New Captain STEALS Sig Hansen’s Crab Pots! | Deadliest Catch

Jack is Back: High Stakes as King Crab Season Kicks Off

Jack is back, and so is King Crab season. The crew gears up to fish at Captain’s Bay, where tensions rise as boats prepare for launch. “Let’s slap them on as fast as we can,” declares Captain Jack Benell. For Jack, this moment is a lifetime in the making.

Jack and his partner, Harley, previously worked on the Barbara J but wanted a bigger shot at the king crabbing game. They upgraded to the 126-ft Pacific Mariner, investing heavily—$2.3 million in debt, with Harley cashing in his 401(k) and Jack pulling family funds to make the dream happen. “The more crab we catch, the more quota we get. But if I don’t produce, I’m out of the chair,” says Jack.

The Pacific Mariner, boasting an ability to handle 60 more pots than their previous vessel and a faster steam rate of 3.3 knots, faces its first test: racing to the pot dock. The crew battles with veteran skipper Sig Hansen and the Northwestern for position.

“Come on, come on, baby, turn!” shouts Jack. Despite their efforts, Sig edges them out, securing the dock first. Jack is unfazed but frustrated: “It’s first come, first serve now.”

The mood aboard the Pacific Mariner intensifies as Jack and Harley wait for hours to load their gear, with crab season looming just 16 hours away. “We’ve been waiting here like seven hours,” Harley laments. Jack tries to keep calm, but the clock is ticking.

When the dock finally clears, the crew moves quickly to load their gear. “It’s Derby season—we’re going by Derby rules,” says Jack, urging his team to hustle. But there’s a twist: Jack sneaks a tier of pots from Sig’s gear while he’s distracted. “Thanks for the pots!” he shouts as they make their getaway.

The Pacific Mariner sails into the night, partially loaded but ready to fight for their share of the lucrative King Crab season. For Jack and Harley, it’s all or nothing—high risk, high reward.