Bridge of Terror | Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks
I gotta worry about navigating the boat through the bridge without the shrine. This bridge is the reason why you know people are afraid to go fishing here. It's our 16th day in the water; we've only caught one fish and that was on our first day. We're desperate right now. The only thing standing our way is that bridge.
What do I do here, guys? What do I do? After, you gotta do what you want to do with the shallow water and these narrow spans. My boat is making it very difficult for me to feel safe going under that bridge. Hot Tuna is 18 feet wide; the bridge span we're going through is only about 25 feet wide, so there's no room for error. We also have a six-foot keel under the boat. The keel acts like an underwater sail, and going under the bridge with this super strong cross current could sweep us right into that concrete.
A lot of these boats pilfer Outer Banks fishing have flat bottoms. This puts the Hot Tuna at a major disadvantage. Earlier this season, the 12-foot wide Reels of Fortune and the 14-foot wide Hard Merchandise both hit the bridge. I don't want to add the Hot Tuna's name to that list!
Oh my god, that bridge right now has got my knees knocking. It's got my palms sweaty, it's got my mouth dry, and it's got me literally scared straight. You can tell TJ's really nervous driving through this bridge. All he's thinking about is destroying the boat and trying not to do it. The last phone call he wants to make is to my father, saying that he hit the bridge and crashed the boat.
Oh my god! If you hesitate one second, that's when a problem's gonna happen. Gotta just go balls to the wall, get through this bridge, and not be scared. And right now, he looks like he's scared.
Oh damn it, I can't do it! TJ, what the hell are you doing? I gave the nerve got scared! Guys behind, you can't get scared! Let me shut up, man, you can't get scared!
Well, my gut says don’t go. If I don't go, I've got to reverse hard to get out of the tide, turn around, and line up again. I had it lined up, man. Oh my god, I'm not gonna risk my boat and my crew if I'm not a hundred percent confident. Maybe I'm the only dude! Haha. Alright, let’s try this one more time!
Here we go, they're good. Yeah, Becky? Good. Oh, Doug-man, I got right now! Good work! Oh my god, when he got nervous, to burn someone’s like, oh my god, I'm shaking.
That was hands-down one of the most sketchy things I’ve ever had to do in my boat, and I’ve done a lot of scary things. I’ve been out in rough seas. I’ve taken waves over the bow. I blew out windows. I’ve been out in oceans I shouldn’t be out in.
I really hope the tuna gods bless us for the fish this time out. A tuna would calm me down, that’s for sure! Oh, they give you shots, Akela!