Mattapoisett Captain Stars in Harpoon Hunters Discovery TV Show

Macallister has been fishing for over 40 years. He knows a thing or two about bluefin tuna fishing. Incredibly, with so much experience, this isn’t the first television show to feature him and his crew.

Macallister is the captain of the Cynthia C 2 out of Mattapoisett Harbor and has been fishing since he was 17 years old.

"I caught a bluefin on my very first fishing trip when I was 17," Macallister recalled.

The captain finds fishing the Atlantic so exhilarating that he compares it to crack. No one has ever accused him of being too politically correct.

Macallister was clearly a prodigy. His very first harpoon shot at a bluefin tuna landed a 500-pound catch worth roughly $2,500—not a bad day’s work, especially in the mid-1980s!

Is Harpoon Hunters True to Life?

We wondered if the show accurately represents what actually happens out on the water. Since Macallister and his crew lived it, was it true to life?

"It has its moments," he said. "I mean, it's a television show, so there are a lot of nuances to it."

One of Macallister’s first mates, Todd Espindola, admits he’s never worked a day in his life—because he loves bluefin hunting that much.

"I don’t care about the hours or how long it takes. I just love being out there," Espindola said, the exhilaration on the face hiding behind his grizzly beard.

Harpoon Fishing is Hunting

"Bluefin tuna fishing with a harpoon is truly hunting," said the Captain. "We’re on a tower in an elevated position, searching. We do use a spotter plane from time to time to assist us, but at the end of the day, it’s really about the crew running the boat and the guy on the front end deciding which fish to take."

One of the most important skills to have while bluefin tuna fishing is patience. "The three of us on the Cynthia C 2 are all deer hunters, so we’re used to being patient for hours in a tree stand, seeing absolutely nothing."

New episodes of Harpoon Hunters can be seen Fridays at 9 on the Discovery Channel.  Or you can stream Harpoon Hunters on Discovery +.