Seabrook, New Hampshire, Captain Relives Moment That Landed Her on ‘Wicked Tuna’

Men Posing With Fish

It's been an ongoing joke for years, and what some consider to be an instant turn-off -- men posing with a freshly caught fish in their online dating profile. However, while men posing with fish as their profile pictures can bring laughs and left-swipes, when women post in that same pose, it hits different.

Badass different.

NH Captain Michelle Bancewicz

Just over two years ago, Seabrook, New Hampshire, fisherwoman/captain/owner Michelle Bancewicz, went viral for a catch that, in her own words was, "a night that changed [her] life."

It certainly looked like a massive struggle, but Michelle hooked, reeled, and with a little help from a God/Goddess of the sea (or a wake caused by a nearby boat), hauled in a 600+ pound bluefin tuna onto the boat she captains and owns, the F/V No Limits, just off the coast of Hampton Beach.

Michelle Bancewicz on Wicked Tuna

After going viral for her massive catch (which just happened again after she was featured in a recent post to the Wasted page on Instagram, both showing her battle to get the giant tuna on her boat and also providing some facts about the actual battle involved in reeling a tuna in), Michelle caught the attention of producers and crew from the National Geographic show Wicked Tuna.

That attention led to Michelle and her first mate, Lea Pinaud, landing a spot on Season 12 of Wicked Tuna, that ran from February 2023 through June 2023, competing as the first-ever all-female run boat on the show.

Who Won Season 12 of Wicked Tuna?

So, did Michelle and Lea pull off the win for Season 12 by reeling in the most tuna and earning the most money? No spoilers here, but if you need to know the answer instead of streaming the show on Disney+, you can find out here.

And if you're interested in heading out on a tuna or haddock charter with Captain Michelle board the F/V No Limits for next season, you can find out more on the official website for the boat.