Things take a horrible turn for Swamp People‘s Ronnie & Ashley after the pair find a banana onboard – a bad omen for any water-bound vessel.
If Swamp People has taught History fans one thing, it’s how unforgiving Louisiana can be. Biloxie Marsh is no exception. Through the course of Season 11, Episode 5, “Bad Banana,” Ronnie and Ashley run into hang-up after frustrating hang-up. In the middle of it all, their boat becomes stuck for over an hour in the middle of the marsh as the sun beats down on them.
“They closed the locks on us and we’re stuck!” Ronnie tells the Swamp People crew. Biloxie Marsh features a lock system that controls the water levels alongside low and high tide. And it can make navigating the shallow waters incredibly difficult – even deadly.
He and Ashley finally get themselves free from the muddy shallows only to have their “bad omen” bring further bad luck, however. The omen? A banana.
Ronnie’s day takes a turn for the worse when Ashley discovers a bad omen on board. Young hunters Brock and Aaron gamble on a new hunting area. See more in Season 11, Episode 5, “Bad Banana.”
HISTORY
If you grew up in a maritime locale, chances are you know how superstitious any boating crew will be of the fruit. The legend of the “bad luck banana” stretches as far back as the 1700s, even, as hundreds of ill-fated ships were lost on the way to the Americas with bananas on board.
“I’m thinking the only thing going wrong right now is having that damn banana on the boat,” Ronnie exclaims. He’s unhappy, and he should be. The Swamp People hunter has a huge hunk of wire tangled into his engine propeller – right after getting unstuck from the marshy mud. It’s then that Ashley decides to take matters into her own hands.
‘Swamp People’s Ashley Takes Her Bad Omen Personally
Looking to right the wrong, Ashley tosses the banana into the swamp and loads her rifle. She shoots the fruit for good measure, hoping all their bad luck “dies right there in the swamp with it.” It’s a bit much. But after the day they’ve had, who wouldn’t do the same? Stranger things have happened on Swamp People, after all.
And it works, too. After ridding themselves of the bad omen, Ronnie & Ashley make their way to a line they re-baited just two hours prior to find a monster gator on the other end.
Ronnie repositions his boat as Ashely takes aim with the rifle. She’s excited, and it’s impairing their hunt. But Ronnie’s not worried. His only focus is bagging this gator after all the horrible luck they’ve had.
With a perfect shot, Ashley makes the kill, and the duo discover that this gator is the same one who broke one of their lines earlier in the day.
“If I’d had a bottle of champagne, I probably woulda downed it,” Ronnie smiles.
Now there’s a Swamp People victory if there ever was one.
