Giant Lobster Hunters

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Upcoming episodes

May 5th
300a

Episode 7

The pressure’s on as the Aussie lobster men face some of the greatest challenges of their lives in the hunt for rock lobsters. Tensions hit boiling point onboard the William Norling - Deckhand Macca makes a monumental blunder that threatens to sink the career of Skipper Danny. Tasmanian Skipper Bryce goes head-to-head with the mother of all storms and because his deckhand Lachy is sick in bed with a stomach bug, the Greenhorn Skipper has to handle it all on his own. In Western Australia, Skipper Jay has been given an 11th hour order to catch as many lobsters as he can. He has five hours to pull it off but an engine misfire on the Corado puts the crew at risk of missing their buyer’s deadline - and they desperately need the pay-cheque.
May 5th
400a

Episode 8

The Southern fleet risks it all in the wildest of seas. Greenhorn Skipper Bryce makes a final sink or swim play to turn his fortunes around. He’s motoring towards his mate’s secret hunting ground. Friendships are on the line. On board the Bold Contender, morale is at an all-time low as Squizzy faces a massive bill to replace a faulty genset – it’s the last things he needs right now. And to make matters worse, the Tasmanian Marine Police is waiting at Port for him to interrogate his latest catch. The Jager brothers up the ante with a dingy challenge that backfires badly and threatens to derail Skipper Glenn’s much needed comeback. But there is some good news. After a gruelling pandemic-fuelled season, there’s finally a glimmer of hope that might boost to the bank balances of the crews.
May 5th
500a

Lobster Men vs The Machines

Skippers reveal their most-guarded secrets as they take us inside their world.Theengine fails, thenewtechnology,theexpensivemachinery,the terrifying nearmissesand theepicseadisasters. It’s the lobster men versus the machines.‘Lobster MenvsThe Machines’exploresboats, machinery,technology andtheepicequipmentand mechanicalfailuresat sea. Fromthe latest technologyboosting catchratesandnear-fatal engine failsto themost dangerous partsof thevesseland theshocking injuriesat sea.Incorporating historicarchivefrom the earliest days of theindustry tonever-before-seen footage of theinner-workings of thevessels,this is ashowforviewers who want to know everything about lobster boats, heavymachineryand how the best laid plans can go horribly wrong atsea.Lobster hunting is one ofthe deadliest jobs in the world.
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.