As a fourth-generation crabber who got his start on the Northwestern itself, life on the boat is second nature to Sig. A greenhorn — who doesn't yet know the ins and outs of the job and the boat — needs to hit the ground running. We see just how wary Sig is of rookies in his very first appearance on the show. In the premiere episode of Season 1, "Greenhorns," Bradford Davis is ready to try his hand at crabbing. As one does when first meeting their new boss, Davis extends his hand for a handshake. Sig initially goes to shake it but stops himself and says, "I'll shake it after the season, if you do a good job."
The bar was set for then-greenhorn Jake Anderson. We first meet Anderson in the Season 3 episode "New Beginnings," where Sig gives him the same greeting he offered Bradford Davis. However, Sig and his crew were more than impressed with Anderson. After constantly proclaiming his dreams of receiving a Northwestern jacket, the Season 3 episode "A Frozen Finish" concludes with Sig giving Jake the jacket off of his own back.
"That's like a rite of passage. You have to earn that jacket," Hansen tells TVInsider. "Now Jake is a captain, he's got his own boat, but when he got on here, he was just like a little boy. Looking back and looking at what he has become, that's pretty proud stuff. It's like your little boy, you finally kicked him out of the nest."
