Wicked Tuna cast member Nicholas ‘Duffy’ Fudge dies

By Anthony Caruso III | Publisher

On Sunday night, Wicked Tuna appears on the National Geographic Channel. It is presently in the Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks season in North Carolina.

Nicholas “Duffy” Fudge was a first mate on Captain Tyler McLaughlin’s Pinwheel. He died this week.

There is no word on exactly how he died.

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“We join his family and friends in mourning his untimely loss,” Wicked Tuna tweeted on Sunday night.

Duffy and McLaughlin have been a team for the past several seasons of Wicked Tuna. In fact, Duffy came to McLaughlin aid on last season’s Wicked Tuna in Gloucester, Massachusetts.

On the June 24th, 2018 episode, the season finale from Gloucester, Mass., as McLaughlin was fishing with his girlfriend, he injured his finger. The episode before, McLaughlin waited on Fudge to come on the boat, as Duffy was a no-show, before leaving the dock.

The Pinwheel captain said that his finger fell off, but it looked like it was still hanging on, but just barely, as it showed on TV.

Duffy decided to mend fences with McLaughlin — after not showing up to fish — and helped McLaughlin win the Wicked Tuna Season 7 crown.

This was the second-time McLaughlin won with Pinwheel. He had earned $103,936 with 19 fish, surpassing Brad Krasowski’s $103,361 with his 18 fish on the Fish Hawk.

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McLaughlin also won in Season 2 when he received $100,861 with 16 fish. He defeated FV-Tuna.com’s Dave Carraro, who had $96,978 with his 14 fish.

Duffy will be on the rest of the episodes of Wicked Tuna: Outer Banks. McLaughlin will now have to find a new partner on the show, as he looks to defend his crown next season on the show when the show returns to Gloucester, Mass.

As a memorial for Duffy, we will be having a moment of silence on our Twitter during tonight’s episode. Rest In Peace. pic.twitter.com/CW1RIHTHrY

— Wicked Tuna (@WickedTuna) July 23, 2018

.@NatGeoChannel and @Pilgrim_Studios were saddened to learn that Wicked Tuna cast member Nicholas “Duffy” Fudge passed away this week. Duffy was the first mate on Captain Tyler McLaughlin’s fishing vessel, Pinwheel. We join his family and friends in mourning his untimely loss. pic.twitter.com/Cw8Q8JKQHn

— Wicked Tuna (@WickedTuna) July 23, 2018

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