The WORST episodes of Swamp People
Every episode of Swamp People ever, ranked from worst to best by thousands of votes from fans of the show. The worst episodes of Swamp People!
Deep in the heart of Louisiana lies America's largest swamp–a million miles of inhospitable bayous, marshes and wetlands where nature rules and humans struggle to tame it. Many of its inhabitants are the hardened descendants of French refugees who were forced out of Canada in the 18th century and settled in this harsh yet majestic environment. Today, these people are known as the Cajuns, a group renowned throughout the world for their flavorful cuisine, distinctive music and vibrant culture. Resilient, self-reliant and fiercely independent, the Cajuns of the Atchafalaya Swamp still carry on many of their ancestors' trades and traditions.
#1 - Crooked Jaw
Season 6 - Episode 10 - Aired 4/6/2015
One team hunts a legendary cursed monster that has been wreaking havoc on a local crawfisherman. A second team struggles to day after a series of injuries, while another hunter forgets his bullet clip and sprays his deckhand with shrapnel during a gator catch.
#2 - Cannibal Gator
Season 1 - Episode 4 - Aired 9/12/2010
Joe and Tommy come up against the notorious cannibal gator they call, Godzilla; Mike tries to pass down his vast swamp knowledge to his son T-Mike; Troy's lines are empty, putting his season in jeopardy.
#3 - Gates of Hell
Season 3 - Episode 10 - Aired 4/19/2012
It's the halfway point of the month-long alligator season, and it's time to rally. Boat traffic is spoiling one of Troy's go-to hunting grounds, so he and Clint decide to brave a treacherous swamp guarded by the legendary Gates of Hell. Over in Myrtle Grove, the high water levels that remain after the storm have given Joe and Tommy a rare opportunity. Today, the guys are headed to one of Joe's daddy's favorite honey holes, located in a flooded drainage ditch they haven't been able to access in years. In Houma, today is a very special day for R.J. Molinere...it's his 50th birthday. In keeping with family tradition, the boys set a lofty goal--to catch one gator for each of RJ's 50 years. Meanwhile, Willie and Randy are facing some serious pressure from their dad, master hunter Junior Edwards. Junior's tasked his boys with a quota of six gators...and if they don't fill it, Junior will stop running their boat.
#4 - Scorched
Season 3 - Episode 13 - Aired 5/10/2012
As the sun rises on day 18, it's already 96 degrees on the bayou. Every hunter knows the heat drives the gators into a feeding frenzy. But the scorching sun can spoil hides and meat once the gators are in the boat. Troy and Clint are targeting Lake Verret to make the most of the voracious gators. Junior Edwards is also expecting a huge day. Five years ago, in 105-degree heat, he had the best day of his career. Today, he's hoping to repeat past glory. Liz and Kristi are primed to fill the boat by midday, and Liz is on the verge of her best catch all season. But soon, things turn on a dime when the swamp throws Liz a curve she never saw coming. Across the swamp, veteran hunter Bruce, Ron and Tyler are looking to cash in on the heat wave by targeting a hunting ground called "Cypress Graveyard." It's part of local lore, and Bruce believes it will deliver, but getting there is difficult--it lies at the end of a maze of canals that can confuse even the most experienced swamper.
#5 - Forces of Nature
Season 1 - Episode 5 - Aired 9/19/2010
A cold spell is coming that could end the season early, putting the gator hunters in a race against time to beat the storm.
#6 - Blood Moon
Season 6 - Episode 11 - Aired 4/13/2015
With the final hours of the Bounty on the Bayou looming, two teams cross state lines in search of a prize-winning monster--hunting through the night in dangerous areas of Mississippi. A third team gets a second chance at success as the day comes to a close.
#7 - High Water Hell
Season 7 - Episode 1 - Aired 2/8/2016
As the season opens, the King of the Swamp, Troy Landry, finds himself going head-to-head with Mother Nature. The water in the basin is higher than it's ever been, pushing the monsters into inaccessible back ponds and woods. On top of that, a cold front has moved into Louisiana making conditions even worse. As he and his family brace for what could be their worse season ever, the King discovers more bad news; R.J. and Jay Paul have invaded his area, using their airboat to get to the gators that are out of his reach. Over in Hammond, Bruce Mitchell prepares to start his second season without his beloved hunting dog Tyler. His partner, Ron Methvin thinks he has a great surprise for Bruce, but when they meet up, the plan blows up and puts their partnership to the test. And, at the end of the first day of gator hunting, Troy makes an announcement that rattles his family to the bone.
