For some people, fishing is a pastime; for others, it is a way of life. The anglers in Alaska subscribe to the latter. More so, the kind of fishing they do up there is considered one of the most life-threatening career options in the world. As such, there are Coast Guard response teams stationed all around.
Alaskan Crab Fishing was such a popular activity that it birthed a show titled ‘the Deadliest Catch.’ Some of the Crab fishing vessels featured include the Time Bandit and the FV Northwestern. Meet the cast members of the show right here.
Table of Contents
About the Show.
The Deadliest Catch is a Discovery Channel Documentary-style television show. It follows the lives of several courageous crab fishers who venture out into the dangerous waters to make a living. The anglers are primarily active during the crab fishing seasons. In January, they go out on the hunt for Opilio fish. The other fishing season documented occurs in October when they fish for king crabs.
All of the episodes on the show document the lives of the fishermen on the Bearing Sea. The series tries to accentuate how dangerous it can be for them on deck. Just to highlight the danger of traversing the Bearing Sea, several Coast Guard stations are scattered all across. They were prominently featured on the show back in 2006 as they tried to rescue a sinking F/V Ocean Challenger.
The Deadliest Catch’s first episode was titled ‘Greenhorns,’ and it dropped back on April 12th, 2005. It documented the adventure of about fifteen hundred fishers who assembled at the Dutch Harbor to start the King Crab Season. Since its premiere, the show has aired 252 episodes spread across 17 seasons. The series stars the likes of Mike Rowe, Edgar Hansen, Andy Hillstrand, and Sig Hansen.
Mike Rowe.
Michael Gregory Rowe is a 61-year-old television personality and narrator. The Deadliest Catch does not have a regular host but rather a narrator. This is Mike’s job.
He provides voiceovers that help connect various storylines spread across different boats. Presently, Rowe is one of the longest-serving members of the show.
Mike has been with Deadliest Catch for 16 years now. He has been with the show since its debut episode back in 2005. Since then, he has featured on 252 episodes.
Sources say that Rowe earns somewhere in the region of $5 to $10 million. Besides his work with the Discovery Channel, he also endorses brands like Motorola and Ford. It puts Mike Rowe’s net worth at $30 million.
Sig Hansen.
Sigurd Jonny Hansen is a Seattle-born fishing enthusiast and a star on the Deadliest Catch. 57-year old Sig is the captain of one of the shipping vessels on the show.
He leads the F/V Northwestern. Hansen is one of the few people to feature in almost every episode of the Deadliest Catch. With 203 episodes to his name, Sig is a prominent figure on the network. His recent appearance came in the 2020 episode titled ‘The Russian Front.’
According to the latest reports, Deadliest Catch cast Sig Hansen earns around $500K for every season he appears on. As things stand, Sig Hansen’s net worth is $5 million.
Keith Colburn.
Colburn was born on March 10, 1963, in Placerville, California. Keith appears on the Deadliest Catch as one of the vessel captains on the Bearing Sea.
He is the captain of the Wizard and is first featured in the episode titled ‘A Tragic Beginning.’ It aired on April 3rd, 2007, and followed Keith and other 80 boat captains as they gear up for the King crab fishing season.
Colburn has worked on about 174 episodes to date. Besides television, Keith makes his money from his work in commercial fishing. In 2017, his reported earnings were $1.5 million alone for that year. As of 2023, Deadliest Catch cast, Keith Colburn’s net worth is $4 million.
Jake Anderson.
Jakob Anderson is the captain of the Bearing Sea Vessel, ‘the F/V Saga. This particular title marked the start of the Opilio crab fishing season. He was first brought on by the Discovery Channel on May 15th, 2007, in New Beginnings.
Thirteen years on, Jake has been featured on 167 episodes. His most notable stints came in Shotguns and Fist Fights, New Captain on the Block, First Timers, and Wasted Talent.
