Why Deadliest Catch Star Elliot Neese Was Once Fined $3,000

Since 2005, fans have found themselves glued to the intriguing reality series "Deadliest Catch." The Discovery Channel show has 18 seasons under its net, and given the daring profession of its cast, it's easy to see why the series has captivated so many for so long. "Deadliest Catch" focuses on crews who engage in Alaskan crab fishing along the Bering Sea. As ships hunt for worthwhile catches of Alaskan king crab and snow crab in treacherous weather and waters, the show reveals a shocking look into just how dangerous that pursuit can become.

On the show, and especially off of it, the cast of "Deadliest Catch" has been caught up in some of the most controversial and just plain saddest moments. And this is particularly true for cast member Elliot Neese. Neese was on the series for five seasons but quickly made an impression due to the drama he caused on "Deadliest Catch" and some unfortunate turbulence behind the scenes. The former Captain Elliot appears to be doing better now, but beforehand, some of his low moments included addiction problems and illegal activities while at sea. Fans might think that, at the very least, Neese avoided legal troubles while performing his profession. However, one hopeful hunt for Neese resulted in a $3,000 fine.

According to KUCB News, in November of 2014, Neese was fined by Alaska Wildlife Troopers for catching undersized crabs. KUCB continued that among his overall haul that was checked by dockside samplers, 3.3% was found to either be undersized or female. When it comes to hunting for crabs, not only is it essential to hunt them during particular seasons, but states and provinces have specific regulations to follow.

Per the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, it's usually a standard rule to throw back undersized fish and crabs to help make sure the population isn't negatively affected. An undersized crab could mean that it isn't a mature adult yet. This wasn't the first time Neese was busted for bringing in undersized crabs. Another KUCB post noted that in 2011, several hundred pounds of Neese's catch was weighed as being undersized, and as a result, he received a citation. For the 2014 incident, Neese got a $3,000 fine reduced from $6,000 after he pleaded guilty (via TMZ).

The cast of "Deadliest Catch" are viewed as professionals at their job on the reality series. With that being said, even the pros sometimes make mistakes. Neese's fine for catching undersized crabs is proof of that, but he isn't the only one to land in hot water due to breaking crab-catching regulations. As KCUB News reported, in October of 2014, Peter Liske, who was on Season 1 of "The Deadliest Catch," was also busted for bringing in undersized crab in his haul. KCUB noted that Liske's total catch contained 2.7% illegal crab.

Per TMZ, in 2016, Sean Dwyer got in trouble with Alaska Wildlife officials because his crab pot was too small. Crab pots have to be a specific size to give crabs a chance to escape from them if the capturing device ever gets lost from the ship. It almost seems like a get-out-of-jail card, as if the prison somehow floated away from the warden by sea. Make no mistake, these particular crab-catching rules are important for the environment. Yet when diving into the untold truth of the "Deadliest Catch" and noting some of the cast's more notorious moments, breaking these crab rules seems like a tiny drop in a much deeper ocean of trouble.