#8 - Gator Gold Rush
Season 3 - Episode 1 - Aired 2/9/2012
It's day one of the thirty-day alligator-hunting season in Louisiana. This year prices are 30% higher, and with big bucks on the line, a Gator Gold rush is about to begin. Troy Landry has a plan to cash in; reuniting with 20-year partner Clint and running a second boat with son Jacob at the helm. With 430 tags, more than ever before, he's determined to retain his crown. Down in Pecan Island, Troy's helper from last year, Liz Cavalier, is running her own boat this season with 260 tags of her own. Joining her is helper Kristi Broussard, a born and bred Cajun woman who's eager to show what she's got. In Houma, two-time world arm wrestling champion R.J. Molinere and his son R.J. are back. This season he's taken on 500 tags, more than anyone else, with one goal in mind...to prove that he's the king of the swamp. Swamp legend Bruce Mitchell is gearing up with plans of his own. He's got a new secret weapon, former military sharpshooter Ron Methvin.
#9 - Gator Voodoo
Season 1 - Episode 8 - Aired 10/17/2010
With a week left in the season, the gators have mysteriously stopped biting; swampers fight back with their own tried-and-true tactics as well as some new territories.
#10 - Swamp Wars
Season 1 - Episode 7 - Aired 10/10/2010
As the the end of gator season approaches, Tommy and Joe have a poacher after their catch; Junior and Willie try different ways to earn cash.
#11 - Gator Lightning
Season 14 - Episode 11 - Aired 3/23/2023
A storm is headed for the swamp; Daniel faces the tempest head-on; Ronnie braves dangerous lightning; Ashley tries to outrun the rain while Leron and Porkchop wade right in; Bruce gambles on heading south away from the rains.
#12 - The Phantom
Season 6 - Episode 16 - Aired 5/18/2015
Swampers venture to remote untapped honey holes they have been keeping on reserve hoping that it will yield them some end of the season monsters. One team battles a dangerous territory called "The Pipeline". A second team tries to capture an infamous line popping gator called "The Phantom", while a third team ventures deep into a remote territory that is known for huge reptiles.
#13 - Family Feuds
Season 1 - Episode 6 - Aired 9/26/2010
Halfway through the alligator season stress is taking a toll on families throughout the swamp; Joe and Tommy fight, frustrating Troy; Howard McCrea tracks a deadly gator.
#14 - Divide to Conquer
Season 3 - Episode 3 - Aired 2/23/2012
Day three of the month-long alligator season in Louisiana finds the hunters working at a frantic pace to fill their tags. King of the Swamp, Troy Landry and Master hunter, Junior Edwards are following identical strategies; by putting their sons on a second boat with a specific mission: Catch Big Gators. It’s a mission the new captains won’t find easy to fulfill. Meanwhile, in Myrtle Grove, Joe LaFont and his stepson Tommy are back on the water. With more tags than ever this season, they’re on track to make big bucks until… Joe sustains a potentially season-ending injury. In Bayou Pigeon, newcomers Austyn and Blake are trying to earn their way into the alligator business a few tags at a time. With five tags in hand, they set out to prove to their buyer that they are the next generation of swamp legends.
#15 - Rising Sons
Season 2 - Episode 8 - Aired 5/19/2011
After being sidelined by an injury, sharpshooter Liz returns to Troy's boat. An older Creole gentleman has reported that a monster gator--nicknamed T-Rex--has killed a dog and is threatening locals. To catch him, Troy and Liz must board their own pirogue, a rickety wooden contraption ill prepared to handle a large gator. Will their pirogue handle the hunt? Bruce Mitchell has his hands full with his greenhorn helper Nick. After a ton of rookie mistakes on Nick's first day, Bruce puts Nick to the test and challenges Nick to show him what he's learned. This season, Willie is captaining his own boat--as long as he keeps filling Junior's tags. When Willie reaches his first line he realizes he's brought along the oldest shotgun in the arsenal. Willie must find a way to bag gators and fill his tags before Junior ends his days as captain. Terral Evans has the day off and sets out to catch catfish by catfish noodling--jumping into the swamp and grabbing the fish with his bare hands.
