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Narrator: On this episode of Alaska Fish Wars,
it's the last day of salmon fishing season
and Captain Dino Sutherland loses his cool.
Dino Sutherland: I'm right (bleep) there.
No need for that bull (bleep).
Narrator: Captain Taylor Evenson is
tied up by his own boat.
Taylor Evenson: I can't believe this.
Narrator: The North Crow faces a harsh reality.
Gavin Keohane: One sockeye.
Narrator: As the season comes to an end.
Chris Cotter: Pretty (bleep) dismal.
Narrator: And Captain Wes Humbyrd's confidence.
Wes Humbyrd: Oh, no.
Narrator: And his engine.
Wes Humbyrd: God (bleep).
Narrator: Take a hit.
60 miles southwest of Anchorage, Alaska
lies Cook Inlet.
This massive body of water has hosted weeks of
relentless salmon fishing.
And with only one day left, every fisherman knows they
need to make it count if they want to catch
enough fish to survive the winter.
Gavin Keohane: It's the night before the last opening
and this is our last chance to really make
something of the season.
This is the spot.
Chris, you want to toss the anchor?
Chris Cotter: Yup.
Narrator: Captain Gavin Keohane has caught over
14,000 pounds of salmon so far but he's
shooting for 20,000 pounds.
To reach his goal,
he needs every advantage he can get.
He plans to sleep on the North Crow and
stay one step ahead of the competition.
Gavin Keohane: What we're going to do is anchor up,
try to get as much sleep as we can, get up early,
start searching for fish, and execute.
We started out the season enthusiastic,
looking for fish.
We're ending now the season needing the fish.
I'm very worried but I know what's worked before.
We got to do what we do tomorrow and
I think we might get something.
Good night.
Narrator: On the morning of the final day of the season,
over 400 boats strategically position
themselves in the 32 mile wide,
75 mile long fishing zone.
It's anybody's guess where the last run of salmon
will make their charge, but every fisherman wants
one last shot at the $95 million dollar
purse swimming through the inlet.
Wes Humbyrd: It's going to be a dog-eat-dog
show this morning.
There are a lot of fish around;
price is up to $2.30 a pound so we're going to go out,
kick a little butt.
Narrator: With under an hour to go until the
7:00 AM kick off, Captain Wes Humbyrd and
his crew set out for the final day of fishing.
His goal at the start of the season was
100,000 pounds of salmon and he needs over
80,000 pounds to get there.
It seems impossible,
but Wes is a man on a mission.
Wes Humbyrd: Maybe we'll have a nice calm day and
just do nothing but kill salmon all day.
Narrator: This is Captain Dino Sutherland's
first season back after a two-year battle with cancer.
He's caught over 13,000 pounds of salmon so far,
but he needs 17,000 pounds to buy back his
fishing permit and help Lance get out of debt.
Lance Alldrin: I crunched the numbers last night and
it's not looking good.
I didn't sleep a wink last night.
Trying to figure out how to salvage the season.
Dino Sutherland: Well, we'll make up some today.
Lance Alldrin: Yeah, let's hope so.
Dino Sutherland: We'll make some money today.
Lance Alldrin: Yup.
We need to get on it.
We're almost to the point of needing
a Hail Mary pass here.
Narrator: Captain Taylor Evenson has reeled in over
11,000 pounds of salmon this season but he's
a long way away from his goal of 20,000 pounds and
he's already questioning his plan.
Taylor Evenson: I'm thinking to go south but
just too many boats running down there.
It's too suspicious.
I don't know.
Radio: I would say it's 22 over 34.
Couple of jumpers hit.
Narrator: The crowded fishing and news of fish
to the north makes this a tough decision for Taylor.
Taylor Evenson: Every boat in the fleet is running south.
So even if there's fish down there,
it's gonna be ugly.
Ugh, I don't want to, I just,
I don't know if I want to get stuck up in that.
Decision time.
Radio: Yeah, I guess we've had three jumpers
so far running down here.
Taylor Evenson: Ugh.
Boat after boat after boat all running south.
Radio: I think I've seen four jumpers.
Taylor Evenson: There are so many boats running south,
that I don't think it's going to be very fun down there.
And all these jumper calls.
So I don't know if anyone else wants to prospect.
Radio: Boy, I wonder what they know?
Wow, I really wanna run south, really bad right now.
Taylor Evenson: I don't know.
I'm so lost, man.
Radio: Anybody seen anymore jumpers?
Taylor Evenson: I just don't want to get
stuck way down south.
