The landmark 20th season of Deadliest Catch is here and that means the return of lots of familiar faces, including one of the show’s youngest stars, Sophia “Bob” Nielsen.
This aspiring captain – young, friendly, and playful in spirit – has captured the attention of both longstanding fans and newcomers to the franchise alike. And for good reason.
Read below to learn everything you need to know about Bob.
She joined Deadliest Catch last year as the youngest captain in the fleet
Nielsen joined the fishing season as last year’s Season 19 newcomer, coming in second to last place grossing $144,120 at 36,000 pounds of crab. (Comparatively, the top-earning ship of Season 19 netted over $1 million.) Nielsen was also notably the youngest captain in the fleet at 23 years old. She currently lives in Kodiak, Alaska.
She is a third-generation fisherman
Coming from a long line of fishermen, Nielsen admitted on Season 19 to feeling a sense of responsibility for her family’s legacy, particularly that of her father, from whom she inherited her boat, the F/V Victory. Nielsen revealed that her father died when she was too young to learn the art of fishing by his side. She admitted it was only after his passing that she finally got on a boat.
Both of her parents tragically died
Nielsen’s father, Gary Nielsen, reportedly died in 2013 due to heart issues. He left her and her brothers – Brett and Brandon – two fishing vessels. A few years later, her mother, Annette Donvito, also died for reasons unknown. Longtime Deadliest Catch captain Jake Anderson – who worked closely with Nielsen on Season 19 – also lost a parent at a young age and felt he could connect to the young captain-in-training on that front.
No one knows why she’s called Bob
The mystery remains as to how the young fisherman came to be called “Bob.” All we do know is that she is adamant about it, even saying in her Instagram bio, “Oh and please, call me Bob.”
Fans originally feared she wouldn’t return for Season 20
Nielsen has amassed quite the following since her debut on the fishing competition show. In 2023, she revealed that her contract was about to run out, explaining that the show was waiting to fix the damages to her fishing vessel after the season formally finished. To be fair, most fisherman contracts range between 30 and 90-day durations, but it still left fans uneasy, who expressed their desire to see her return for another season on the Deadliest Catch‘s various social media.
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Nielsen may have a lot to learn as a young captain-in-training but she has more than proven she has the chops to hold up as a worthy competitor this upcoming season. On her Instagram, she has posted snippets of her own adventures outside of the show – including holding a crocodile, driving around with her five dogs, and posing with the spoils of her “first goat hunt.” Just like the show, Nielsen’s lifestyle embodies the essence of “not for the faint of heart.” She is very much in the running and a fan-favorite of the upcoming season. Don’t count Bob out just yet!
