Deadliest Catch Star Wild Bill Reveals His Greatest Fishing Story
If you've ever paused to consider a crab leg's journey from the icy waters of Alaska to your seafood buffet, then "Deadliest Catch" is the show for you. Part "How It's Made" and part "Dirty Jobs," "Deadliest Catch" shows the underbelly of one of America's most dangerous industries. The Discovery series has been on the air since 2005 and captures fearless seafarers as they risk life and limb in pursuit of some of the world's most coveted seafood.
"Deadliest Catch" wouldn't exist without its talented roster of mariners, ranging from novice greenhorns to fearless deckhands to ace engineers. At the top of the fishing vessel food chain are the seasoned captains who run the show. When Navy-vet-turned-fisherman Captain "Wild" Bill Wichrowski joined "Deadliest Catch" in Season 6, he brought his tough and fearless attitude with him, even in the face of near-capsizes and hurricane-force winds.
With years at sea under his belt, Wild Bill has plenty of fishing stories. Here's his best tale yet.
Wild Bill reeled in a 500-lb fish in a tropical storm
Crabbing is an especially perilous way to make a living. The crushing weight of the crab pots used on "Deadliest Catch" alone makes the job particularly risky. That said, the hunt for other forms of sea life can be just as taxing, especially when nasty weather hits.
In an interview with TV Shows Ace, "Wild" Bill Wichrowski was asked to share the story of the largest fish he ever caught, and the captain revealed that he once did battle with a 500-pound Black Marlin in Panama. To make matters more difficult, the gear was strapped to Wild Bill instead of a chair and the weather conditions were far from ideal. "While we were fighting the fish, this huge storm engulfed us and lightning was hitting the water around the boat," said Wild Bill. "It was raining so hard. The boat was actually filling with water."
Wild Bill revealed that the harrowing situation had him wondering if he'd reached the end of the line. "I didn't know that we were going to make it in alive," he recalled, "because lightning doesn't play."