‘Swamp People’: Porkchop & Leron Jones Are in Peril as Gator Hunt Goes Wrong

With water levels at record highs and the end of the season nearing, hunters are venturing into uncharted waters to finish big on Swamp People. One duo also goes on the hunt for a legendary gator during the April 1 episode of the hit History Channel series. Elsewhere in the Louisiana Bayou, a captain challenges his deckhand with a delicious proposition. Another pivots in strategy to some catches to bite.

Read on below to see how the boats did this week. 

There were three days left of the season at the point where Don Brewer and Calum Landry had 135 remaining tags to fill. Calum brought along some extra fire power for the occasion in the form of his trusty firearm. Don had a proposition for Calum in order to motivate him. He challenged him to a shooting contest for the most gators. The loser would have to buy the other dinner, and Don was craving shrimp. Even if Don lost, he felt this was a win-win scenario for the second-year captain. Calum missed the first shot, but Don made it on the board with a 10-footer. Don already looked forward to shrimp for supper. Calum would fire back with a nine-footer. After they stood tied at two apiece, Don pulled ahead with a seven-footer in the final hour of the day. Calum was a man of his word and went beyond buying food. He fixed his own pot of shrimp, a nice gesture to show his appreciation for Don’s mentorship. 

Don Brewer (History Channel)

Troy Landry was getting frustrated with the high waters, which made it harder to hunt for big gators. He powered through alongside Cheyenne “Pickle” Wheat, who kicked off the day with a seven-footer. Troy was growing more impatient and wanted some bigger catches. The veteran remembered a secluded honey hole area on Cypress Island that one normally doesn’t get to travel to on their vessel, but the water levels were higher than normal. Troy and Pickle set 20 lines in their new area. The hot spot proved fruitful out of the gate with an11-footer. Making things even harder within the environment is working through the greenery. Pickle ended up being impressed by the size of gators they caught in the area, further solidifying why Troy’s nickname was “King of the Swamp.” They ended the trip with an 11-footer. 

Troy Landry (History Channel)

Daniel Edgar and Zak Catchem were off to a slow start and worried they may not fill the last 56 tags. Whether it was empty hooks with uneaten chickens or “iguana-sized” gators, they were worried of not getting the job done. The two decided to hedge their bets by changing their bait. They turned to school of nearby fish nearby to lure the gators. Their fish buffet paid off as Daniel and Zak were able to turn things around. They bagged a 10-footer to end their day, but it wasn’t without a fight. Resilience and ingenuity made the difference in their eyes.  

Ronnie Adams and Timmy Aucoin focused on catching giants. They were chasing a hot tip from locals of a legendary gator nicknamed Sasquatch in the area. In actuality, the largest gator in Louisiana was a little over 19-footer from 1890. One rarely exceeded being a 14-footer, so this could be a record-breaking catch. Tommy wasn’t convinced that the Sasquatch existed, but Ronnie was determined to prove it to be true. The team set lines out on the swamp and started it off with an eight-footer. They came upon a dead gator likely killed by another gator due to the gashes and bites. The proof was in the pudding as far as Ronnie was concerned. The search rolled on, but there was the worry that maybe the focus on the one big gator may hurt their numbers. Ronnie was stressed toward the end of the day, but noticed bubbles in the distance. That led them to what would be an almost 14-footer that they identified as the one they were after. 

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'Swamp People': Don Brewer & Calum Landry Capture Giant Legendary Gator

Leron Jones and Anthony “Porkchop” Williams had about 50 tags to fill. Much like Troy, they also sought a honey hole not normally accessible easily under normal conditions. However, the high water made it possible. An eight-footer served as a nice sign the hot spot would produce. The two were on a roll with six gators in their boat, but Leron noticed something wasn’t right. He saw the vessel was kicking up mud as the water level was dropping. This was a wakeup call they were under the gun. There would be a point if Leron and Porkchop didn’t leave, they’d possibly be stuck and their gators would go bad costing them big money. The two felt the time crunch, but soldiered on and added another seven-footer. The motor does end up getting stuck, causing them to get out of the boat and get things going before the gators turned them into the hunted. Leron and Porkchop managed to get the heck out of there before their day took a turn for the worst. The high water honey hole was worth the risk in the end. 

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