Deadliest Catch Is A Load Of Bull-Fish & 13 Reasons Why Deadliest Catch Is Completely Fake

They Faked A Storm

Do you remember the 2008 episode when a raging storm caused gigantic waves to crash into an Alaskan fishing boat and threaten to devour the entire crew? They ran into their stateroom only to discover it flooding with seawater, and flooding fast. They were convinced they would lose their lives.

Yeah, well, it was faked. A report came out stating while their boat did flood, the skies were as blue as the water. The massive storm came barreling in the following month. Then, the editors took some extra footage and edited the two instances together to make them look like they were happening at the same time.

To make things worse, a source discovered a possible outline from the script reading:

“WIZARD ROGUE WAVE: Combine Wizard leak story on 9/26 with the Wizard being hit by a big wave on 10/1 and 10/2. The fiction we are constructing is that the big wave hit the Wizard on their steam up to Dutch — caused a leak in Lenny’s stateroom. In reality these were two separate events. In addition to the original source material, (a producer’s name omitted by THR) shot re-enactment footage.”

Of course, a Discovery spokesperson claimed the outline came from a rough draft, and assured that all the occurrences were authentic. You’re not fooling us Deadliest Catch, we know your secrets.

Elliot Neese Even Says Its Fake

You know for sure a show is faking it when someone who stars in the show says so. Elliot Neese, a captain on one of the boats, said the show’s drama is not all it’s chalked up to be, and that most dramatic scenarios are purely for entertainment.

He claims they’re all controlled. That though the show makes him out to be a super villain (because every good show needs a villain, right?), he’s really not that much of one in his off-screen life. The question is, if they’re spending this much time fabricating stories and getting caught, why not just make a fictional show?

They Make Their Jobs Seem Really Action Packed, But There Is A Lot Of Downtime

One 45 minute episode later and you probably think it’s over for them too, don’t you? That they’re back home with their families, or drinking at the local bar? Wrong. You might not know it, but sometimes their shifts can go on for 20 to 30 hours.

Obviously we don’t want to watch a bunch of people hanging out with nothing to do, but the fact we only get glimpses of their action-packed lives is a little misleading.

The Footage Is Heavily Edited

If you’ve watched Deadliest Catch, chances are you were blown away by their near-perfect cinematography. It’s impressive that Discovery can make one of the most dangerous jobs in the world look so brilliantly stunning. But what’s actually going on?

They’re now infamous editing mishap of combining two events, the sinking of a boat with a ravenous storm, has led people to believe there’s something’s a little fishy. Many accuse the show of heavily editing and shooting what they capture on the film. We all expect reality TV to be a little scripted, but the issue with this show are it’s claims it’s a documentary, and it holds itself to the utmost standards.

Basically Anyone Can Do It – But The Show Won’t Tell You That

Apparently you don’t need any experience or skill to become an Alaskan crab fisherman, despite the show making it seem like a difficult industry to break into. According to the experts, as long as you don’t look like a murderer, you’re in. This job is obviously a very dangerous and laborious one, which means there aren’t a whole lot of eager takers gearing up to go. You might not believe this, but all you need to get your foot in the door in this industry is a commercial fishing license, which can be purchased for the low cost of $200.

Props to the people who get themselves into this industry, but don’t be fooled into thinking it took them a lot to get there.

Real Commercial Fisherman Hate The Show

Actual Alaskan crab fishermen claim the show does a pretty terrible job of portraying their authentic day-to-day life.

While the show does allude to these people coming into contact with death and hardship, what they leave out is that it can happen in seconds, and the fear of drowning or freezing to death never leaves your mind. According to some fishermen, “basically the ocean wants you dead.” They say if you accidentally go overboard, you’ve got about 20 minutes. That at literally anytime your boat can sink, and in seconds.

There’s also a lot more safety gear involved than the show implies. Most fishing boat have “cold water immersion suits” in case your boat begins to capsize. It allows you to not only float, but regulates your body temp in the freezing water temperatures. Did you ever see Sig or Mike trying to squirm their way into one of these?

They Use Scripts

While a lot of the things they say are organic, due to the way Discovery chooses to film, and how much they film, results in a super edited version of the story they’re trying to tell. A lot of the time, the footage is edited in a manner that forces a specific narrative.

Not only did they “fake” a storm, but it was also stated by one of the captains on the show that a lot of the personal drama is not real, but rather scripted for the sake of the show. The network defended it decision, saying it didn’t use a script but rather “an outline,” which they called an early draft made by the show’s production company.

They Use Pickup Shots

Pickup shots are essentially shots you get after-the-fact. For instance, maybe they got a shot of the captain boarding the boat but something wasn’t quite right, because it’s something that can be easily re-created, they’ll go back and refilm. But where’s the authenticity in that? Discovery admitted to occasionally using pickup shots, proving this so-called documentary is more fact than fiction after all.

There Are More Than A Few Boats Out There Than The Show Makes It Seem

While the show suggests that there are only three or four boats out there doing this gruesome job, the reality is there are hundreds. Sure, but how are they supposed to film a hundred boats? The answer, they’re not. But it is dishonest to portray the situation as if they are in competition with just a few boats.

The Show’s Production Manager Was Arrested For Selling Drugs

In 2010, Deadliest Catch production manager Matthew Schneider found himself in a world of trouble. He ended up selling $300 worth of illegal substances to an undercover police officer and became part of an elaborate drug sting that busted 18 other criminals.

Allegedly Schneider also used the drugs in front of law enforcement. None of the other Deadliest Catch crew members were involved in the fiasco. However, about $80,000 of illegal substances were found by the end of the case.

They Lower Their Fishing Quotas

You might not know it, but commercial fishing is way more complex and complicated than what most associate with fishing. First of all, it’s extremely regulated, and because of the strict regulations, fishermen have very precise quotas as to how many fish they’re allowed to catch. Here’s where it gets a little complicated…

Some people can afford ot get these quotas, and some people can’t, so some fishermen lease out their quotas to those who are struggling. Then, they figure out some agreement to split the profit. Because the crews on the Deadliest Catch are making money off of being on TV, they don’t care as much about what they’re earning from their actual jobs, so they can afford to take leases and split the profits 20-80, thus making them a more attractive fleet to do business with, instead of offering business to the crews that really, really need it.

They Play Up Accidents

Apparently, after Kevin Davis sprained his ankle when his foot went through the deck on the Lucky Lady, he had to play it up to make it seem worse than it was. You can only imagine the film crew was hoping for something a little more gruesome, perhaps a bone through the skin? Or his foot slayed right off?

In the episode, Mike Rowe said, “It’s a desperate gamble that will have to pay off,” of Davis now having to work the hydraulic crane, though he’s not experienced enough to do so because of his injury. In fact, it was stated that Davis had gone overboard the year before, but “unfortunately” the cameras weren’t around to catch his near-death experience.

Elliot Neese Was Fined For Catching Protected Crabs

Young fisher Elliot Neese is often the bad guy on Deadliest Catch. Show editing makes him seem rowdy and occasionally immature. And in fact, in 2015, Neese did make an amateur mistake. He caught and attempted to sell a very large load of undersized crabs, that are legally protected until they reach a certain age and size. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game cracked down on Neese, calling his action a “rookie” mistake.

The Deadliest Catch star didn’t have to face jail time but he did have to pay a $3,000 fine and plead guilty.