Deadliest Catch

Welcome back to Dutch Harbor, Alaska. The largest fishing port in the United States is buzzing with life as 81 fishing vessels return to start the 2006 Red King Crab season, and stake their claim in the million dollar jackpot.

After a fishing boat sinks, the fleet works with the Coast Guard to find survivors. Equipment failures plague the Northwestern & Cornelia Marie, and the Time Bandit & Maverick start fishing only to have one boat come up empty while the other fills pots.

After a deadly start, the Bering Sea is still claiming victims. Working in high seas, Deckhand Lenny Lakanoff of the Wizard suffers a crippling injury, leaving Captain Keith scrambling to shore. On the Northwestern, Deckhand Matt fears possible jail time.

Halfway through the season the grind is on. On all the boats the men are working 40 hours without sleep. Equipment failures, fatigue and bad weather are making fishing even more dangerous, and the men of the high seas must deal with repairs and rescues.

The end of the king crab season is drawing near. Captain Johnathan and crew start dropping gear. The Time Bandit is back in contention, Captain Sig hauls in huge pots of keepers and onboard the Wizard, the crew is struggling to make their final offload.

The grinding 2006 Red King Crab fishing marathon comes to a close -- Sig Hansen and the Northwestern crew finish a 30-hour grind and steam for port while Phil Harris of the Cornelia Mariem aka "the comeback kid" returns to Dutch injury free.

As the Opilio crab season opens, several greenhorns are about to experience the subfreezing temperatures and icy winter waters of the Bering Sea for the first time.

Only days into the Opilio season, a major storm system has arrived on the fishing grounds. High seas cause Captain Andy of the Time Bandit to call his men off deck, moments before a rogue wave hits the starboard side.

Busted buoys, broken pots, and a blown engine have put the Northwestern more than a week behind schedule. Captain Sig hopes Lady Luck will smile upon him as he drops all of his gear far north of the rest of the fleet.

Greenhorns are put to the test as the Bering Sea's harsh winter weather deteriorates. Guy, the Wizard horn has only worked three days and is already faltering; but the Northwestern and Cornelia Marie greenhorns step up to prove their worth.

The promise of a great catch outweighs the dangerous risks faced by the Opilio Crab fishing vessels.

Finale for the greenhorns -- some have succeeded in their quests to become Bering Sea crab fishermen, others won't be coming back. The 2007 Opilio crab tally's in and a winner is declared.