INTERVIEW: Captain Bobby Earl rebounds from devastating fire on ‘Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks’

Photo: Bobby Earl is one of the captains featured on Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks. Photo courtesy of Nat Geo / Provided by High 10 Media with permission.

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Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks returns for a new season Sunday, July 18 at 7:30 p.m. on National Geographic. The reality series follows anglers as they travel the waters around the islands of North Carolina’s coast, looking for the giant bluefin tuna in this unique marine environment.

There are many personalities on the show, which is a spinoff of the successful Wicked Tuna series set in Gloucester, Massachusetts. One of the most memorable personalities is Captain Robert “Bobby” Earl, who leads the Reel ‘E Bugging vessel. On the new season, Earl tries to pick up the pieces after a devastating boat fire in 2020.

In that fiery incident, Earl watched his beloved boat go down in flames, but luckily he was rescued and eventually able to purchase a new boat. Coming back from hardship is par the course for the captain. He grew up in Queens, New York, and enjoyed a successful career on Wall Street. After the markets crashed in 2008, he changed course and became a professional fisherman. What sets him apart on Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks is that he doesn’t use a greenstick to catch the tuna, unlike his counterparts.

Recently Hollywood Soapbox exchanged emails with Earl about the new season of the series. Questions and answers have been slightly edited for style.

What was going through your mind when the fire destroyed your last boat? Was there fear you may not make it back to shore?

If you want an honest answer, no, there was no fear. We’re always prepared, right? And we spend probably $6,000 a year on safety equipment — we have life rafts repacked, we have survival suits, life jackets, everything we need in case we need to abandon ship. And we practice those drills, getting out safely. At no point was I ever really concerned for my safety, but I was concerned about my friend Danny who was on board, sleeping, in the smoke. He was unresponsive and wouldn’t wake up. I was down in the smoke trying to wake him, screaming, punching him, yelling, “Get up, we’re on fire!,” and he wouldn’t respond. So I was thinking about the worst-case scenario — I have to drag his dead body off this boat. That was my biggest fear at the time. But all of a sudden he came to and started vomiting, and it was just a huge relief to know he was alive. So the biggest moment of really “oh my God” was thinking that he was dead, and knowing I couldn’t leave him, but once he regained consciousness I knew the steps — get outside, get a survival suit, call the Coast Guard, and get off the boat. Getting into that helicopter basket and being taken up into the helicopter was the most surreal experience of my life. 

I also always have a go bag just in case the boat is ever in danger, and that’s where I keep my wallet, cash, my ID, the boat documents, anything important. But that bag was down below in the captain’s quarters, and I couldn’t get to it. So I learned that the bag needs to be upstairs where I am. It’s gotta be a “gotta go now” bag. And unfortunately due to COVID, everything was behind, and it took me almost six months to get my documents back.

And, of course, with the insurance, people think, well, situations like this are exactly why we have insurance, but this was a 50-year-old boat. And we had put about $400,000 into it, and it was only insured for $150,000. We’re grateful to have gotten something out of it, but we lost 30 years worth of rods and reels, shoes, gear — we lost everything.

How was the fishing on this season of Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks?

The fishing was incredible! But the weather … the weather was terrible. That’s really the only way to describe it. It was probably the worst weather in 12 years that I can remember. Honestly though, I’m pretty famous for the fact that I like fishing in bad weather, and I enjoy taking those risks and pushing the envelope. So I think I have an advantage when the weather is terrible. Plus, if everyone was just out fishing the Outer Banks when the weather was calm, it wouldn’t be much of a show!

What do you like the most about the waters off North Carolina?

It’s really an adrenaline thing. It’s almost like skydiving for me. If you can do this, you know you’re among the best there is. There are so many challenges prior to actually getting out there and fishing — crossing the inlet, the weather, etc. — that it’s a huge reward just to get to the open water. 

Where I’m from originally, you had to go out over 100 miles just to get to the fishing, but down in the Outer Banks, you’re only going out 30 miles or so. And you end up getting to spend much more time just fishing. That’s really an advantage people don’t realize. Plus, at the end of the day, the fishing off the Outer Banks is probably the best fishing in the world. There’s so many different species, and it’s really just a fantastic experience. 

When did you first get into fishing?

I started out probably like everybody else did. I was about 6 years old in a lake fishing for freshwater fish with my father. As I got older that evolved to fishing off a pier for saltwater fish, then on to a friends boat for even bigger fish, but after my first tuna fishing trip, about 25 years ago, I knew I had to make that my mission to make it my full-time work. Once I caught that first tuna, it was over, and that was really all I wanted to do. 

I started with a 22-foot boat, and then moved up to 24, 29, 38-foot boats throughout the years. I aimed to make it a low-budget operation, so though the boats were getting bigger, I was purchasing ones that were older as well. For me fishing is everything, and it’s not just being on the water. It’s the six hours at the dock beforehand preparing for the trip and getting ready every day — it’s an adventure every time. 

You have a reputation for speaking your mind. Is your TV personality similar to your actual personality?

My television personality is exactly my real personality. I love to laugh. I love to crack jokes and just always have a good time. I generally have a long fuse, but I will say when it explodes it’s usually pretty volatile. And you can see that in the show sometimes, but I am definitely the same person on and off camera. 

By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com

Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks, featuring Captain Bobby Earl, returns Sunday, July 18 at 7:30 p.m. on National Geographic. Click here for more information.