Watch ‘Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks’ Season 5 Captains Q&A Panel [Video]

Posted By Matt Artz on July 1, 2018

The locally filmed National Geographic Channel (NatGeo) reality competition series Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks returns for its fifth season tonight (July 1), following the world premiere screening of the first episode from Season 5 last night in Kill Devil Hills, with the local captains in attendance.

The local premiere event, held at the First Flight High School auditorium, was a fundraiser for North Carolina Watermen United.

 In the super-sized 90-minute Season 5 Premiere episode, entitled “Battle Lines”, it’s opening day of the bluefin tuna season on the Outer Banks, and a reduced quota means there’s more pressure than ever to land a fish.

Captain Tyler McLaughlin of the PinWheel, from Gloucester, Massachusetts, shows some early frustration as the Southern captains seem more determined than ever to watch out for each other by not communicating where the fish are biting to the Northern boats.

This local team-up immediately puts McLaughlin, Captain T.J. Ott of the Hot Tuna, and Captain Dave Marciano with his new boat The Falcon at a significant disadvantage, as if having to navigate the treacherous Oregon Inlet, now more dangerous and confusing for visiting captains than ever with the added obstacles of construction of the new bridge in progress, wasn’t already causing enough headaches.

Elsewhere, three-time winner Captain Greg Mayer of the Fishin’ Frenzy is anxious to get his title back after losing it for the first time in Season 4 to Captain Charlie Griffin of the Reels of Fortune, whose accidental catch phrase of “Tuna fishin’, baby, yeaaaah” has officially caught on with all of his fans. 

The other local boats competing this season are Little Shell led by Captain Nick Gowitzka and Doghouse led by Captain Britton “Shack” Shackelford.

As everyone fights to land their first fish of the season, emotions run high and the ocean gets dangerously rough, someone runs aground and some else loses their greenstick, creating one of the most tense and best episodes the series ever produced. 

[Watch our 2016 interview with Capt. Dave Marciano, filmed aboard the Hard Merchandise, here.]

Filmed on the Outer Banks, North Carolina, the breakout TV show spin off of the original Wicked Tuna that follows the exciting work of hardcore tuna fishermen on the Outer Banks, production of the new season began in January, once again shot mostly aboard the boats of the local and visiting captains from Gloucester until the region’s bluefin quota is met.

Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks Season 5 premieres tonight (July 1) at 9pm on NatGeo.

Captains Griffin, Mayer,and Shackelford, as well as many of their mates, were in attendance at the Outer Banks premiere event on the eve of the national airing on TV, signing autographs, posing for photos, and meeting enthusiastic fans, many of which were from out of town.

You can watch our video highlights from premiere screening and the full Q&A panel with the local captains below.

For more Outer Banks entertainment news, follow @obxe.

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