Troy Landry and Pickle Wheat Race the Clock to Fill 900 Tags in Season Finale | S15E16

Swamp People Season 15, Episode 16, titled “Legacy on the Line,” aired on April 25, 2024, and captures the last day of a challenging season shaped by cold weather. In the previous episode, hunters began noticing the effects of a cold front that pushed gators into hiding. By this episode, the cold has intensified, causing many alligators to stop feeding—a natural response in cold-blooded animals known as “lockjaw.”

To overcome these difficult conditions, each team adjusts their strategy. Troy Landry and Pickle Wheat focus on finding warmer, shallow areas and use a strong-smelling bait made from old catfish to get gators to bite.

Meanwhile, Ronnie Adams strengthens his partnership with Ashley Jones, while Jacob Landry and Don Brewer split up to work faster and cover more ground. Porkchop also steps up, revealing a hidden strategy to support Leron Jones in a final push to finish the season.

These developments build momentum for one of the episode’s most intensive hunts, as Troy Landry and Pickle Wheat work to fill the final remaining tags under mounting pressure.

900 Tags, One Last Day

As the final hunt begins, the conditions remain cold and challenging. Troy Landry and Pickle Wheat are up against both time and nature as they try to complete the remaining tags. To improve their chances, Troy uses his years of experience and shifts their operation from open river areas to shallow, sun-warmed water where gators are more likely to be moving.

“We gotta get off the river… move to stagnant water… four or five degrees warmer.” – Troy Landry

Even with this change in strategy, success isn’t guaranteed. As the day goes on and their bait lines come up empty, the pressure continues to build.

Desperate Times, Stinkier Measures

To tip the odds in their favor, Troy introduces a backup plan: a powerful bait made from rotted catfish stomachs, buried for up to two years. Nicknamed the “stink bait,” it’s a last-ditch effort to entice sluggish gators.

“The more it stinks, the more they like it.” – Troy Landry

Though it’s foul, it works. One by one, they start to pull gators into the boat—some with massive size, others offering just enough to inch closer to the goal.

Tag No. 900: A Perfect Ending

With only one tag left and one line remaining, Troy lets Pickle take the final shot. They land an 11-foot beast, a fitting close to their historic season.

“Nine-hundred, that’s what that is. This is the last tag of the year.” – Troy Landry

It marks the culmination of their most successful season yet. Despite the odds, every single tag is filled—proof of Troy’s leadership, Pickle’s growth, and the team’s grit.