If the typical "Wicked Tuna" episode can be believed, the shores of Gloucester are positively choked with valuable schools of bluefin tuna, all just waiting to get hooked up and speared through in a tidy span of 42 minutes. Unfortunately, that's not typically the case.
Just like the practice of recreational fishing that viewers are probably more familiar with, a lot of the commercial work is just sitting, waiting, and trying not to freak out about how few fish seem to be nearby. So while the "Wicked Tuna" series makes setting out to sea seem like a new adventure every day, some of the fishermen in the cast only dwell on the slow moments, when time is ticking by on what may be fruitless expeditions.
"I've been doing this a long time," said Dave Marciano, captain of the Hard Merchandise, during the series' fourth season. "So, y'know, I have mixed emotions. Yes, I'm excited, we want to get out there, we want to catch fish, and then I think about all the days I sat out there waiting for a bite. Waiting, and waiting, and waiting."
The consensus among the cast appears to be that such slow moments are just the name of the game, and that the only way to come out on top is to stick it out. "I've been dry for two months before, but in one week I've caught 20 fish," said Paul Hebert, the captain of the Kelly Ann.