Narrator: It's been a rocky season for Captain Taylor
and it's clear that he's still second guessing himself.
Taylor Evenson: Yeah, well, I guess you guys convinced me,
I'm running south again.
Narrator: 22 miles north, Captain Dino has positioned
the Night Hawk away from the congested fleet
and is poised for the 7:00 AM start.
Dino Sutherland: We're in good position.
I think the boys are ready to go,
so I'm going to go out there and let's get it done.
Let her go, let her go, let her go!
Whoo!
Luke, this is fun, huh?
Morning, Luke.
Luke Alldrin: Good morning.
Dino Sutherland: There you go.
Good, good, good, good.
Come on, fishies, come on, fishies!
There, we got a hit!
There's our hit.
Oh, that's a nice little group.
So far got a couple hits on the layout.
Oh, jumper in the gear.
Lance Alldrin: Oh, yup.
Dino Sutherland: Look at those jumpers in the gear.
Whoo!
Oh, look, look at that (bleep).
Holy cow.
We just laid the net out,
we've had about six hits so far.
Lance Alldrin: Things are looking good here.
Hopefully, this isn't just a one-shot wonder
here this morning.
Hopefully, we can stay on the fish for the
majority of the day.
It's not over yet.
Narrator: 22 miles south,
Captain Taylor has reached the southern boundary
and the situation is just as he feared.
The fleet is bunched up tight,
which leads little room for Taylor to set his net.
Taylor Evenson: Yeah, we're really in a cluster of boats.
They are everywhere.
Look at that.
He's going to stop right here where I am.
Oh, God.
Narrator: Despite the tight quarters,
Taylor has already made his move and
must stick to the plan.
Taylor Evenson: Well, the thinking is that there's
going to be enough fish where it won't matter,
but I'm not feeling that.
Does anybody see anything hitting?
Anybody see anybody's gear splashing, anything?
Raquel Holmgren: No.
Taylor Evenson: I don't think there's any fish here.
I don't even want to be out here.
This sucks.
Narrator: With no signs of salmon,
Captain Taylor is left to wonder if his decision
to follow the fleet south has cost him.
16 miles north, it's well past 7:00 AM
and Captain Gavin is still running the inlet
searching for salmon.
Gavin Keohane: So, we stayed to the south end
of Kalgin Island right here.
Uh, got up in the morning and
we cruised out down the middle.
Now we're along the inside of Kalgin Bar.
We're not seeing any fish.
I expected to see fish right here.
We don't see anything, but it's the nature of things
that they're not always what they seem
and they change quickly.
A number of times this year,
we haven't had our net in immediately at 7.
It is an advantage to be the earliest,
that's true, but it's a big disadvantage to be
in the wrong place.
Jumper right there.
Ready?
We'll set it here.
Narrator: Many captains drop their nets at 7:00 AM
but Captain Gavin held off and waited for signs
of fish in the area.
The time he lost looking for salmon is well-spent
if it guarantees fish in the boat.
Gavin Keohane: Those jumpers,
that's what we were waiting for.
So we have a nice open shot.
We're going to put it in and hopefully,
we catch a few fish here.
First set of the day, last day of the season.
This may dictate how our day goes.
If we see a couple of hits,
I'll feel pretty good.
If we're not catching fish,
I'm not going to feel so good.
This is gonna make or break our season.
Narrator: While Captain Gavin prays for a good first set,
13 miles east,
Captain Dino knows he already has one.
Dino Sutherland: Yes, wahoo!
Look at that, the net's freaking smoking.
Lance Alldrin: Looking good already this morning.
The best results we've seen any morning.
Dino Sutherland: Thank God, this is awesome.
We're almost at the end of the month,
we have a (bleep) season and our net's smoking.
We, hopefully, we'll get some 75 fish, 80 fish, 100 fish.
I'd love to see 100 fish in this first half.
That'd be great.
Yeah, baby!
Lance Alldrin: Wow, these are some bruisers too.
Dino Sutherland: Landed on them.
We landed on them.
Whoa.
It's just fish.
Fish, fish, fish, more fish.
Yeah, baby.
Daddy making money.
Wow, yes!
Yes, yes, yes, yes.
We found a school.
♪ We found the school. ♪♪
Best set of the year right here, Lance.
Lance Alldrin: Oh, yeah, it is.
Narrator: 10 miles south, Captain Wes has yet to drop
his net as he too searches the inlet for signs of fish.
Wes Humbyrd: We'll get an open spot here so
we can get the net out.
And wouldn't it be something if everybody
got about a thousand reds today?
