After a disappointing North Atlantic bluefin tuna season, Captain Dave Marciano of the Hard Merchandise and Captain TJ Ott of the Hot Tuna travel south full steam into the waters of the Outer Banks, N.C., to extend their season and salvage their losses. In the South, the competition is fiercer and the stakes are higher than ever before. The 500-mile steam is a huge gamble on what could be a massive payday … or a huge financial loss.

The Southern captains fear a full-scale Yankee invasion of their waters when another Northern boat — the Pin Wheel with Captain Tyler McLaughlin — comes steaming into the Outer Banks. This trip, McLaughlin is desperate to make up for the embarrassing last-place finish he landed last season, and to help him he adds Paul Hebert onboard as co-captain. As the Pin Wheel steams in, they're greeted with gunshots by the Southerners, showing there is no room for Southern hospitality.

With six of the finest tuna fisherman traversing the Outer Banks in the hunt for bluefin, competition gets super competitive. The strict bluefin quota is rapidly starting to fill, and time is of the essence for all the captains. Dave Marciano has been unable to land a single catch and fears the huge gamble he made in traveling south will not pay off. If he doesn't catch a fish in the next two days, he won't be able to afford to stay in the Carolinas and will have to head back to Gloucester.

Weather in the Outer Banks takes a turn for the worse, pitting man against sea as the turbulent Atlantic Ocean threatens the fishermen's quest for bluefin tuna. With ominous weather looming and the bluefin quota quickly filling, the pressure is on for the Northern and Southern boats to act fast or risk financial — or nautical — disaster. The Fishin' Frenzy leads the fleet and Captain Greg Mayer uses his knowledge of the Carolina waters to head out early before the windy weather escalates.

With more than a third of the North Carolina bluefin tuna quota already filled, all of the fleet feels the pressure to fish at every opportunity. So when an Atlantic Ocean winter storm system whips up rough seas and ices in the local harbor, it forces northern and southern captains to take huge risks to fish in dangerous conditions for their catch.

The Wahoo's lead is challenged as the Pin Wheel edges up the scoreboard. Elsewhere, mechanical troubles and bad fishing keep the rest of the ships from catching up.

The captain of the Doghouse charters boat cruises for supplemental income while the rest of the fleet continue to compete for leadership of the scoreboard.

Pin Wheel and rivals Fishin' Frenzy and Wahoo lead the race with seven tuna each. Captain Greg Mayer of Fishin' Frenzy is desperate for catches to reclaim their top spot, while the Wahoo brothers Reed and Banks Meredith are determined to stay in the top spot. Pin Wheel Co-Captains Tyler McLaughlin and Paul Hebert are a stone's throw away from beating all of the Southern boats in their own backyard. Doghouse, Hard Merchandise and Hot Tuna struggle to haul in fish for the remainder of the season.

Wahoo leads the fleet, but local rival Fishin' Frenzy and invader Pin Wheel are serious threats for the top spot. Hard Merchandise needs one more bluefin to make the expensive trip south profitable, while Doghouse and Hot Tuna fight to earn one final paycheck to salvage their seasons. When captain Greg Mayer of Fishin' Frenzy receives the official call that the quota will close the next day at midnight, everyone races to catch more bluefin and reach the buyers in time to make the final sale.