All Hands-On Deck: New Discovery Channel Series “All on the Line” Premieres May 22 [VIDEO]

It’s late in the Atlantic Bluefin Tuna season. In the iconic fishing town of Gloucester, Massachusetts, many boats are done for the season. But there are two crews still fighting to land monster tuna and keep their family businesses going through the winter. As the weather worsens, the fish get bigger and the stakes get higher. These monster tuna can weigh more than 1,000 pounds and are reeled in the old fashion way – by hand – making it the ultimate battle of man versus beast. In an all-new Discovery Channel series, ALL ON THE LINE, it’s all hands-on deck as these fishermen risk everything to bring home a monster payday.

ALL ON THE LINE premieres Friday, May 22 at 9PM ET/PT on Discovery Channel. In addition to watching the series on Discovery, viewers can watch ALL ON THE LINE by downloading the Discovery GO app. Fans can join the conversation on social media with the hashtag #AllOnTheLine. Follow Discovery on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for the latest updates.

The North Atlantic Bluefin Tuna is considered one of the most valuable fish in the world. Due to a limited supply globally, prices can reach as high as a whopping $20K for a single catch. This also means a tight quota to avoid overfishing and encourage sustainability, something that can be reached any moment and send fishermen home empty-handed. To win big, fishermen must reel in the biggest tuna as fast as possible. But there’s a catch: each boat is allowed one catch per day and must reel them in by hand, resulting in a backbreaking battle that can last for hours. With the livelihood of their families on the line and generations of tradition behind them, these families of fishermen will rely on each other and work together towards a shared goal.

Following two fishing boats, the ‘Julia Nicole’ and the ‘Subdivider,’ ALL ON THE LINE spotlights the special dynamic between these two groups and their unique ability to band together in an industry that otherwise demands fierce, sometimes cutthroat, competition.

On the ‘Subdivider,’ legendary and larger-than-life fisherman, Johnny Johnson, has assembled a tight-knit crew in his hunt for record tuna. Johnson joined the Grateful Dead roadcrew in the early 80s and toured the world before ending up in Hawaii where he discovered yellowfin tuna fishing. Chasing the biggest and best is in his blood as his Dad holds the world record for the biggest catfish, which drives him to excel in his chosen field. More mythical force of nature than man, Johnson has his sights set on catching the biggest bluefin tuna the world has ever seen. “One day I’m going to get a world record of my own by catching a fifteen hundred pounder. It’s out there somewhere, and it’s got my name on it.” After chasing the biggest tuna around the world, Johnson has earned a reputation for wanting to help others along the way in order to preserve this unique community and way of life.

At the helm of the ‘Julia Nicole’ is a multigenerational family business – grandfather, father and son. With Dan Smith Sr. taking a backseat to focus on other businesses, he looks to his 18-year old son, Danny Jr., a hockey jock at high school who wants to be “the best fisherman in the world.” While Danny Jr. is eager to prove his worth, if he fails, it’s game over for the three generations of fishermen on the ‘Julia Nicole.’

And while both crews of families acknowledge the risk – from dangerous and unpredictable weather to money wasted once quotas are hit – they’re devoted to their way of life and they wouldn’t trade it for the world. They’re ready to risk it all to bring home a fortune.

ALL ON THE LINE is produced for Discovery by Raw TV. For Raw TV, Dimitri Doganis and James Bates are executive producers and Chris Lent is Showrunner. For Discovery, Carter Figueroa is executive producer and Paola Espinosa is associate producer.