That would blow them right out of the saddle.
Then they'd go, "Oh, my God, what we going to do now?"
[loud alarm sound]
Oh, come on.
Oh, for Christ's sake.
Wes Humbyrd: We'll get an open spot here so
we can get the net out.
Narrator: It's the last day of salmon fishing season
and Captain Wes thinks he's on the way to a huge payday.
Wes Humbyrd: Wouldn't it be something if everybody
got about a thousand reds today?
That would blow them right out of the saddle.
Then they'd go, "Oh, my God, what we going to do now?"
[loud alarm sound]
Oh, come on.
[loud alarm sound]
Oh, for Christ's sake.
(bleep).
That temperature heated up again.
I hope I didn't burn up another pump.
Ah!
Go down there and look.
Bonnie Boisvert: You can smell it back here.
Wes Humbyrd: Yeah, it's all heated up.
We probably blew a belt or something.
Reni Robbin: Yeah, the belt's off.
Wes Humbyrd: Belt's off?
Reni Robbin: Belt's off.
Wes Humbyrd: He doesn't know what he's
looking at down there.
I'm going to go down and help him.
Tia Pietsch: Okay.
Wes Humbyrd: Get out of my way.
Narrator: Captain Wes has no patience or time left.
He needs to find and fix the problem before it's too late.
Wes Humbyrd: Oh, what happened here?
The (bleep) pulley's gone.
God (bleep).
We're (bleep).
One-engine show.
That took care of that problem.
We're gonna be fishing with one engine today.
Narrator: Down an engine, the Night's Edge is no longer
the fastest boat on the water.
This limits Wes' options as he can't cover
as much ground without wasting valuable fishing time.
Wes Humbyrd: 8.3 knots, not very fast.
Tia Pietsch: We blew a pulley on the engine.
We're down to one motor, so we're probably a little
faster now than the North Crow.
Now we'll know what it feels like.
Wes Humbyrd: It's part of fishing.
It's gonna be a long day.
Gavin Keohane: They said Fish and Game still thinks
there's a million fish to harvest.
Narrator: 13 miles west,
Captain Gavin has chosen his position carefully.
He understands how important it is to hit the fish early.
But finding the perfect spot has put him behind schedule.
Gavin Keohane: Hopefully, we catch a few fish here.
This may dictate how our day goes.
There's a hit.
There we go.
There we go, another hit.
All right, we're catching fish now.
There's a nice group.
I don't want to say that we'd fill the boat just yet,
it's a little early, but, uh,
it's a good start to the day so far.
It's the kind of day you might start making some of.
All right, let's wind this net up.
Narrator: The North Crow can hold
more than 15,000 pounds of fish.
And Gavin hopes for nothing less on the last
day of the season.
Gavin Keohane: Oh, yeah, there's a few here.
Chris Cotter: Little red.
Gavin Keohane: Yep.
Oh, yeah.
Got a few fish in this group right here.
Fish above your head.
Narrator: Captain Gavin's diligence has paid off.
It's a promising start for the North Crow and
after an up and down season,
Gavin hopes to finish strong.
Gavin Keohane: That's it right there.
So we got between 75 and 100 on that first set.
Uh, we picked half, laid it back out.
Rarely does it go extremely well for the entire time.
Good?
Chris Cotter: Yeah.
Gavin Keohane: But we've had a good start.
We could have 1,000 fish day today pretty easily
if we keep on consistently fishing this way.
Dino Sutherland: Yeah baby, we freakin' hammered 'em.
Narrator: A few hours west,
Captain Dino's having a unique experience.
Dino Sutherland: This is a huge set.
This is a big set.
Narrator: Hundreds of fish on the line,
zero boat problems,
and a crew working in unison.
Dino Sutherland: Grapes, baby,
it's just like picking grapes.
These are very special grapes.
And we got a lot of grapes.
And we're stomping them into money.
This is what it's all about right here, gentlemen.
Lance Alldrin: What we've been waiting to see
is a set just like this.
Dino Sutherland: Andrew, pop it out of gear.
Narrator: The Night Hawk is a finely-tuned instrument
and if he keeps up this pace,
Captain Dino is on track to make his
goal of 17,000 pounds of salmon
to buy back his permit.
Dino Sutherland: There's a lot of fish
in that first half of the net.
Great first set of the day.
Filled a couple of bags, a couple,
a good 2,000, 3, 000 pounds out of our first set.
That's a great start.
Make 4 and a half, $5,000 before 9:00.
I like that.
I know Lance likes that but I got to keep going.
I've got nets all around us here.
