The moment you sit down across a table from the men (and one woman) of the National Geographic Channel smash hit “Wicked Tuna,” you realize why the show is so popular.  There is not one bit of artifice to the salty tuna fishers who, in their thick Massachusetts accents, have made words like “monstah,” “pissah,” “slob,” and “wicked” part of the American lexicon.  In short, what you see is what you get.  As a fan of the show since it started, I was psyched to travel to Gloucester, Mass. to see what makes these fishermen tick.

We had dinner at a local spot right on the water.  Captains Dave Marciano, Bill and Donna Monte, and the irrepressible Paul Hebert regaled me with their “fish tales,” and painted a picture of a life that is equal parts infuriating, rewarding, and dangerous.

A few short hours later, at 3 in the morning Gloucester time, we put out to sea with Captain Dave Carraro, master of the feared Fishing Vessel TunaDotCom.  The early hours, and very little sleep (ten hours in five days!) are all part of the job to Dave who prides himself on being the first boat out, and last one back.  It took two very dark hours, and one gorgeous sunrise, to get to our “numbers”—coordinates where the captains believe they’ll find the fish.

And find them we did.  Within a half hour of wetting our lines, the heavy-duty rod at the stern of the boat bent over and the reel screamed.  Was there a “monstah” at the other end?  Could we keep it on the line?  How much cash would it fetch?

Find out on soon on NEW DAY, premiering Monday, June 17^th, at 6am ET.