Jake’s returns from the commercial fishing industry tend to fluctuate. In high season, fishing boats can make as much as $2 million in two days. Presently, Jake Anderson’s net worth is $2.5 million.
Jonathan Hillstrand.
Hillstrand is an Alaskan native who mainly operates along the Bearing Sea. Jonathan stars on the Deadliest Catch and is the captain of the F/V Time Bandit.
We were first introduced to Captain Hillstrand in the Heading Out to Sea episode. It aired on March 28th, 2006, and followed Jonathan and his colleagues at the Dutch Harbor as they were about to embark on a new crab fishing season.
Since his appearance in the 2nd season, Jonathan has worked on 148 more episodes. His highlights came in episodes like Hillstrand’s Last Catch, Captain’s Orders, and Greatest Game Ever Fished. Deadliest Catch cast Josh Harris’ net worth is $2.2 million.
Josh Harris.
Josh made his debut on the Discovery Channel in the first episode of Deadliest Catch’s third season. He is the son of the legendary Phil Harris. While he started as a deckhand on his father’s vessel, he gradually gained enough experience to captain the F/V Cornelia Marie. At the time, he was still a deckhand on one of the vessels.
He held this position for close to six seasons before he finally became a captain. In total, Josh has appeared in 147 episodes in the thirteen years he has been working on the show. As a deckhand, he was on a salary of $150K. Josh’s net worth sits at $800,000 currently.
Bill Wichrowski.
Wild Bill Wichrowski is one of the most charismatic ship captains on the Bearing Sea. He has been in the commercial fishing trade for over two decades now.
When he first appeared on the Discovery Channel back in 2010, he was the captain of the F/V Kodiak. Fans of the show were introduced to him on the episode titled ‘Slowed Burn,’ which marked the start of the show’s sixth season. A decade later and Bill has captained a few other vessels. These include ships like the F/V Cape Caution and Summer Bay.
His most memorable stint on the show came back during the show’s 14th season when he and his crew rescued a deckhand who had fallen overboard. Bill’s net worth is $3 million.
Deadliest Catch Cast: Matt Bradley.
Bradley is a deckhand who works aboard the F/V Northwestern. We were first introduced to Matt in Season one’s 10th episode, ‘The Final Run.’ Bradley’s debut came at a sad time, as the Big Valley Crew had suffered significant losses. From then, he went on to wow audiences in episodes like Failure to Launch, Greenhorn Overboard, and Heavy Lies the Crown.
All in all, he has appeared on 112 episodes, all of which see him aboard the Northwestern. Like most deckhands on the show, he reportedly makes around $170,000. Besides a lucrative commercial fishing career, he is also the proprietor of an E-cig vapor store. Matt Bradley’s net worth sits at $3 million.
Deadliest Catch Cast: Monty Colburn.
When Monty first ventured to the Bearing Sea, he was a deckhand for the Juno, which works in tandem with the Alaska Trader. In 1995, he and his brother started operating the F/V Wizard. He worked as a relief captain/mate. Monty first appeared on the ninth episode of the show’s 3rd season, titled ‘Crossing the Line.’
Other than this, Monty has starred in episodes such as New Blood, Old Wounds, Careful What You Wish For, and Blood in the Morning. In general, he has starred in 103 episodes. His net worth is $1.7 million.
Nick Mavar.
Mavar is descended from Croatian fishers. He is a deckhand who works on the crab fishing vessel, the F/V Northwestern. Nick used to fish for salmon along Bristol Bay with his dad and brothers when he was young.
Since its inception, he has been on the Discovery Channel show, appearing on the debut episode, ‘Greenhorns’ back in 2005. Fifteen years later and he has starred in about 92 episodes. These have come with Last Damn Arctic Storm and 450 Mile Storm titles. Besides working at Northwestern, he also captains his family’s vessel, ‘Miss Colleen.’ Nick Mavar’s net worth sits at $1.6 million.
Deadliest Catch Cast: Nick McGlashan.