Got to keep the net in the water on a day like today.
Tia Pietsch: Are we gonna put it in here?
Wes Humbyrd: Right here is where we got to,
I got no, I have no choice.
Tia Pietsch: Okay.
Narrator: 10 miles south,
the Night's Edge is down to one engine
and Captain Wes is forced to drop his net
to make up for lost time.
With no guarantee of fish in the area,
Wes has to believe the inlet is on his side.
Wes Humbyrd: Hit right there.
There's another one.
Tia Pietsch: Yeah, at least we're getting some, huh?
Wes Humbyrd: Oh, yeah, we're getting some.
There a few in there, Reni?
Reni Robbin: Yeah.
Wes Humbyrd: We'll just clean it out;
see what we got in there.
Gonna be slow going today.
Yeah, it is what it is.
We just got to put fish aboard.
If they're all reds, I'll be a happy camper.
Oh, there's one.
Give me the net, give me the net.
Oh, too late, agh.
Narrator: It's the last day of the season and
Captain Wes needs every fish to count.
But this isn't the set he hoped for.
Wes Humbyrd: We might have to go east.
Probably where all the good fish are at.
Ain't much in it.
Narrator: 17 miles southwest,
at the southern border of the fishing zone,
Captain Taylor is packed in with the rest of
the fleet and it looks like there are
more boats than fish.
Taylor Evenson: Ugh, I don't think there's really
any fish here, so it is what it is.
Uh-oh.
What the heck is going on?
Are you (bleep) kidding me?
Narrator: With all his attention on the fish,
he's overlooked a bigger problem.
Taylor Evenson: Mom?
Liz Holmgren: Yeah?
Taylor Evenson: I'm gonna need your help.
The floating tow line got sucked into the wheel.
I don't know how.
Liz Holmgren: Hope we don't bend the shaft.
Taylor Evenson: I cannot even believe it.
Ugh.
Narrator: The floating line drifted too close to the boat
and as soon as the engine engaged,
the propeller tangled itself in the line.
Taylor can't run his engine without risking damage
to the prop or the drive shaft.
Taylor Evenson: Unbelievable.
Narrator: If Captain Taylor can't fix it his day,
his season are over.
Taylor Evenson: I can't believe this.
Narrator: Time is running out on the last day
of salmon season for Captain Taylor
and if his empty net wasn't bad enough.
Taylor Evenson: Whoa.
Liz Holmgren: This is so damn tight.
Taylor Evenson: Unbelievable.
I can't believe this.
Narrator: Now, he's wrapped a line around his propeller.
The tangled prop could bend the drive shaft
or even seize the engine.
Taylor Evenson: How does it suck a floating line?
How did it get in there?
It can't sink.
Son of a gun.
Narrator: Taylor's only hope is to reverse the
engine so the line untangles from the propeller.
If that doesn't work, he'll have to tow his boat
back to port and fix the problem by hand.
And on the last day of fishing,
there's no time to waste.
Taylor Evenson: Come on, come on.
Come on, come on!
I think it's all out.
Liz Holmgren: There, it's okay.
Taylor Evenson: Wow.
I mean, I can't, I just like cannot even believe it.
There's not a breath of wind out here.
There's no current and no sucking rip.
Liz Holmgren: Something to keep us on our toes.
I guess.
Taylor Evenson: Freakin' boat, clear the deck.
[inaudible radio chatter]
Liz Holmgren: Okay.
Narrator: With no fish and competition all around him,
frustrated Captain Taylor knows he has to make a move.
Taylor Evenson: Ugh, disappointing.
Sheryl Lynn, Nedra E.
Mr. Evenson: Yeah, go ahead.
Narrator: He calls on one of the most respected
fishermen on the inlet, his father.
Taylor Evenson: You got anything over there, Dad?
Mr. Evenson: I've had about seven groups,
probably, uh, seven singles.
Taylor Evenson: Did you hear that?
Narrator: Taylor has ignored his father's
advice in the past.
Taylor Evenson: Okay, Roger.
You're on the west end of that group of boats there?
Mr. Evenson: Just west of them.
Narrator: But he's come up short today and
realizes that finding salmon is more important
than his bruised ego.
Taylor Evenson: Okay, Roger.
I imagine there's a space out there.
I'll head your way.
Narrator: Taylor hopes his father is right
and heads west.
22 miles north,
Captain Dino has found a hot spot,
but he has company.
Dino Sutherland: A lot of boats coming
from all over all of a sudden.
You can see 'em coming in.
Boom, boom, boom, boom.
