The Discovery Channel’s hit reality show The Deadliest Catch has been airing since 2005. In those twelve years, the crab fishing industry has changed considerably. Regulations enacted since then limit the number of crab boats and how much seafood each one can haul in. In the show's earlier seasons, it was a straight-out competition, with the expeditions' results as the climax.
The shift away from Derby fishing to crab quotas plays out in the reality series episodes. Top hauls were reported in several of the earlier episodes. By Season 13, which began airing in April 2017, the show has grown to focus on the volatile work, lives and relationships shared by the cast members. The series, with all its rough brawls, treacherous seas, equipment failures, grinding schedules, arctic storms, illness, painful injuries, and deaths at sea, is an epic saga of life. It’s not surprising that viewers live vicariously through these adventures and cheer successful hauls.
Many of those earlier hauls brought in eye-popping amounts of money (which had to cover expenses, be split among participants, and make up for less-than successful times). Relive five of the million-dollar hauls from The Deadliest Catch at TVOM.