The October 3 episode of Deadliest Catch delivered both emotional moments and fierce competition on the Bering Sea. The hour opened with a tribute to the late Carl “Blind Dog” Gorsegner, a beloved former deckhand remembered by Captain Johnathan Hillstrand of the Time Bandit. Johnathan first shared the tragic news of Carl’s passing — he drowned in Seward, Alaska — on December 31, 2024. This episode honored his memory as the captain and his crew pressed on through dangerous waters and mounting pressure.
Johnathan Hillstrand’s Race Against Time
With just 72 hours left to catch 20,000 pounds of crab, Johnathan refused to give in. “We’re not the kind of guys to quit,” he declared, facing down a brutal low-pressure system that stirred up 30-foot seas. Trouble struck again when the Time Bandit’s engine failed — the port propeller tangled in a polyurethane line. Undeterred, Hillstrand managed to restore partial power, running at six knots to avoid overheating and finish the job.
Jake Anderson and Keith Colburn’s Battle of Wits
Meanwhile, Jake Anderson on the Titan Explorer faced a tight deadline of his own — 50,000 pounds left before mandatory offload. When he noticed Keith Colburn’s Wizard on his radar, Jake decided to call. Keith was riding high, pulling triple-digit pots and sitting on $450,000 worth of bairdi crab. But beneath his calm demeanor, the veteran skipper was scheming.
Keith laid out “Operation Bait Sig Away,” a plan to distract Sig Hansen of the Northwestern by setting decoy pots in a false hotspot. He wanted Jake to play along and reap the rewards once Sig was lured off. Jake appeared to agree, but privately scoffed: “He’s getting fat while everyone else is starving.”
Sig Hansen Turns the Tables
Sig, eager to finish his own season strong, suspected Keith was up to something. After a quick call with Jake, the Northwestern captain learned exactly what Keith had planned. “Is he that paranoid?” Sig laughed. Though Keith had previously helped Jake during a crisis, Jake admitted, “He’d do the same thing if it were me.” The two captains joined forces to turn Keith’s trap against him.
When Keith called to check in, Jake revealed the truth. “Yeah, I’m not doing any of that,” he said flatly. Realizing he’d been double-crossed, Keith charged through the night to reclaim his territory — just as Jake and Sig began dropping gear in his prime spot. “He’s trying to use me and give me the scraps,” Jake said. “But I’m hungry.”
Mechanical Failures and Redemption
The Wizard soon faced another crisis when a cracked circulation pipe in the crab tank threatened the entire haul. Keith’s crew worked quickly, patching the line with clamps before disaster struck. Exhausted, Keith reached out to Jake, who — in a surprising show of respect — shared his own fishing coordinates to help.
Despite the chaos and backstabbing, the captains ended the season with impressive hauls:
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Keith Colburn (Wizard) – 120,000 pounds total, earning $90,000 per deckhand
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Sig Hansen (Northwestern) – 110,000 pounds, valued at $1.8 million, with $91,000 each for the crew
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Johnathan Hillstrand (Time Bandit) – 100,000 pounds, with $135,000 per crew member
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Jake Anderson (Titan Explorer) – A $3 million fall season, putting him closer to buying his own vessel
“Now I’m a huge step closer to buying the Titan Explorer,” Jake said with a grin. “Who knows? Maybe I’ll buy The Wizard next.”
The season closed on that note of rivalry, respect, and remembrance — a fitting ending to one of the most dramatic chapters in Deadliest Catch history.
