King crab season isn’t complete without F/V Saga on the Bering Sea! Helmed by the determined and undaunted Jake Anderson, the Saga is often regarded as the underdog amongst the Deadliest Catch fleet. At the beginning of Anderson’s captainship, he’s been the butt of the joke of his former superiors because of his unorthodox methods. But over time, Anderson and his fellow deckhands have proven to have what it takes and brought hundreds and hundreds of pounds of crabs.
Every captain needs his crew. Like any other ship bracing on the harsh tides of the Atlantic, each member has had personal experiences with the crab fishing industry. Without further ado, check out the crew guide for Deadliest Catch’s F/V Saga crew.
Deadliest Catch (2005)
PG
Reality
- Release Date
- March 15, 2005
- Cast
- Mike Rowe
- Main Genre
- Reality
- Seasons
- 19
Jake Anderson
Captain
Jake Anderson is the epitome of “zero-to-hero.” In 2015, following his new title as captain, fans of Deadliest Catch either applauded or questioned his leadership capabilities. Some have called him enthusiastic, others emotional. Regardless, Anderson’s professional journey, from his early days as a greenhorn for Captain Sig Hansen on the F/V Northwestern to where he is today, is a testament to how far he’s come. Originally a Washington native, the fourth-generation fisherman spent much of his young life by the sea. He started fishing salmon off Bristol Bay in Alaska at 17 before going to pot fishing at 25. Andersen later on spent six years as a greenhorn under Hansen, before getting promoted to full-share deckhand and then to relief deck boss.
Despite his success, Anderson is molded by a long list of personal struggles. With the passing of his sister in Season 5 and news of his father’s death during Season 5, the captain fell into addiction and ultimately beat it in 2010. Five years later, Anderson got his big break with the F/V Saga. Unfortunately, before Season 20 of Deadliest Catch, it was reported that Saga was impounded due to legal issues. As per Anderson’s statement:
"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. 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.
Following Saga’s repossession, Anderson sought for temporary work from former mentor Hansen on board the Northwestern. Currently, he’s the captain of the new boat F/V Titan Explorer. Despite having to start everything from the ground up, Anderson is no stranger to loss, and he’s definitely no stranger to success.
Sean Dunlop
Deck Boss
For Sean Dunlop, fishing is his second nature. Not long after high school, the deck boss immediately got into the industry after discovering how much money he could make from the professional. Three decades later, Dunlop’s love for fishing only keeps getting bigger. Unlike the comfort of the wheelhouse, Dunlop prefers the chaos of the deck, working through blood, sweat, and tears with his fellow comrades. As a veteran fisherman, Dunlop has lots of stories to tell, and scars to show. In Season 15, Episode 3, Dunlop was dangerously injured when he accidentally stabbed himself with a fishing knife. After a quick trip to the hospital and several stitches later, Dunlop’s ready to tough it out on the boat, not one to easily back out even in the most life-threatening of situations.
The crabbing life has worked out best for Dunlop, even with its challenges and the uncertainty of danger on the ship. However, as is a recurring theme in Deadliest Catch, alcoholism is a big issue on and offshore. Even someone as experienced as Dunlop has had his downs with alcohol, going so far as to miss an entire Kings season to check himself into rehab. Nevertheless, it’s his constant persistence and genuine passion for fishing that has kept him running in all the frenzy.
Jack Bunnell
Engineer
Some might say Jack Bunnell’s time with F/V Saga is utterly serendipitous. The third-generation fisherman was originally a last-minute addition to the fleet. Before joining Andersen’s crew, Bunnell was unable to secure a position as all the fishing vessels were full and no ships were opening available spots. Upon hearing word that Andersen needed someone on the ship, Bunnell immediately flew to Homer to work as an engineer for the Saga. With Andersen being a new captain on the scene, Bunnell understandably had his doubts, especially after hearing rumors that Andersen couldn’t catch crab. But with the Saga’ built as a different boat, complete with its massive improvements, Bunnell takes the job. Before he operated machines and engines for a living, Bunnell developed a love for fishing thanks to his father.
However, Anderson reached a breaking point with Bunnell when the latter was one of the three members who got fired due to insubordination. As the crab fishing season came to a close, Anderson and the rest of the Saga were under immense pressure to catch as many crabs as possible. At the time of his firing, Bunnell and other two crew members were out at the bar drinking. While social time on the ground isn’t prohibited, Anderson was more irked by their lack of respect, as shown when they didn’t return his calls and went AWOL, eventually leading to the ship’s late departure time.