They're all trying to plug in on this school
of fish that we've found.
Narrator: The salmon are scarce on the last day of
the season and it's impossible to keep it a secret.
Lance Alldrin: So obviously,
word got out that there were fish here.
Dino Sutherland: (Bleep) we're all covered up here now.
We had a really good open shot.
And now, all the boats came in,
saw that we were catching fish,
and set their nets around us.
Now, we got a bunch of web in front of us.
Narrator: With competitive fishermen hungry
for his catch, Captain Dino must either
move off his spot or stay and fight.
Dino Sutherland: This guy with the other net,
you better not, you son of a (bleep).
He's setting right towards me.
Narrator: 13 miles west, the North Crow has secured
a secluded spot on the inlet.
Gavin Keohane: Looking pretty good.
Narrator: And even better,
has been hitting the fish all morning.
Gavin Keohane: This is good kind of grinding right here.
We're catching a decent amount of fish.
I guess not the hottest fishing ever,
but that's good money so we're going to fish this
as long as we possibly can.
It'll probably be a while since there's nobody around.
Chris Cotter: The other side.
My side.
Gavin Keohane: It's a lot more pleasant than
getting corked off all the time.
Got it.
So I haven't seen any hits in quite a while.
The fish may have moved.
So now it's time to pick it up.
It's time to get what we have out of it and
get it safely on the boat.
Narrator: Captain Gavin may have the water to himself
but it won't matter if there are no more salmon.
Gavin Keohane: One sockeye.
Chris Cotter: It's got to make you wonder when there's
only like one fish in the whole net around here
or anything like that.
Why the (bleep) he go by himself?
Gavin Keohane: How?
How'd he get so lost?
Chris Cotter: Yeah.
Gavin Keohane: Not much fish being caught around here.
Chris Cotter: Nope, nope.
Gavin Keohane: We'll make another move,
we'll see what happens.
Narrator: He can't wait for the fish because it's
his last chance to make the money he needs
to carry him through the off-season.
Gavin Keohane: Ah, I'm not sure where to go.
Narrator: 20 miles east, the Night's Edge is down
an engine but making the best of a bad situation.
Wes Humbyrd: Looks like there's a rip right up here.
Doesn't it, Reni?
Have you got the smooth water edge?
Reni Robbin: Yeah.
Wes Humbyrd: I just want to get up high enough that
I don't get sucked all the way down the inlet
which we probably will anyway, but.
Narrator: A rip is formed when two opposing
bodies of water collide.
It creates a channel that traps food for the salmon and
attracts the fish, but also draws in dangerous
debris that can destroy a fisherman's net.
Wes Humbyrd: We'll just fish this and
then pull it back up.
That's what I'm gonna do.
It's my plan is, anyway.
Plans don't always work when you ain't, got one engine.
Narrator: Fishing a rip is a difficult task
for any fisherman, but it could be outright
impossible for a disabled boat.
Wes Humbyrd: Here we go.
Come on, Reni.
Get that out of there.
[loud alarm sound]
Oh, no.
God (bleep).
Narrator: It's the last day of the season and
down an engine, Captain Wes has yet to find the fish.
The day is going from bad to worse.
[loud alarm sound]
Wes Humbyrd: Oh no.
God (bleep)!
(Bleep)!
[loud alarm sound]
Run out of fuel on this side.
Tia Pietsch: Can we switch it?
Wes Humbyrd: No, we got to get to the buoy first
or I'll drift over my net.
Get a hold of my net when I go by so we don't lose it.
Don't miss it, Reni.
Tia Pietsch: On the reel, Reni.
[loud alarm sound]
Wes Humbyrd: Oh, (bleep).
Narrator: The Night's Edge is most
efficient with two working engines and
has already burned a tank of gas.
Wes must switch the line to the second tank
and even then, it won't last long.
Tia Pietsch: Pick it up then?
Wes Humbyrd: Well, yeah, we're probably gonna,
I guess we'll pick it, let's clean it.
Tia Pietsch: Okay.
Wes Humbyrd: Probably burned a hell of a lot
of fuel though and I'm gonna have to watch it now.
I only got one tank that's empty.
Trying to get over on the east side here so I can
maybe go in and, you know, so I anchor up
and get the damn thing fixed when the mechanic gets to work.
Narrator: With only one engine and half a tank of gas,
Wes knows he must head into port
and fix his boat as quickly as possible.
Wes Humbyrd: It's a high-stress business.
Narrator: If he stays on the water,
he can fish all day,
but he would never have enough fuel to make it back.
