On the last day of salmon fishing season Dino lands on a hotspot, but he must fend off desperate fishermen to keep it. Meanwhile, after an engine failure, Wes's day might be over before it begins. At the southern end of the fishing zone things get crowded for Taylor, and he must turn to his father for advice. And after a strong start, Gavin tears his net but refuses to give up.

Dino lets his crew sleep, but he finds himself in danger without a deckhand in sight. Taylor's patience is wearing thin as he pushes his crew even though they are visibly fatigued. Captain Wes has trouble finding the fish, and after getting corked, he decides to confront the culprits face to face. Gavin and Chris are exhausted from the long season and Gavin miscalculates the borders of the fishing zone.

The infamous tides wreak havoc. Taylor destroys his drive shaft in shallow waters. Wes allows his crew to sleep in, and the late start also finds him battling low tide. Sensible Captain Dino leaves port early to avoid the tides and his reward is a tremendous fishing day. Gavin is not so lucky when massive waves ravage his boat and he's delayed picking giant pieces of wood from his net.

It's the peak of salmon season. These are the days when a fisherman can unload $30,000 of salmon in a single day, so the competition can be fierce. Each captain makes the decision on where to drop their nets - some heed reports of the hot zone, while others defy the crowds. With an onslaught of fish, it's a race against time to pick them quickly and get the net back in the water before the fish leave the area.

It's the second day of fishing on Cook Inlet, and after getting a taste of the profits that can be earned on the first opening, the fishermen are looking to fill their boats with wild Alaskan salmon. Decisions are the mark of the day as the fishermen live and die by their judgment and intuition, and inner battles aren't their only woes on the water as they are also plagued by faulty gear.

As the season begins, some captains hit the fish hard, while others have a tough time even getting to the grounds. For the fishermen who are out, their experience or lack thereof is evident in their catches as the first day draws to a close. With one day down and many more hours of fishing ahead, each captain is happy to have gotten the season started, but they are still anxious for the big run.