Deadliest Catch: Crabbing Pushed Jake Anderson To Limits He Never Thought Were Possible

Crab fishing on the Bering Sea is not for the weak of body or mind. As seen on Discovery's long-running series, "Deadliest Catch," captains and their crews are roughing it on the water for weeks at a time. The job is physically taxing as they haul heavy pots in freezing conditions, and emotionally draining thanks to the constant threat of the tumultuous sea.

For Jake Anderson, a longtime crew member of the F/V Northwestern and current captain of the F/V Saga, he once doubted that he'd survive — let alone thrive — in such conditions. But that's exactly what he did.

In an interview with PC Principle, Anderon revealed that the most rewarding part of being a crab fisherman has been his chance to see the lengths he has been able to go to get his job done. "I have accomplished stuff that I never thought I would be able to do," Anderson said. "Thirty-hour grinds, lifting up a lot of stuff that is heavier than myself all day long, and I never thought I would be able to because I am a small guy. You are proud of things like it being below zero with 20-foot seas and you are eating an ice cream cone on deck."

Crabbing also benefited Jake Anderson in another way: it helped him change his life for the better. As chronicled in his book "Relapse," prior to being hired by Captain Sig Hansen as a greenhorn on the F/V Northwestern, Anderson battled a drug addiction and was living on the street. However, his priorities quickly changed after delving into the world of crab fishing on the Bering Sea.

Anderson told Hollywood Soapbox, "For me and for the viewers, it was a deep moment. It wasn't just a job from a fishing boat." He said in a separate interview with PC Principle, "I got a job with Sig and I just started making these dreams and goals. With my story, you watched this kid grow from being homeless with a dream to someone with goals who kept achieving, moving forward and became a man who is now married."

Of course, things weren't always easy for Anderson. This was especially true when he received devastating news about his father while out at sea. However, he was able to lean on his crabbing family for support, and, with the blessing of Hansen, took advantage of a fishing expedition in Norway to learn more about his paternal roots.