Wes Humbyrd: High-stress business.
Narrator: 22 miles west,
the North Crow is on the move.
Gavin Keohane: We're not catching quite as
many fish as I had hoped.
Narrator: Captain Gavin's fishing hole dried up
and he has to find the fish and
find them fast if he wants to meet
his goal of 20,000 pounds of salmon.
Gavin Keohane: We're going to go down to the buoy
and try to catch the tide change.
It's one of the best places to fish, at the tide change.
There's a lot of current there and
it's a good place to fish.
Just gonna go right up here and set out.
Chris Cotter: Whoa, whoa, whoa.
God!
Gavin Keohane: Mmm, that's not a good one.
Let's look at it.
Chris Cotter: Shredded.
Gavin Keohane: So we had a backlash and
it tore a little hole in the net.
Um, that's actually a pretty big hole in the net.
Narrator: In Captain Gavin's haste to release the net,
the bottom was caught in the reel and
as it continued to spin, the net ripped.
Gavin Keohane: This is a pretty big deal.
That's definitely not good.
You don't want a net this way but it happens.
Narrator: If there's a big enough tear in the net,
the salmon will swim right through it,
which could cost Gavin thousands of dollars,
but he's out of options.
Gavin Keohane: So we're gonna keep fishing 'cause
this is the last day and there's nothing
we can do about it.
That's the best thing we can do, so on we go.
It'll still catch fish, I hope.
Narrator: 13 miles south,
armed with Intel from his father,
Captain Taylor has repositioned in
search of salmon.
Taylor Evenson: I see you fishies.
I see ya.
Oh, there's a nice hit behind the boat.
Look at that!
That was sick.
Oh, look, it's blowing up.
Oh, it's blowing up.
Liz Holmgren: Whoa, look at all those bunches!
Taylor Evenson: Those are serious hits.
Nice to see some globs going in there.
I hope there's some body with them.
They're smacking it.
Oh, yeah, that's good, that's good.
Narrator: But on the last day of the season,
salmon are scarce.
And where there's fish, there's fishermen.
Taylor Evenson: Move, back off.
Narrator: A competitor has sniffed out Captain Taylor's
good fortune and threatens to drop his net to steal the
salmon in the area.
Taylor Evenson: Stop it!
Stop it, you freakin' jerk.
Do not tow right under me.
You better not.
I'm gonna come find you.
Dino Sutherland: There's another hit, look at that!
Look at that, look at that.
Whoo!
Narrator: 29 miles north,
Captain Dino faces his own adversary.
He's struck gold but the competition for salmon is
heating up and the Night Hawk's greatest
threat is desperate fishermen.
Dino Sutherland: He's gonna set his net right
in front of me.
Lance Alldrin: He's laying out right in front, huh.
Dino Sutherland: He's setting right towards me.
God (bleep) him.
Here, let's turn it loose.
We're gonna go over there and that son of a (bleep).
Now he's towing his net in front of mine.
Grr.
So we're going to go over there and battle.
Battle stations, Night Hawk.
Narrator: With his net in front of Dino's,
the fisherman is effectively stealing
any fish that swim through the area.
But Dino is fighting for his place back on the water
and it's time to take evasive action.
Dino Sutherland: I'm right there!
I'm right (bleep) there!
Go that way!
I'm right there!
For crying out loud, give me some room!
Get outta here!
Dino Sutherland: He's setting right towards me.
God (bleep) him.
Battle stations, Night Hawk.
Narrator: Captain Dino was under attack by
a rival fisherman, intent on stealing his catch.
The thief has set his net directly in front of Dino's,
but the Night Hawk isn't going away quietly.
Dino Sutherland: I'm right there!
I'm right (bleep) there!
Go that way!
I'm right there!
For crying out loud, give me some room!
(Bleep) guys sets (bleep) right there
and I'm right there!
Go that way!
There's no need for that bull (bleep)!
Sorry about the language!
We're fighting for our position with this other guy.
They've got 20 miles below me.
I got a wide open shot and he decides to try
to set right in front of me.
I mean, he couldn't wait and run another mile.
I would've been just fine.
I just can't let up, can't let up.
We are having fish wars today.
Narrator: Captain Dino holds his ground but
the inlet is thick with thieves.
There are too many boats in the area,
all competing for the same fish.
Dino Sutherland: There's boats coming in,
you can just see black smoke off the horizon
coming into us.
It's getting down to the wire here for the season
and, uh, we need to make some money.
Narrator: Out of real estate and time,
Captain Dino has no other choice but to relocate
if he wants to catch any more fish today.