He works as a Deck Boss on the F/V Cape Caution. Interestingly enough, when Nick McGlashan first appeared on the Deadliest Catch in the episode called ‘Blood in the Morning,’ he was a deckhand on the vessel above. This was back in its ninth season, during its third episode. The very same year, he was promoted to Deck Boss.
Nick McGlashan’s net worth rests at $600,000. By the 2020 episode titled ‘Razor’s Edge,’ he had appeared in a total of 72 episodes. His father is the one who first introduced him to commercial fishing, mainly after he taught him the art of angling.
Casey McManus.
McManus is the captain of the Cornelia Marie. Other than that, his work on the show also tells us that he is a part-time engineer and can fix up any minor mechanical problem that his vessel experiences. We were first introduced to Casey back in the tenth season, specifically in episode 8. The episode was titled ‘Cornelia Marie Blue.’ By 2020, Casey McManus has appeared on 66 episodes in total. Details about his financial review (net worth ) presently remain under review.
Scott Campbell, Jr.
He works as the captain of the vessel, F/V Seabrooke. Scott got his big break on television back in 2011, in an episode called ‘New Blood.’ This was during the premiere of the show’s seventh season. Fans have since seen him in episodes like Sleeping with the Enemy, the Final Battle, and Against the Law.
Deadliest Catch Cast Scott Campbell Jr’s standing net worth is $600,000. Other than that, he is also the proprietor of a cooling business that he owns with his dad. Scott Campbell Jr. was also featured on the Discovery Channel special, ‘After the Catch.’
Mac White.
To date, Mac has starred on 45 episodes of the Deadliest Catch. His first appearance came back on May 10th, 2011, during the seventh series. Mac featured in the fifth episode titled ‘A Wing and a Prayer.’
Ever since, Mac White has appeared in other episodes such as Winter Is Coming, On the Rocks, and Careful What You Wish For. Mac works as a deckhand on the F/V Seabrook.
We have also seen him work on a different vessel, Cape Caution. As a deckhand, sources say that he can make about $50,000 per year. Mac White’s net worth is currently under review.
Roger Schlosstein.
The Deadliest Catch first introduced us to Robert Schlosstein back in the show’s eighth season. This was in the episode called ‘Rise and Falls.’
Roger, who worked as a deckhand aboard the F/V Greenhorn: Wizard, had to contend with vicious northern winds. Roger has featured on several more episodes like Sleeping with the Enemy and Carpe Diem from then on.
At the point of writing, Deadliest Catch cast Roger Schlossteinhas starred on 38 episodes in total. Sources say that people’s salaries in his profession range from $50K to $60K. His net worth is estimated to be $300,000.
Mandy Hansen.
She comes from a rich stock of anglers and is the daughter of Sig Hansen. 28- year old Mandy works aboard her family’s vessel, the F/V Northwestern.
Mandy Hansen is one of the relief captains available and a captain in training. Hansen got her introduction to the show back during episode eight of season ten. This episode was called ‘Cornelia Marie Blue.’
Since then, she has appeared in 36 episodes, dating back to 2014. Her stint on the show has involved working in episodes like Crane Wreck and the Battle of Kings. Mandy Hansen’s net worth is $1 million.
Neil Hillstrand.
Neil Hillstrand’s first appearance on the Deadliest Catch came in Season 4 episode ‘Get ‘Em Back Safe.’ The attack marked the start of another crab fishing season. At the time, Neil Hillstrand worked on the Time Bandit as a deckhand.
Back in 2008, we additionally learned that he is a skilled engineer. Anyone who finds Neil attractive can watch him on episodes like Fisherman’s Daughter and the Day of Reckoning.
Deadliest Catch cast Neil Hillstrand’s net worth is $300,000. Presently, Neil has starred in 26 episodes in total. He possibly earns roughly $60,000, just like the other deckhands who work along the Bearing Sea.
