From Captain to Casualty: Jake Anderson’s Painful Journey Losing the Saga on ‘Deadliest Catch’
From Captain to Casualty: Jake Anderson’s Painful Journey Losing the Saga on ‘Deadliest Catch’
As proven in the 20 seasons of Deadliest Catch, nothing is for certain. Things can change on a whim, and security is something not to take for granted. Fan-favorite Jake Anderson has learned this the hard way. After putting everything into the fishing vessel Saga, Jake suddenly lost control of the boat he part-owned when he was served a repossession note. With the timing coinciding with the Red King Crab fishery reopening and a derby-style race underway, Jake was essentially lost at sea.
Celebrating its triumphant 20th season, Discovery Channel has upped the ante with the latest season of Deadliest Catch. Capturing the dangerous crabbing industry in the Bering Sea, Deadliest Catch takes viewers on a journey through deadly situations, ever-changing conditions, and a cast of characters that are bound to their duty. Throughout its incredible tenure, Deadliest Catch gives viewers an inside view of the individuals that make this universe so mesmerizing. But as time has gone on, viewers have witnessed the ever-changing conditions and how it can all change on a dime.
The Loss of F/V Saga May Not Be Jake’s Fault
Captain Jake Anderson has been a staple on the Discovery Channel series Deadliest Catch since 2007. When he started in the industry nearly 18 years ago, he began working as a greenhorn on the fishing vessel Northwestern. Through his time in the industry, Jake has tried his hand at every job in his career, ranging from deckhand, deck boss, engineer, captain, and vessel owner. As a perennial star on Deadliest Catch, things drastically changed for Jake at the beginning of Season 20. Discussing his experience on Deadliest Catch, Jake stated, “For me, it’s my life. It means my life. I’ve always been honest with the cameras and production to show my heart to accomplish the American dream.” With over 10 years of experience, a new journey began for Jake. With his focus mainly on the operations side at the helm of F/V Saga, Jake’s world was turned upside down.
Through interviews before the start of the season, Jake Anderson revealed that there were some legal issues involving his partner on F/V Saga that caused him to lose his boat. He stated that on a show like Deadliest Catch, dreams can be made and broken at the same time. Jake said, “With the boat, I found out on a Friday in August. Everything was situated to go red crab fishing. Then on September 1, things started to look dark. Just before I was getting to go red crab fishing, I found out my partner, with all due respect with the legal things going on, we don’t know what he did. I lost my boat.” He went on to say, “I went from having the most King Crab to catch and having a nice platform I built with my own two hands to losing it all over a weekend.
Captain Sig Hansen Stepped In To Help Anderson After Losing the Saga
Jake was forced to seek refuge from his former mentor, Captain Sig Hansen, who allowed him to temporarily work on his ship, the fishing vessel Northwestern. It seemed fitting as it was the ship where it all began for Jake. Regarding his mentor, Jake revealed, “Of course, Sig is going to reach out because we are close. As fishermen and fisherwomen, the camaraderie is something special. It’s a very honorable profession. Not just for Sig, but I think any one of us would do that for each other, even if we were an enemy.”
Following a temporary stay with Captain Sig Hansen and the crew of F/V Northwestern, Jake was eager to begin a new journey. He moved on to the Titan Explorer, a new boat for him to tackle. With a new team and individuals he hasn’t had a working relationship with prior, he knows that this job is not secure. He has to earn the trust of the owners so he can maintain a position following the season. By not owning and operating his own boat, it’s a new change of pace for the veteran fisherman. It’s crucial that Captain Jake Anderson proves his worth. And yet, this has been a learning experience for him. He knows it’s a step down for him, but in order to stay active, it was his only choice. He had to swallow his pride and work to the best of his abilities in the conditions handed to him.
In a high-stakes, competitive industry, Jake was forced to start at the bottom, where he no longer appeared as a threat to his equals; he became an asset thanks to his nearly two decades of experience. And until he would be able to find his footing once again, his relationship with the other captains will change. They are all in this for themselves to fulfill their own quotas, and thus their pockets, but through the loss of F/V Saga, Jake has learned about the camaraderie in the industry in dark situations like his. As already seen in the recent Season 20, Jake is on the way back up, hopefully having the issues resolved with the legal side of F/V Saga sooner rather than later.
Jake Anderson Had an Adventurous ‘Deadliest Catch’ Season 20
After journeying over to F/V Titan Explorer, Anderson hoped to prove his worth, but with new bosses to impress, he was on guard as he was uninterested in losing another job. Having proven himself in the industry in the past, he spent the season actively fighting against everything pushed in his path. Between winning over a new crew and hitting the crab quota, it was certainly an emotional journey for Anderson during Season 20.
Deadliest Catch is a show known for close encounters and dangerous conditions. Earlier in the season, Captain Keith Colburn experienced a terrifying medical emergency. Captain Jake Anderson has seen this happen before his own eyes. On F/V Titan Explorer, deckhand Chino suffered a terrifying blow on deck. He was knocked in the head by a crab cage, causing him to cry out, “I can’t feel my legs!” Anderson leapt into action to help his fallen crew member. The crew and camera team alike dragged Chino inside the vessel to render aid. A Deadliest Catch producer joined in to help as Anderson helped brace Chino and they suspected the worst. Of course, viewers of the show were mixed about the reaction, as some feared that should Chino have suffered a spinal injury, he should not have been moved. Ultimately, Chino returned to work on F/V Titan Explorer.
Loss is something that has been a major part of Jake Anderson’s life. Prior to having a life at sea, Anderson aspired to be a professional snowboarder. After an injury left his dreams in tatters, he felt like he had lost everything, leading to a drug addiction. He was able to overcome his addiction and became sober before working on fishing vessels. During Season 5, he revealed that he lost his sister to pneumonia at a young age. His father disappeared in 2010, only to discover he had passed during a Season 6 episode. Now, in the recent Season 20, Jake Anderson’s wife phoned him to alert him that Tom Brossard, a crew member from F/V Saga, had died of a heart attack. It hit Anderson hard as he broke down, “Tom was my best friend. Him and I rebuilt the f-ing Saga. We rebuilt the bow, we rebuilt the stern, we rebuilt the bathroom, we rebuilt the floors.”
By the end of the season, Anderson was nearing his quota, falling short by 8,000 crabs. The weather was uncooperative, making the terrifying potential of failing even harder to overcome. It’s hard to sit back and know that your job could be at risk, but after the Chino incident, Anderson was forced to focus on safety first. In the end, he and his crew were able to fill the quota for his bosses. Hope was not lost. Anderson saved his job, but Season 20 was not smooth sailing.
‘Deadliest Catch’ Is No Stranger to Legal Woes
Over the 20 seasons of the show, individuals involved with Deadliest Catch have experienced a handful of legal troubles in the past. Following the loss of his father, Captain Phil Harris, Josh Harris was embroiled in extreme controversy following a guilty plea for a 1998 sexual assault case involving a minor. He was thus dropped from the show, as well as his ship, F/V Cornelia Marie. Production manager Matthew Schneider was arrested during a drug bust where he was accused of using and selling cocaine. Before being cast on the program, Joshua Tel Warner was a convicted bank robber. Even the production company itself was sued for the protocols following the medical emergency of Nick Mavar. Now, the Saga drama is the latest in the string of legal headaches.
Captain Jake Anderson has mentioned that he finds fishing a very honorable profession. Since he began appearing on Deadliest Catch, he seems to be proving that fact accurate. Jake has had his entire world ripped from his hands, but like the American dream he had spoken about, he seems set and determined to tackle it again. With no official word on the status of the legal woes, it appeared that F/V Saga was up for sale.
