Tonight on Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks, the boats are praying to the tuna gods — and they answer with a ‘monster’ bluefin.
The problem is, Tyler McLaughlin and the Pin Wheel fail to catch it.
A preview clip for tonight’s episode shows the boat lose not one but two fish, including one they are pretty sure was a mega-sized catch.
Before the incident, Pin Wheel captain Tyler McLaughlin says: “The tuna god down here is the same tuna god I’ve been praying to up in Gloucester for years and years.
“I’m just hoping he shines a little light on me, and starts putting some paychecks on my deck.”
He is then in the cockpit laughing about some broken binoculars when the reel stars flying and he starts whooping with joy as they try to reel the fish in.
Then like buses, two come along at once and another line starts flying. The second one is lost almost as quickly as the excitement had begun, but the initial fish is the biggie.
The reason they’re so sure it’s a massive fish is that they can’t see the poly ball, and Tyler explains: “There are two things that can happen here. Either you’ve got a really big tuna that’s holding that poly ball under water or you’ve parted it off and that fish is gone — and took that poly ball to god knows where.”
But the fish definitely hasn’t gone…yet. Then Tyler adds: ‘I’m just nervous because we can’t catch anything. We just keep losing them.”
Moments later the fish is gone. Tyler says: “We had to have just lost a monster, go figure. Just our luck. If we could have caught that fish, it would have been a huge morale booster.
He then screams at the tuna gods: “Come on!”
Meanwhile, also on tonight’s episode of Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks, titled A Bluefin For Boo, Dale Lisi is trying hard to get higher up the leader board where Greg Mayer is holding the top spot — and the waters are causing more difficulties for the boats.
Britton Shackelford, captain of the Doghouse, also leads an emotional morning prayer for the fleet and his daughter Ginger — known as Boo — who is suffering from rare cancer Hodgkin lymphoma.
Britton reveals the morning prayer is an important part of their day as the fleet heads out to sea. He says: “We’re pretty die-hard about making sure that there is a prayer said over the radio in the morning, trying to acknowledge where it all comes from.”
And Captain of the Hard Merchandise, Dave Marciano, says: “When Britton makes that morning prayer for the whole fleet, you can’t help but get a little bit chocked up.”
The fleet then say that they want to pray for Boo, too. Britton reveals that her cancer fight has been “very hard”.
Charlie Green, captain of the Wheels of Fortune, says: “I know for Britton to get out of bed in the morning, get dressed and leave that house and leave his daughter behind, has got to be some of hardest stuff he’s ever had to do in his life thus far.”
Britton says: “Ultimately the healing is in god’s hands and I need to go to work. Being productive right now with the bills that are going to be coming is very, very important.
“Fishing used to be everything, but my priorities have shifted this year. And I think my priorities have gotten where my priorities need to be. Just recognising how precious life is. That’s the important stuff. That’s the great stuff.
Dale Lisi works hard to catch up on the leader board where Greg Mayer is keeping a top position. Elsewhere, Britton Shackleford focuses on the health issues being faced by a family member.
Watch the preview clip for tonight’s Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks below.
Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks airs Mondays at 9/8c on National Geographic Channel.