Deadliest Catch Cast: Clark Pederson.
Pederson made his way onto the show during its 13th season. When we were first introduced to him, Clark was a deckhand on the Greenhorn: Northwestern. Since 2017, he has starred in 23 episodes. These include Failure to Launch, Poisoned at Sea, and Triple Jeopardy titles.
When he was younger, Clark Pederson worked as a deckhand and captain in training for Shaver Transportation, which operated along the Columbia River.
He reportedly earns $50,000 a year. It puts Clark Pederson’s net worth at $300,000 currently.
Norman Hansen.
Fans of the Deadliest Catch got the opportunity to meet Norman back in 2006. This was during the season 2 episode called the ‘Finish Line.’ Norman worked as a deckhand and engineer on his family’s crab fishing boat, the F/V Northwestern.
Norm Hansen’s most recent on the Deadliest Catch came on the 16th season’s first episode, ‘The Russians are Coming,’ which dropped on April 14th, 2020. As a deckhand, Norman makes about $60K a year. It puts his net worth at roughly $200,000.
Deadliest Catch Cast 2022 and their net worth and salary table
| Deadliest Catch Cast 2020 | Salary | Net worth. |
| Michael Gregory Rowe | $5 million. | $30 million. |
| Sigurd Jonny Hansen | $500,000 | $5 million. |
| Keith Colburn | $1.5 million | $4 million. |
| Jakob Anderson | $170,000 | $2.5 million. |
| Jonathan Hillstrand | $150,000 | $2.2 million |
| Josh Harris | $150,000 | $800,000. |
| Wild Bill Wichrowski | $200,000 | $3 million. |
| Matt Bradley | $170,000 | $3 million. |
| Monty Colburn | $150,000 | $1.7 million. |
| Nick Mavar | $100,000 | $1.6 million. |
| Nick McGlashan | $70,000 | $600,000 |
| Casey McManus | $100,000 | Under review |
| Scott Campbell, Jr. | $100,000 | $600,000 |
| Mac White | $50,000 | Under review |
| Roger Schlosstein | $60,000 | $300,000 |
| Mandy Hansen | $170,000 | $1 million. |
| Neil Hillstrand | $60,000 | $300,000 |
| Clark Pederson | $50,000 | $300,000 |
| Norman Hansen | $60,000 | $200,000 |
Previous Cast of Deadliest Catch.
Travis Lofland.
Lofland’s first appeared on the 2008 Deadliest Catch episode titled ‘Catch as Catch Can.’ We met Travis aboard the Wizard, as he was working as a deckhand during the show’s fourth season. In total, he starred in 36 episodes.
His last run came in the 2019 episode Time, and Tide Wait for No Man. Although he dropped out of television, Travis continues to work in commercial fishing. Just recently, he was gearing up to head to Bellingham to make the final preparations for the tender season.
Sean Dwyer.
Dwyer is the captain of the F/V Brenna A. We initially met him when ‘Carpe Diem’ dropped in 2016. This was back during the show’s 12th season. In the four years that he worked on the show, Sean appeared in 49 episodes.
His final episode was titled ‘Now or Never,’ released on September 10th, 2019. After leaving the show, Sean Dwyer continued to captain his vessel. He recently sailed the boat to Reedsport, Oregon, where it is getting fixed.
Elliot Nesse.
Neese has captained several vessels throughout his run on the Deadliest Catch. His initial run can be traced to the season 7 episode, ‘New Blood.’ We watched as Elliot captained vessels like the Ramblin Rose and Saga during his time on the show.
Elliott Nesse’s last episode aired on June 9, 2015. He continued to work as a crab fisherman even after leaving the show. By the time he left the show, he had worked on 60 episodes in total.
Phil Harris.
Harris first appeared on the Deadliest Catch back in 2005, on an episode called Dead of Winter. At the time, he was the captain of the F/V Cornelia Marie. Unfortunately for all of his fans, he did not appear again after ‘Old Age and Treachery’ aired on April 26th, 2011. It was during Deadliest Catch’s seventh season.
