Deadliest Catch: Sophia 'Bob' Nielsen Joined The Family Fishing Business After Her Father Died
Now into its 19th season on the air, "Deadliest Catch" continues to offer up its singular brand of pulse-pounding thrills and deeply personal drama. While long-time stars like Sig Hansen, Jake Anderson, and those wily Hillstrand brothers are once again fronting the action, this season has brought with it a handful of new faces. And that includes a young captain in the making by the name of Sophia "Bob" Nielsen.
Just 23 years old at the time of filming, Bob joined "Deadliest Catch" as a crew member of the F/V Saga crabbing vessel, and has already become a central focus of the various Season 19 narratives as she tries to learn all she can from Captain Jake Anderson. Like many of her series cast mates, Bob comes from a long line of sea-faring folk, confirming during a recent interview with Vegas Film Critic she is indeed a third-generation fisherman. When asked if she felt any sort of responsibility to her family's legacy in her own fishing endeavors, the would-be captain answered with a determined, "Absolutely."
Specifically, Bob admits she feels that responsibility towards her father, who passed away before she got the chance to learn at his side. In fact, Bob claims her father's passing was ultimately what got her out on the boat. "Unfortunately, I never worked with my father on the boats when he was alive," she said, continuing, "It took for him to pass away for me to finally jump on the boats."
Bob is looking to go out on her own sooner rather than later
As Sophia "Bob" Nielsen told Vegas Film Critic, she knew she stood to inherit one of her family's boats after her father's passing, and wants to be calling the shots on the F/V Victory sooner rather than later. And she's fully embraced taking over the job, noting, "It just brings me closer to my family, and that legacy." Bob also admitted she's lucky to be learning from an accomplished captain like Jake Anderson, saying, "I'm really fortunate to be working underneath Jake, and to have somebody hold my hand through the whole process, and show me what it means to be a great captain and a great leader."
Learning curve aside, Anderson was quick to note Bob was not as dramatic as some captains in training. "She has her own boat," Anderson pointed out, adding, "And she's had a lot of teaching from her brother." Per the Saga captain, Bob was indeed already well-learned in how to run a ship, including being familiar with the paperwork a captain has to keep track of. Anderson went on to admit that all he really needed to teach her was the intricacies of crab fishing itself, claiming, "I just informed her of how our way of fishing goes, with [crab & fish] pots, and with fishing out West in the Bering Sea."
If you've been watching Season 19 of "Deadliest Catch," you know Bob is well on her way to becoming a first-rate captain in her own right. And she may soon find herself competing for crabs against the very man who trained her.