Bunnell’s firing isn’t the end of his time on the sea. Season 19 of Deadliest Catch sees the former Saga crew member working on a different sheep. Instead of being an engineer, he now takes the wheel as Captain of F/V Barbara J, together with veteran Steve “Harley” Davidson. Not everyone’s happy about his new promotion. Anderson makes sure Bunnell knows exactly how he feels about his newly-minted position as captain, talking smack and claiming that he “doesn’t have a lot of potential”. It also seems like Anderson’s not over the bitter past about being called a bad captain when Bunnell was the one getting drunk on shore. In Season 20 of Deadliest Catch, Bunnel and his co-captain Davidson up the stakes by upgrading to the 126-foot F/V Pacific Mariner, hoping that its bigger capacity and finer machinery help them catch even more crab.
James Jones
Deckhand
For James Jones, the Bering Sea is practically his second home. Having fished crab and cob for more than a decade, Jones is tightly close to the fishing community. One way after another, Jones got acquainted with Anderson and ended up working for the aspiring captain. Like any other deckhand, Jones has had some unlucky days. Back in Season 14, Jones almost lost his life when he got temporarily pinned against a sorting table when a pot slipped out of the launcher, leaving him with a few sore ribs.
The F/V Saga isn’t the only ship Jones is on board. With his own 28-foot sport fishing boat, the deckhand frequently takes his children out on the sea. Besides, his hobbies aren’t too far off from his profession. During his downtime, Jones likes to hunt and fish. He currently resides in Ketchikan, AK.
Cameron Meyer
Deckhand
Cameron Meyer is a new face on the F/V Saga, but he’s no greenhorn. Working as a deckhand, Meyer has years of fishing experience under his belt, having spent most of his time involved in brown crab fishing. With a hard-working spirit, a can-do attitude, and a strong sense of knowledge, Meyer makes a great addition to the F/V Saga.
Loyal fans of Deadliest Catch might recognize Meyer from another ship. Back in Season 18, Meyer was working on deck for F/V Patricia Lee under the helm of Captain Rip. In Episode 14, Meyer finds himself in an unfortunate situation when he accidentally cuts his thumb with a knife. Although Meyer is visibly in pain, the rest of the crew have their hands tied - Captain Rip is in the middle of keeping the ship afloat through rough tides while the other deckhands have to make sure no equipment gets damaged. Luckily, Deadliest Catch producer Todd Stanley can immediately perform an emergency on Meyer’s finger.
Robert McNeese
Deckhand
Robert McNeese, a.k.a. Banjo, earned his reputation on the show thanks to his steady and speedy hands when fingerpicking through pounds and pounds of crabs. However, the true story behind his nickname came from his distinct Southern man. True to his gentlemanly roots, McNeese can often be heard replying “Yes, ma’am” and “Yes, sir” during his time on the Aleutian Spray.
McNeese got his first taste of fishing in Louisiana. Instead of snow crabs, the young McNeese grew up building boats and catching massive catfish together with his grandfather. It was only in 2000 when McNeese jumped on board a fishing vessel in snowy Alaska. Throughout this time, McNeese became acquainted with Dunlop, whom McNeese claims got into a brawl with because of a mess in the galley. As for his time with F/V Saga, word on the street is that McNeese pedaled 200 miles from Anchorage to Homer on his bike, seeking employment in a new area until the Saga crew found him while he was living on a beach.
Hannes M. Huswick
Deckhand
Hannes M. Huswick was a part of the F/V Saga before he sadly passed away from a heart attack on August 14, 2017. On September 2, 20217, his life was celebrated in Lake Stevens, Washington. Huswickwas a deck boss on the F/V Saga who played an important role in rebuilding the SAGA, and was part of the crew that caught the highest King Crab quotes in the fleet - 300,000 lbs per season. Huswick wasn’t just there for the success of the ship. Together with Andersen and the rest of his men, Huswick stood by them through thick and thin, from all the times the F/V Saga was underestimated by the more seasoned pros, even to when the fleet didn’t make any profit at all during certain opilio and Bairdi seasons.
Most importantly, Huswick wasn’t just an employee. He would always be remembered as one of Andersen’s closest friends. As Andersen perfectly describes his late confidante, he’s “Fiercely loyal, charming, hilarious, very quick-witted, sharp as a razor, overqualified for his previous job, and yes, usually a big pain in my ass.” During his unexpected passing, Huswick left behind his wife Sarah and 5-year-old daughter Sienna.
