Discovery Channel’s fishing-focused reality series Deadliest Catch has been reeling in viewers since 2005. Over its nearly two decades on the air, fans have watched as captains have come and gone, including Phil Harris, who died in 2010, and Casey McManus, who left the show after season 18. These days, one of the longest-lasting cast members is “Wild” Bill Wichorowski, who’s become a fan favorite after more than 10 years on the show.
‘Wild’ Bill Wichrowski joined ‘Deadliest Catch’ in season 6
Wichorowski joined the Deadliest Catch cast in the show’s sixth season, along with his son, greenhorn Zack Larson. He quickly made a big impression in the tight-knit crabbing community.
The maverick captain began his career as a Bering Sea fisherman in the late 1970s, after he left the Navy. In 2005, he semi-retired and turned his focus to running sportfishing tours. However, the economic downturn forced him to adjust his plans, and in 2010 he returned to crab fishing – and started a new career as a reality TV star.
When Deadliest Catch first started, Wichrowski said the idea of being part of the show “just didn’t hold interest.” But as the series took off and the economy soured, he reconsidered.
“I could see how this thing was growing and the notoriety was growing and when the economy took a dip, I decided to get a hold of Discovery to see if they had room for me,” he explained in a 2014 interview with A.V. Club.
Wichrowski has captained six boats, including the F/V Kodiak and F/V Cape Caution
When Wichrowski signed on to Deadliest Catch, he was at the helm of the F/V Kodiak. In season 9, he took over as the captain of the F/V Cape Caution. He remained with that boat through season 12.
In season Deadliest Catch Season 13, Wichrowski became the captain of the F/V Summer Bay, where he’s remained ever since. Starting in season 19, legendary swordfishing captain Linda Greenlaw joined him as a co-captain on the Summer Bay.
In addition to those three boats, Wichrowski has also captained three other boats that haven’t been featured on Deadliest Catch: F/V Zone Five, F/V Artic Eagle, and F/V Sandra Five.
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Facts about the F/V Summer Bay
Wichrowski’s current boat, the F/V Summer Bay, is a 196-gross-ton vessel built in 1981. According to a post on the boat’s Facebook account, it was originally known as the Lady Aleutian and then Wassillie B before Wild Bill christened it the F/V Summer Bay.
“Bill changed the name of the boat to Summer Bay because there is a cove on the other side from Dutch [Harbor] he likes and that is how the F/V Summer Bay got her name,” read the post.
The Summer Bay isn’t as big as some of the other boats on Deadliest Catch. But as Wichrowski explained on the show, that actually works to his advantage.
“The Summer Bay isn’t the biggest packer of crab or pots, but it’s fuel efficient,” he said (via YouTube). “So to operate it is not over-the-top expensive. Right now we have smaller quotas. You know, like Keith [Colburn of the F/V Wizard] can pack a lot of pots and a lot of crab, but there’s not a lot of crab to catch right now. So his cost per day of fuel is probably double or even triple mine.”
New episodes of Deadliest Catch Season 19 air Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on Discovery Channel. Episodes also stream the same day on discovery+.
Source: Captain Wild Bill
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