#16 - Texas Hold 'Em
Season 4 - Episode 2 - Aired 2/21/2013
To win a high stakes bet against two hunters from Texas, Troy must get his sons to step up and help him bring in the biggest gator. Two of his boys head into a remote area and snag a monster with a treble hook only to be dragged around the swamp by the massive gator. Meanwhile, when one hunter's gun runs out of bullets, his partner turns to a tiny pocket knife to try and bring down a massive live gator before it attacks the boat.
#17 - Of Gods & Otters
Season 6 - Episode 19 - Aired 7/6/2015
One team burns a sage to try and help them end their bad luck whilst another looks for inspiration in a church.
#18 - Bounty or Bust
Season 6 - Episode 12 - Aired 4/20/2015
The $10,000 bounty deadline has arrived. One swamper returns from an injury in an attempt to win the bounty on the last day. Another hunter ventures to an area he has been saving all season while another team is in a mad dash to get their gator across state lines before the bounty deadline.
#19 - Boom or Bust
Season 15 - Episode 14 - Aired 4/11/2024
As pressure mounts in the swamp, Troy and Pickle risk their lives in the oil fields; Joey and Zak attempt to knock Mr. Daniel off his throne, but the Edgar Patriarch refuses to go down without a fight.
#20 - Endgame
Season 3 - Episode 22 - Aired 7/12/2012
Troy hopes to make a statement by catching an enormous gator; R.J. and Jay attempt to set a tagging record; and dead fish cause trouble for Liz and Kristi.
#21 - Shooting Wild
Season 2 - Episode 3 - Aired 4/14/2011
With new challengers on the swamp, the race to catch the biggest gators quickly has never been tougher. But more speed means more danger. Legendary Cajun Troy Landry, and his son Jacob, are struggling. Without their old sharpshooter Clint, the gator count is beginning to lag, and the boys are growing more and more frustrated. New challengers, R.J. and J. Paul, continue to blaze a trail, making their mark as prolific hunters--and threatening to steal Troy's crown. R.J. decides to move the hunt three hours away to an old honey hole. To get there--across rough terrain in remote corners of the swamp--they'll use a secret weapon: an airboat. Veteran solo hunter Bruce Mitchell is back on the swamp. As he sets out, Bruce is joined, as always, by his dog Tyler. Junior Edwards and his crew are moving at a reckless pace. They're speeding along the bayou faster than ever. But when you're moving fast...a lot can go wrong.
#22 - Swamp Of The Giants
Season 14 - Episode 4 - Aired 1/26/2023
Ashley and Anna try to knock Troy off his throne in his own backyard. Daniel's strategy falls to pieces. Leron and Porkchop call in reinforcements. Troy and Pickle risk their lives to hunt in Deadwood.
#23 - Two Captains, One Family
Season 2 - Episode 14 - Aired 7/7/2011
After starting the season with more tags than anyone, Troy's ahead of the game, and on pace to tag out by season's end. But as Troy's crew approaches today's hot spot, things don't look promising. The landscape has changed drastically and water lilies are now clogging the entire area. Across the bayou, Joe's hunting with his new helper, and so far, the team is working well. Timmy is a pistol marksman, and his work ethic is steadily impressing Joe. Only a few miles away, Tommy is again captaining his own boat, trying to fill Joe's tags and prove he's an elite hunter. Today Tommy is intent to get down to business. But soon, engine troubles threaten to derail the day and Tommy's tenure as captain could be in jeopardy. Deep in the swamp, Glenn and Mitchell have a little time on their hands. For these brothers, that means one thing--they're ready to hunt. They're intent to cook up their Dad's Famous Squirrel and Dumplings, so they'll need to bag a mess for their pot.
#24 - Gator Boo-Fay
Season 6 - Episode 17 - Aired 6/22/2015
Swampers have the rare opportunity to tag out early. One team baits their lines with a gator bait recipe called "Surf and Turf". A second team is forced to hunt their last tags of the season on an ATV. While another team finds themselves hindered by an unknown intruder who is hanging lines in their territory.
#25 - The Three Kings
Season 6 - Episode 15 - Aired 5/11/2015
Swampers find their communities under attack from rogue predators. One team heads deep into the woods to capture a gator that has overtaken a local fishing hole. A second team goes after a gator that is terrorizing a camp, while a third team takes on the daunting task of hunting three different swamps for three monster gators.