Taylor Evenson: Come on, man.
They're gonna steal my set.
Narrator: 29 miles southwest,
like Dino, Captain Taylor is locked
in his own battle with a rival boat.
Taylor Evenson: Do not tow right under me.
Tow the other way.
You got a freakin' wide open shot.
Narrator: Fishing in Alaska is as much
a test of wills as it is a race to the fish
and Taylor can't afford to back down.
Taylor Evenson: Thank you, thank you.
Narrator: The other boat leaves the Nedra E in peace.
Captain Taylor has won the war, for now.
Taylor Evenson: All I gotta do is get a little excited
then he lets out his tow, that's nice.
Come on, let's go.
Start picking it.
Liz Holmgren: Okay.
Let's see if we got anything.
Anything, whoa and it's a red salmon.
Self picker.
Whoa, there's a beauty.
There definitely are fish here.
These are fresh.
Taylor Evenson: I love it.
Narrator: With the help of his father,
Taylor has hauled in a huge catch,
and this young captain has proven he deserves
to carry the family name on the inlet.
32 miles northeast, the Night's Edge limps
into Ninilchik Harbor.
Wes Humbyrd: I hope I can make it.
I'm gonna try and squeeze in there, boy.
Could be a touch and go deal, I'll tell ya.
Narrator: Captain Wes must repair his engine and fuel up
as quickly as possible to get back out on the inlet
but he needs high tide to clear the rocky entrance.
Wes Humbyrd: Oh, there might be enough.
No.
I don't see enough water.
It ain't looking good at all.
We're gonna have to sit here all day now and
wait for the tide.
Well, this day is shot.
Yeah, Marianne, it's Wes.
I can't get in the harbor, so if I,
if I could have Lee meet me in Ninilchik Harbor,
I think I can slide in there on this flood tide.
Reni Robbin: It's terrible to be sitting here,
not making money.
We should be out there fishing,
but we got engine problems and they need to get fixed,
so it's a really (bleep) way to end the season.
Wes Humbyrd: Oh, yes, just another day
of fishing in Cook Inlet.
Boy, I can't believe it.
Bonnie Boisvert: This year, we were hoping to
get 100,000 pounds in.
And right now, we're at less than half of that.
It's not a pretty picture, it's just disheartening.
Narrator: 25 miles west,
Captain Gavin is having his own problems.
In his rush to drop his net,
he snagged it in the reel and
ripped a hole right through it.
There's no guarantee it can even catch salmon
and with the clock approaching 7:00 PM,
it looks bleak.
Gavin Keohane: I don't know anyone that has
never gotten a backlash, that's why we keep fishing.
Can't let that break you.
Chris Cotter: Can you see anything hitting
or not really?
Gavin Keohane: This set has almost nothing, I'm sure.
Chris Cotter: Yup, last set of the season.
Pretty (bleep) dismal.
Gavin Keohane: This set has almost nothing, I'm sure.
Chris Cotter: Last set of the season.
Pretty (bleep) dismal.
Narrator: Despite a ripped net,
Captain Gavin is about to reel in his final set
of the season, but he doesn't have a lot
of faith that this last
Hail Mary will bring him anything but heartbreak.
Gavin Keohane: There's one.
Chris Cotter: Found one?
Gavin Keohane: Oh, there's a couple.
Oh, wow, there's another one right there.
Oh, that's a nice group.
Chris Cotter: What?
Oh, ho, ho, ho.
Gavin Keohane: Things are turning around.
Chris Cotter: Bunch more fish.
It's the last set of our last day and
there's actually more fish in it than we thought,
so I guess there's a little bit of icing on the cake there.
Liz Holmgren: Whoo!
Fishkies.
Narrator: All over the inlet,
time is running out on the last day of the season.
Dino Sutherland: Yes, whoo!
Narrator: The captains milk every last minute.
Gavin Keohane: Yeah, we're getting some good hits.
This was a quick set.
Narrator: To bring in every last fish until the
7:00 PM deadline.
Dino Sutherland: Beauty.
Everybody's picking, having fun.
Taylor Evenson: Step on it.
Liz Holmgren: Okay.
Taylor Evenson: We're almost done.
Dino Sutherland: Wow.
$1,000 worth of fish right there.
Lance Alldrin: It works for me.
Luke Alldrin: Today is the biggest number of
fish we've had all season so far.
Dino Sutherland: Buoy is up.
We out.
We good.
Lance Alldrin: Oh, yeah.
