‘Swamp People’: Troy Landry & Son Jacob Raise Gator Catching Stakes With Bet

[Warning: The below contains spoilers for Swamp People.]

The dramatic drop in water levels on the bayou has created more challenges on Swamp People. During the January 21 episode of the History Channel series, our favorite gator hunters had to face them head on with a job to do and tags to fill. For Troy Landry, it was also about beating his son Jacob in a competition for who brings back the biggest catch at the end of the day. If Troy lost, he’d have to work as a cashier at the Duffy’s family store. Jacob would need to wash his dad’s truck if he didn’t win.  

Troy headed out with deckhand Cheyenne “Pickle” Wheat. They started out with some small gators in the boat, but not to defeat Jacob. Things got a little better after Pickle grabbed a line so Troy could nab a 9-footer. The low waters have made it harder for them to navigate. Pickle noticed another in the distance, which came in to be an 11-footer. They’d top out at that length for the day. Pickle felt motivated to win the bet for Troy because she didn’t want to be tasked with showing him how to use a register. They ended with a boatload of gators, but do they have the biggest one? 

Jacob got started with “Little Willie” Edwards. The duo’s first big catch of the day had some bite and put up a good fight. It was a 9-footer, but they knew it wouldn’t get the job done. Willie was concerned after hearing Troy take a shot in the distance. He felt the ace up their sleeve was the treble skills. Although one instance almost cost him a finger after a rope broke. Later in the day, they ran out of treble hooks and had to rely on their lines. Jacob discovered evidence his dad may have been messing with two of his lines. Troy denied the claim. Regardless, Jacob knew what he had to do. Jacob and Willie bagged an 11-footer as well. Back at Duffy’s, Jacob was revealed the winner of the biggest gator contest by about two inches. True to his word, Troy worked (or attempted to work) on the register in uniform. Jacob’s wife Lyndsi was debating if the bet was a good idea after all. He looked to have fun with it, but maybe Troy should keep his day job. 

Troy and Jacob Landry (History Channel)

Elsewhere, Bruce Mitchell and Anna Ribbeck were on a mission to help the local community. There was a gator in the waters preventing the kids from going swimming and making it unsafe. A group of locals flagged them down, since they had tags, to see if they could help. They thought it was a 10 to 12-footer. The two started the day with a 7-footer. It had bite marks and was missing legs, which led them to believe their gator was not too far. Bruce and Anna tangled with a feisty beast next, but the 9-footer wasn’t the gator they sought. This one was missing an arm. Anna discovered a line down. Was this the nuisance gator they were after? It was! The 12-footer was captured allowing those in the area to breathe a sigh of relief. 

Joey Edgar (History Channel)

Joey Edgar and daughter Kallie were also on the unpredictable bayou waters. Kallie’s shooting abilities were once again depended upon as they set up lines with the gators spread out. Just as she was setting up her rifle, Joe noticed the boat had caught fire! Gas in the exhaust caused problems with the motor. They were able to stop the fire. Joey made a phone call to his cousin for another boat as it was better safe than sorry. The delay of getting a new vessel put them behind, so Joey and Kallie had to kick it in high gear. Things turned around with an 8-footer, 10-footer, and 9-footer to finish their recent trek. 

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Joey’s dad Daniel and Zak Catchem got started with a dual objective. Daniel uses harvested gator eggs to make it through the off season. One nest could be worth more than $70. This could be sustainable if they maintain a healthy level of female gators. However, the male bull gators have come in due to the receding waters and go after females and destroy nests to eliminate rivals. Therefore, Daniel looked to go after the males without harming the females. Zak wasn’t too sure about this catch and release mission. “It was nice knowing you,” Zak said. He thought it was a potential death sentence having to determine the gender of the gator on the boat. Daniel was fearless as he grabbed the gator tail to see if a catch was female or male. Daniel’s treble hook would secure a male 12-footer. They ultimately cleared about half a dozen bulls. Thankfully, Daniel and Zak survived their endeavor. 

Swamp People, Wednesdays, 8/7c, History Channel