[MUSIC PLAYING]
NARRATOR: It's Day 15, the midway point
of alligator season.
And solo hunter Willie Edwards is in trouble.
With gator prices the lowest in a decade,
halfway through the season, Willie
has yet to turn a profit.
So today he's heading to a spot called
Billy's Lake, where he's caught big monsters in the past.
--you ain't a man.
And I'm a full-blooded man.
I mean, I'm going to provide for my family no matter what.
Looks like we've got one down here.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Oh!
Hold on.
Oh, no, no, no.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
[GUN SHOT]
Atchafalaya River has been known for some big, old alligators.
But seven foot--
I don't think that's even gonna pay for the gas.
Got one right here.
Don't know how big you are.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Oh.
[GRUNTING]
NARRATOR: Willie's travel lands on top of the beast,
and snags it once again.
Come on, boy.
Oh.
Get out of there.
[GUN SHOT]
NARRATOR: At only 6 and 1/2 feet,
it's not the colossus he was hoping for.
Up here at Billy's Little Lake,
we usually got monsters here.
I mean, I don't know what's going on.
We're just trying to catch some alligators,
and it ain't paying off back here.
He's a big one.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
NARRATOR: Willie revs his engine in an attempt
to rouse the monster from his hiding spot.
Come on, big boy.
You have a alligator, he either gets off the hook
or he takes it off himself.
You got to keep your eyes on where the bubble
go when he do leave you.
If you can't find the bubbles again, he is gone.
Sometimes you don't catch him.
It'll be a year or two down the line before you do catch him.
Gets you aggravated.
I mean, you chase him down, trying to get a hook on him.
And I mean, he just gets away like that.
It's unbelievable.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
I mean, that was a big disappointment.
Just gotta get back on track.
See what we got here.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
Oh, yeah.
He got something on him.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
7 or 8-foot alligator.
[MUSIC PLAYING]
[GUN SHOT]
[MUSIC PLAYING]
I mean, that's 7, 8-foot.
Have yet to see the 13-footer.
Every day I don't catch eight or 10 alligators,
I mean, that's the next day I've got to catch double
the amount of alligators.
And it's not looking good.
NARRATOR: With only 15 days left in the season,
Willie's luck needs to change soon if he's
ever going to turn a profit.