Narrator: Miles away from the action,
the Night's Edge is finally able to use the
high tide and dock at Ninilchik Harbor.
Wes Humbyrd: Made it through the hard part.
Narrator: Captain Wes doesn't have much to show
for it except a battered boat and half a tank of gas.
Wes Humbyrd: Tie it right on that other side there.
Narrator: It's not the ending this veteran imagined
at the start of the season.
Wes Humbyrd: You got it, Bonnie?
Tie it up.
Narrator: The Night's Edge pulled in 355 pounds of fish,
worth only $621 dollars.
Reni Robbin: Come down a little.
All right, that's good.
Narrator: With under 20,000 pounds of fish
for the season, Captain Wes fell far short of his goal of
100,000 pounds but he's still proud of his crew.
Tia Pietsch: I think that's it, Reni,
and the one by your foot.
Wes Humbyrd: I probably have one of the best crews
in the fleet.
They take a lot of crap from me.
You know, none of us are perfect and my crew isn't
perfect neither, but they're a damn good crew.
Over here.
Tia Pietsch: We got it, let's go.
Wes Humbyrd: There we go.
You got it, Carl.
We were hoping our numbers would be up around 100,000.
That was our goal.
A lot of little problems with the boat and
things like that with the engine,
so on and so forth.
And, uh, it isn't what it should've been at all.
Okay, unhook it, Bonnie, unhook it.
Thanks, Carl.
I say I'm not coming back,
but I don't know that I'll get out of it.
I'll probably get back fightin', strugglin',
being in Alaska Fish Wars battling with all the guys.
It's fun to be 70 years old and go out
and battle with them.
I don't know if I can quit doing that.
Radio: Thank you, sir.
Narrator: Captain Gavin struggled
throughout the season.
Gavin Keohane: It really is not the season
I had hoped it would be.
You know, it won't give me much but it'll give
me a little bit to get by till next year.
Narrator: But finished on a high note
with 1,246 pounds of fish worth $1,898.
Gavin Keohane: The thing that motivates me to do
this is the pure enjoyment of it.
The money is great, but I think I would be
doing something like this anyway.
Narrator: Although he missed his goal of 20,000
pounds of salmon by over 4,000 pounds,
it's clear that fishing, to Gavin,
is about more than fish tickets.
It's a way of life that will bring him back
next season along with deckhand, Chris.
Gavin Keohane: And when all is said and done,
who knows how much money you made,
or who cares, you know?
It's like, what did you do?
And I do this and I'm pretty proud of it.
Narrator: Captain Taylor hasn't lived up to his own
expectations this season.
But with another year of experience under his belt,
he knows he'll be back next year.
Taylor Evenson: You know, it's only my second year
running a boat, so I accept that I have a lot to
learn and that I make a lot of mistakes.
This was a rough season as far as fish count
and poundage put in.
Narrator: The Nedra E caught 1,428 pounds
of salmon worth $2,368.
Taylor Evenson: Last year was a huge fish year
and this just isn't.
Narrator: And Captain Taylor fell short of his
goal of 20,000 pounds of fish by over 7,000 pounds.
But as Taylor unloads his catch,
he ponders the legacy of his father and
his own bright future.
Taylor Evenson: My dad is considered one of the
best fishermen in the entire inlet.
Every time I think about it,
I think about the necessity to honor my father.
And, you know, I'm just trying to honor that legacy.
Lance Alldrin: Dino, we could probably use some more ice.
Andrew Puser: One more tub.
Dino Sutherland: Okay.
This year was a struggle for me in Cook Inlet.
Getting started after being away for years,
I felt like it was starting over,
but as we've gone into the season,
I started to get my feet underneath me.
I felt really good.
My goal this year is to make enough money
to walk into the brokerage and purchase,
put a down payment on a permit.
I did achieve that.
So this season is over, but I wanted everyone to know
that I established myself, that I'm a player,
I'm a competitor and I'm number one.
I wanted everybody to see me come back.
I think I achieved that goal this year.
Narrator: Captain Dino finished with 4,210
glorious pounds of fish, worth $8,112.
And reached his goal of 17,000 pounds
of salmon for the season.
Although Dino and the Night Hawk caught
fewer pounds of salmon than Wes and the Night's Edge,
Dino found a better price for his fish and
he takes the title.
Captain Gavin's North Crow holds onto
third place despite an inconsistent season.
And Taylor and the Nedra E finish last
but have proven worthy of the Evenson name.
These are the captains of Cook Inlet.
Fishing is in their blood and they'll all
return next season to do battle in these
Alaska Fish Wars.