Jack Bunnell’s Rise on Deadliest Catch: From Deckhand to Captain on the Bering Sea

Jack Bunnell emerged on Deadliest Catch in Season 19 as the young captain of the F/V Barbera J., bringing a decade of experience and a deep-rooted family history to the Bering Sea. A third-generation fisherman from Homer, Alaska, Jack was raised in the industry, learning the ropes alongside his father—a seasoned crabber and charter operator. His journey from bait boy to boat owner reflects both personal redemption and a modern continuation of Alaska’s fishing legacy, unfolding in the high-stakes world of televised crab fishing.

Early Life and Family Influence

Jack was born in Homer, where fishing wasn’t just a job—it was a way of life passed down through generations. His father was a commercial fisherman who ran charter boats and worked in the Bering Sea crab fisheries. Jack has shared in interviews that he looked up to his father from a young age, remembering early mornings when, at just five or six years old, his dad would wake him up, load him into the truck, and take him to work. “I’d be bait boy,” he recalled. “He’d let me drive sometimes on the way out.”

His parents’ divorce marked a difficult chapter. Jack struggled with substance abuse and brushes with the law. That period of instability ended after a phone call changed everything—his father had suffered a stroke that left him unable to speak. The stroke became a wake-up call for Jack, who decided to turn his life around and commit fully to fishing. “I told him I wanted him to stick around and see me be a fisherman,” Jack said. From that point on, he focused entirely on building a life at sea.

Career on the Bering Sea

By 2023, Jack had accumulated a decade of experience and was entering his second season as captain of the F/V Barbera J., once again working alongside veteran skipper Steve “Harley” Davidson. The season placed them in a derby-style cod fishery with over 11 million pounds at stake—a high-pressure setting that tested Jack’s leadership, instincts, and resilience.

One of the defining moments came in Episode 8, when Jack took full command of the vessel amid a violent Bering Sea storm. With 40-knot winds and towering waves crashing against the boat, the conditions were brutal. The crew had been shut down for hours due to the weather, but Jack pushed to gain firsthand experience piloting in extreme conditions. Harley, initially reluctant, eventually gave him the green light.

From the helm, Jack had to guide the crew through hauling 30 soaking pots. “It’s like mountains coming at you,” he said, as walls of water surged toward the boat. There were moments of hesitation, near misses, and one especially hard hit that nearly caused gear failure—but Jack held his own. Harley, observing the performance, praised him with a simple yet powerful: “Perfect approach, man… Good job.”

The moment was more than a technical victory—it was a mental turning point. “I can’t believe how stressful that is. It opens your eyes,” Jack admitted after the haul, drenched and visibly relieved. It marked his evolution from deckhand to decision-maker under the most unforgiving conditions.

Later in the season, Jack faced a different kind of leadership test when a critical bait mix-up occurred. Cod had been mistakenly loaded as bait for cod fishing—a logistical error in a fishery where every hour counts. While Jack hadn’t made the mistake himself, Harley reminded him that as captain, the final responsibility lies with him. The incident pushed Jack to reassess his command style.

Having grown up in a tough environment—where being yelled at was part of the norm—Jack realized he had initially led his crew the same way. But the pressure of the season and reflection on Harley’s mentorship encouraged him to shift toward a more thoughtful, accountable approach. “You’ve got to take ownership of this,” Harley told him. By season’s end, Jack was working to balance toughness with trust, and instinct with accountability.

Full Circle: A Visit from Jack’s Father

The most emotional moment of the season came when Jack’s father visited Dutch Harbor for the first time in 20 years. Despite lingering effects from his stroke, he was able to step aboard the vessel Jack now captained—a full-circle moment that underscored the depth of their bond.

As they drove through Dutch Harbor, Jack pointed out places from their shared past—bars like the Elbow Room and Unisea. They laughed over stories of old fights and rowdy nights, reflecting on how much had changed. “If you’re not going fast enough putting bait in the pot, he’ll drop the doors on you,” Jack said, recalling the tough-love lessons from his youth.

“I never thought I’d see him on a boat I was running,” Jack said during the episode. The visit wasn’t just symbolic—it was personal validation. After years of struggle and rebuilding, Jack had arrived at the very place his father had once stood—and was now leading from it.

Jack Bunnell’s story continues, built on tradition, resilience, and the enduring impact of family. Season 19 captured a year of personal and professional transformation—one storm, one lesson, and one pot at a time.

New Chapter: Season 20 and the Pacific Mariner

Season 20 opened with a major leap for Jack. No longer aboard the Barbera J., Jack and Harley upgraded to a new vessel: the 126-foot Pacific Mariner. It was a bold move—Jack cashed in family resources, and Harley dipped into his 401(k), putting them $2.3 million into debt. At just 29 years old, Jack took on co-ownership responsibilities and stepped into the new season determined to prove himself in king crab.

The Pacific Mariner came with high expectations. It could carry 60 more pots than their previous vessel and steam 3.3 knots faster. With derby rules in play and no room for delay, Jack emphasized urgency from the start: “We’re going by derby rules.” The pressure was immediate—boats were racing to the pot dock, and Jack found himself in a faceoff with Sig Hansen and the Northwestern. Though Sig reached the dock first, Jack secured a full string of pots and declared, “Thanks for the pots,” solidifying his position in the competitive derby.

Later in the season, Jack and Harley took a calculated risk by setting gear less than a mile from Wild Bill’s hot spot. Their gamble paid off. One pot after another came up loaded with red king crab—63 in one haul alone. But the move ignited tension. Bill accused them of crossing into a previously agreed-upon boundary. “I just kept seeing crab and got excited,” Jack explained. The confrontation was heated, but Bill eventually gave Jack coordinates to fish through his top strings and wrap up the haul. It was a reminder that even in competition, respect and communication still played a role.

By Episode 10, Jack continued to hone his leadership while still working closely with Harley aboard the Pacific Mariner—despite telling Keith Colburn he was working solo. In a coordinated plan, Jack and Keith agreed to run parallel gear down a trench—Jack on one side, Keith on the other—hoping to cover more ground and share insights on crab movement.

At first, the collaboration appeared productive. Jack’s side of the trench yielded strong results, while Keith’s pots came up mostly empty. However, as the hauls continued, Keith began to question Jack’s transparency. Multiple unanswered calls and vague updates raised red flags. When Jack finally responded, he downplayed the numbers. “Maybe five or six,” he said, avoiding specifics—even as their pots were pulling in dozens of crab.

Keith, increasingly suspicious, eventually spotted the Pacific Mariner setting gear directly in the area he had just recommended. When pressed, Jack admitted Harley was aboard and offering advice. Keith demanded to speak with Harley, leading to a tense exchange. “I caught you red-handed,” Keith told Harley. When the conversation returned to Jack, Keith cut it short with a pointed remark: “Thanks for the crab, kid.”

The incident highlighted the tension between competition and cooperation on the Bering Sea. For Jack, it was another pivotal moment—one that underscored how quickly trust can erode, and how leadership is tested not just by storms, but by how one navigates relationships in high-stakes waters.