Giant Lobster Hunters
Upcoming episodes
May 12th
300a
Lobster Men vs The Element
Disaster and deathareever present for theskippersand their crews as they battlemother nature. It’s thelobstermen versustheelements.‘Lobster MenvsThe Elements’explores howskippersnavigate changing tides,powerfulcurrents and unpredictable weatherconditionsin their hunt forhard-wonmoney fish.Thesouthernocean is Australia’s deadliest stretch of water andTasmania’s continentalshelfis a graveyard to hundreds of vessels.The programexplores how winds, currents and oceandepthsaffectlobstercatch rates,profits,feeding and migrationbehavior.The program includesrevelatoryinterviewsfromexperts inthe fields ofmaritime historyandweather.Through thereal-life dramasoftheskippersat seawe see what it takes tofishthe seasonswhen thestormsareextremeandthe winds gale-force.Lobster hunting is one of the deadliest jobs in theworld.
May 12th
400a
Lobster Men vs The Predator
TheSouthernlobsterfleetisunder attackfrom predators. Money’s going up insmoke and livelihoodsare on the line.It’s thelobstermen versusthepredators.‘Lobster Men vs ThePredators’explores theskipper’s number onenemesis:theunderwater predator.Weprofile each killer andreveal howtheytrap anddestroytheir preyand play havocwithcatchrates.Apex predators likeoctopus,congereelsandsharks go head-to-head with lobster men every day-and when they strike,money goes up in smoke.And then there’s thesecrets of thelobstersthey huntandthemysteriouscreature they fear the most.Pyrosomescan sendshivers down thespine ofthemost-hardenedskipper.In the end,it’sthehard to seeclimate-changetriggers and warning signscrews need to watch out for.Lobster hunting is one of thedeadliest jobs in the world
May 12th
500a
Money Fish
There’s only ten weeks to go until the end of the winter rock lobster hunting season. For the lobstermen, it’s their last chance to out money in the bank before the season re-opens in spring. This multi-part series follows the real life dramas of six lobster captains as they go in search of lobsters in the Southern Ocean – Australia’s deadliest stretch of water. The winter weather will put every skipper to the test. Who’ll hit their target? Who’ll bag the biggest? And who’ll make a fortune?
May 19th
300a
Superstition
The winter lobster season is in full swing. Squizzy, Skipper of Bold Contender, is under pressure to fill a special order of 600 brindle lobsters. Ansons Bay is dead in the water – its engine has stopped working. And stormy weather and rough seas have plagued the Minnamurra. It’s been a horror start for Skipper Clive. Meanwhile, Danny, Skipper of the William Norling, is hunting for big reds in the Bass Strait and he’s received some good news. The all in price of lobsters has spiked. But that’s not going to help the crew of the Barralee. The Marine Police are trawling the Southern Ocean for illegal fishermen and have spotted an anomaly in the Barralee’s paperwork.
May 19th
400a
The Storm
Skipper Squizzy has been working around the clock to fill a new special order of 200 kilograms of Brindle lobsters. Squizzy and Tabor are fatigued and that’s when things can get deadly. The Minnamurra’s horror run is showing no signs of slowing down. And at Maatsuyker Island, the crew of the Barralee is tracking well. Skipper Warren has more than 300 big reds in the tank but their purple patch is about to come to a screeching halt. Breaking news is fast in from the Department of Meteorology. A major storm front is closing in over Tasmania and the Bold Contender, the William Norling and the Barralee are all in the direct line of the super-storm. Gale force winds are expected to hit within the next 12-hours. Back at the Port of Dover, Warren’s son, Glenn, is trying to get his boat fixed but the verdict on the Ansons Bay’s engine failure is worse than expected. Will he even get back out to sea?
May 19th
500a
Hunting for Big Reds
Clive, Skipper of the Minnamurra, needs to jump start his catch rate if he’s any chance of turning a profit for the season. In the Bass Strait, Skipper Danny is using a depth sounder to locate the shallow reef bottoms because that’s where the giant red lobsters are feeding - it’s monster after monster for the crew of William Norling. The Bold Contender is heading back out to sea to the same location as the Minnamurra. Skipper Squizzy is a brindles specialist but the price of brindles has softened so he targeting big reds. But now there’s a new crisis. A storm has forced tonnes of fresh water into the bay where both Clive and Squizzy are hunting. If any of the fresh water gets into their live lobster tanks it may kill the entire catch.
May 26th
300a
Pot Luck
The Barralee is gearing-up to head back out to Maatsuyker Island for one last trip of winter the season. Skipper Danny, captain of the William Norling, is inching closer and closer to his magical target of $AUD100000 worth for lobsters. The Bold Contender has stopped hunting for bid reds. Squizzy has switched back to searching for brindles. But will the switch pay off? Or is it all too little too late? At Middle Rocks, Clive, Skipper of the Minnamurra, is finally on a winning streak at last. If only Skipper Glenn could say the same. The Ansons Bay is still stuck at port with a broken engine.
May 26th
400a
The Newcome
A new boat has joined the lobster fleet. Peter MacKenzie is Skipper of the Triton. He’s already caught close to two and a half tonnes of lobster this season and he’s heading back out for one last shot. Money talks and the all in price of lobsters has spiked hard to more than $100 per kilo. Skipper Clive, captain of the Minnamurrra, is hunting around Middle Rocks close to the rocks and he’s hit a sweet spot. The Barralee’s tally has jumped to more than one hundred lobsters and their haul is all top quality. Skipper Squizzy’s still a half a chance of hitting his season target but he won’t find out for sure until he unloads at port. The season’s big winner is the William Norling. Skipper Danny has reached his season target and is now on the phone to his buyers playing each one off against the other to try and secure the highest price.
May 26th
500a
The Competition Heats Up
The winter season is entering its final few weeks. The price of lobsters is north of $AUD100 per kilo and a bunch of new boats are out trying to capitalize on the strong price. It is dog eat dog in the Southern Ocean. The Triton is hunting for big reds near Low Rocky Point. The crew of the Minnamurra has woken to a giant swell. The rough seas are stopping the lobsters from climbing into their pots. Time is running out. Danny, Skipper of the William Norling, has triggered a bidding war for his lobsters. He’s playing both sides against the middle hoping to get the highest price possible. There’s also good news for Skipper Glenn. The Ansons Bay’s engine problems have been fixed. Glenn is steaming towards Research Bay. He’ll needs to get a move on if he’s any chance of turning a profit this late in the season.