The ‘Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks’ Locale Ups the Adrenaline, Even for Veteran Fishermen

The location of Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks — described in a National Geographic Channel press release as the “dangerous waters off the coast of North Carolina” — makes the reality show a thrill not just for the viewers but for the fisherman, too.

“It’s really an adrenaline thing,” Captain Bobby Earl, one of the stars of the show, told Hollywood Soapbox in July, reflecting on the North Carolina waters. “It’s almost like skydiving for me. If you can do this, you know you’re among the best there is.”

He went on: “There are so many challenges prior to actually getting out there and fishing — crossing the inlet, the weather, etc. — that it’s a huge reward just to get to the open water.”

But Bobby also said that the fishing in that area “is probably the best fishing in the world,” and not just because he only has to “go out 30 miles or so” to get to where the action is. “There’s so many different species, and it’s really just a fantastic experience,” he explained.

In the press release — which also announced that Outer Banks will return for a ninth season — National Geographic Channel touted that the Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks captains “face the most treacherous weather in the series’ history” during Season 8. Faced with such turmoil, the captains “must work together to catch the elusive bluefin,” the channel added.

And in an interview with Screen Rant in July, Bobby said the Season 8 production was complicated by the worst fishing weather of his life. “I mean, 30-knot winds, 6-to-8 foot seas were the norm. Almost every day,” he added. “So we were fishing in some of the worst conditions. … Usually, there’s someone who won’t fish in bad weather, or they just won’t take the risk, but not this season. Everyone went all in, all the time. It was a fierce competition in terrible conditions.”

Season 7 of Wicked Tuna: Outer Bank saw the addition of Captain Dave Carraro of Wicked Tuna fame. And Dave got to see how the fishing in the North Carolina seas diverged from his experience off the coast of Massachusetts.

“It’s completely different from how we fish up in Gloucester,” he told Northshore Magazine in October 2020. “Up here, we’re sitting on anchor, and we’re waiting for the fish to come to us. Whereas down in the Outer Banks, we’re not on anchor. We’re moving, trolling, and we’re looking for the fish. Two different techniques. What works up here wouldn’t work down there.”

Dave also remarked on the quantity of fish off North Carolina. “When you’re on fish, you’re on a lot of fish,” he said. “Like, hundreds of them. … It definitely can be a little more exciting down there, knowing there’s so many fish underneath the boat.”

Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks airs Sundays at 8 p.m. ET on National Geographic Channel.