. Longtime crew members Freddy and Jared Porter clash over control of the hook. “Freddy’s been here a long time. He takes a lot of pride in throwing the hook,” one crew member observes. Jared, a seasoned fisherman himself, wants to prove his worth. “It’s not like he’s a greenhorn. He’s been fishing a long time,” another crewman comments.

Miscommunication escalates when Jared fails to stow the hook properly, causing it to lodge under the deck boards. “I don’t have time for this!” Jonathan shouts, frustrated by the unnecessary delay. “Fire him right now—he can stay in his bunk!” After a tense exchange, the captain makes a call. “Let him throw the hook for the rest of the season. Just be the bigger man.”

The Ice Closes In

As tensions simmer, a more pressing issue arises—a call from Captain Sig Hansen of the Northwestern. “You got the latest ice report?” Sig asks. “Danny told me we had three more days,” Jonathan replies. But Sig has different news. “I think you heard wrong—it’s supposed to be there in a day.”

The revelation sends the Time Bandit into a frenzy. “That’s a big difference. A very large difference,” Jonathan realizes. Now, instead of three days, they have just 24 hours to retrieve their gear before the ice swallows it.

The crew rushes to pull pots, and luck is on their side. “That’s a good pot!” one crew member cheers as they haul in 300 crabs. The numbers are holding up, but the clock is ticking. “This spot needs to hold up a little bit longer—please hold up,” Jonathan prays, knowing that if they don’t finish soon, the ice will overtake them.

As the final pots come aboard, the Time Bandit races against nature’s deadline, proving once again that in the Bering Sea, both man and machine must fight to survive.