'Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks': Fishin' Frenzy and Little Shell engage in a rod vs stick debate over catching fish
Tuna fishing is no joke for the captains on 'Wicked Tuna', whose livelihood depends on catching the coveted Atlantic Bluefin Tuna and selling them to a buyer during the fishing season. The captains not only endure the harsh and unpredictable climatic conditions but also intense rivalry among one another. Season 7 of 'Wicked Tuna: Outer Bank' has been dubbed as the all-stars season, since all the top performers are competing against one another.
Last week's scoreboard saw Fishin' Frenzy leading the scoreboard despite not getting the first catch of the season. Fishin' Frenzy, led by Captain Greg Mayer, is no stranger to winning. They are currently the reigning champions and seem to be well on their way to retaining the title even this season. Unfortunately for Mayer, his former employee Captain Nick Gorwitzka, seems set to usurp the title from Fishin' Frenzy.
Nick had served as Greg's captain for about three years, before deciding on getting his own vessel, Little Shell, and fishing himself. The last episode saw FV-Tuna.com giving Fishin' Frenzy a run for the money, but on the latest episode, we saw Little Shell going head to head with Fishin' Frenzy. In case you're wondering how Little Shell has managed to take on Fishin' Frenzy overnight, then we got you covered.
Now the captain of his own boat, Nick "The Stick" has a lot to prove this season. #WickedTuna pic.twitter.com/N8uRt1WRgV
— Wicked Tuna (@WickedTuna) July 3, 2020
Nick decided to bring out his secret weapon — the green stick for catching the tuna. The green stick or the stick, as it is popularly known, is perched atop the vessel. The stick has multiple baits, which are submerged in the water, and the chances of catching at least one fish among the several baits thrown in the water are significantly higher with the usage of the stick, as opposed to the traditional method of using a bait attached to a fishing rod to lure the fish.
Nick managed to catch two large bluefin tuna, which ensured that his crew climbed atop the leaderboard. Greg clearly didn't like Nick's strategy of using a stick, and kept trying to mock him by calling him "Nick the Stick". However, Nick didn't seem to take any offense, as he was focussed on just catching as many fish as he could and selling his fish at the highest price. This sparked a debate on the usage of stick versus rod.
While Nick strongly backed the stick for making the process of catching a fish a lot easier and smoother, Greg was of the opinion that a skilled fisherman doesn't need a stick. Greg doesn't seem to be the only one who is against the usage of the stick. Pinwheel's captain Tyler McLaughlin too is opposed to using the stick despite having it on his vessel. According to Tyler, the fish that are caught by the stick are of poorer quality and bring in lesser money as compared to the fish caught with the rod.
Despite the debates among the captains about the method of fishing, the stick seems to be working really well for Nick, while the rod doesn't seem bad either. 'Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks' Season 7 airs on Sundays at 9 pm ET on National Geographic.