Captain Phil Harris died at age 53. Sources say that he suffered a severe stroke on January 29, 2010. At the time, he was at a port in St. Paul Island. Even though he was airlifted to Anchorage, he did not make it.
Gary Soper.
Gary Soper was the first mate on the fishing vessel, ‘the Wizard.’ Fans first saw him during season 3’s ninth episode, ‘Crossing the Line.’ His final appearance came during the show’s 15th season, on ‘Now or never. Twelve years on television saw him star on about 71 episodes in total.
Zach Larson.
In total, Zach featured on 71 episodes. He worked on three different vessels as an engineer and deckhand. These vessels include the Greenhorn: Kodiak, Cape Caution, and Brenna A. The very first episode he worked on was called ‘Slow Burn,’ released on April 13th, 2010.
Deadliest Catch cast Zach Larson’s last appearance came during its 15th season, on its 20th episode. After taking a back seat from television, Larson captain the F/V Elinore J. He was recently in San Carlos, Sonora, Mexico.
Edgar Hansen.
Edgar is one of the main stars on the Deadliest Catch, with about 162 episodes under his belt. Hansen is an engineer and deck boss who operates aboard the F/V Northwestern. He was with the show from the first episode back in 2005.
His last appearance came on August 28th, 2018. He left the show after being found guilty of the sexual assault of a minor, who he also groomed. As such, he was dropped by the network. Despite this, he still works on his family’s vessel; you just won’t see him on television.
Andy Hillstrand.
Andy Hillstrand worked as a deck boss, and eventual captain of the vessel, the F/V Time Bandit. When he was first introduced to the audience back in 2006, Andy was a co-captain. He went on to work on 103 more episodes before finally taking a back seat.
His swan song came in the season 13 episode called ‘Dead-Stick.’ Andy’s departure did not mark the end of his career in commercial fishing. Additionally, Andy Hillstrand continues to promote Time Bandit merchandise available on an online store.
Freddy Maugatai.
Freddy was a deckhand who we first saw during the Deadliest Catch’s fourth season. This was in the fourth episode, ‘Unsafe and Unsound.’ During his time on the show, Freddy Maugatai worked on various commercial fishing vessels.
These include the F/V Cornelia Marie, Wizard, and the Time Bandit. Freddy bowed out of the series after the fifteenth season. His final appearance came on ‘Now or Never,’ which was the 22nd episode. After leaving television, Freddy Maugatai has maintained a relatively private life away from the limelight.
Jake Harris.
When we were first introduced to Jake, he worked on the Cornelia Marie. He made his debut on the show’s second season, titled ‘Heading Out to Sea.’ A 2010 episode titled Sea Tested also saw him work aboard the Northwestern as a deckhand. After the 2012 episode ‘The Bitter; Bloody End,’ he left the show. Jake Harris left Deadliest catch after the show’s eighth season.
FAQ:
When Does New Season Start?
The Deadliest Catch is currently in its 19th Season and is ongoing. Its first episode aired back on April 14th, 2020.
Where is the Deadliest Catch Filmed?
The show is almost entirely filmed in the Dutch Harbor, in Alaska. A secondary location is in the Bering Sea, classified as International Waters.
What Channel is the Deadliest Catch on?
The Deadliest Catch airs on the Discovery Channel.
Is Deadliest Catch Real or Fake?
The Deadliest Catch is not your typical reality show. As such, its authenticity should not be questioned. Alaskan Crab Fishing is one of the most dangerous professions in the world. There is nothing fake about what they do up there. Countless men have lost their lives in pursuit of fishing.
Back in 2005, the F/V Ocean Challenger was lost at sea. A year earlier, the F/V Big Valley had endured the same fate. Because of how dangerous it is at sea, there have to be Coast Guards stationed all around.