Frog legs are one of nature’s delicacies. Contrary to some reports, they don’t taste like chicken; they taste like frogs. The white meat is sweet and succulent. They’re especially good when dipped in drawn butter. I suppose they’re not for everyone, but I look forward to a mess of fresh, well-cooked frogs as much as any steak you could put in front of me.
Now is the time of year to collect a mess of frogs on lakes and ponds throughout the Midwest.
There are different rules in different states, but for the most part you can take frogs a few different ways — a gig or spear that has a head not more than three inches in width and a single row of tines, a bow and arrow, a club, your bare hands, a fishing pole or a hand line. If you want to use a firearm to shoot frogs, you can shoot them with air rifles or a .22-caliber loaded with bird shot. Usually, you must have a hunting license to shoot them.
On a frog gigging adventure with my cousin Derek, we made the rounds along the shoreline of a small moss-covered pond. About 50 yards from where we expected the bullfrogs to be, I fired up the 5 million candlepower spotlight. A couple of quick back-and-forth scans across a small stretch of cattails revealed two glowing eyes. They look like white marbles sticking out just above the water. Derek killed the power down on the trolling motor and we ever so slowly approached the frog.
With the spotlight in my left hand and a gig in my right, I steadied my feet for the jab. Shining the bright light in the frog’s eyes keeps him statue still. I thrusted the gig on a 12-foot handle at the target and found my mark. I set down the light and pulled the big frog off the prongs and tossed him in a basket. We switched spots and repeated the process over and over. When we pulled out of the water at 2 a.m., we had 17 jumbo bullfrogs. It was a good haul for the night. We used a small jon boat, gig, and spotlight.
When we got back to my place, it took 20 minutes to clean the frogs. We washed and rinsed the 17 sets of legs, then placed them in a bowl of salt water to brine overnight. The next afternoon, I pulled the legs out and patted them dry. Then, I dipped them in beaten eggs and tossed them in seasoning. They hit the peanut oil in a cast iron frying pan at 350 degrees. They sizzled for 10 minutes and turned out perfect.
There are not a lot of opportunities to learn from professionals when it comes to frog gigging. I don’t know of any outfitted frog gigging operations, either. The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC), however, is offering a frog gigging class for youth.
Kids from 5 to 15 are invited to experience frog gigging at Blind Pony Hatchery Conservation Area on Friday, July 26 from 8 to 11 p.m. Participants will actually go gigging around the hatchery ponds. Frog legs will be cooked and shared so everyone can taste this surprising excellent tableware.
Frogging equipment for this event will be provided, but participants are asked to bring a flashlight. Register at http://short.mdc.mo.gov/4LH. For more information, contact Chase Wright at 660-641-3345 or by email at [email protected]. Participants for this event will not need a permit. Blind Pony Fish Hatchery is located at 16285 Blind Pony Hatchery Drive. From Sweet Springs at I-70, go north one mile on Highway 127, then east 6.5 miles on Route ZZ.
If you travel to fish or travel to hunt, why not travel to gig? Frog gigging is an adventure, and like all other outdoor opportunities, traveling to take part is often a means of enjoyment. Frog gigging is a fun way to hook kids on the outdoors, and it complements other outdoor opportunities. Travel to a lake or pond and set up a nice camp. Fish by day and gig frogs by night. Sounds like a great weekend to me.
In Missouri, the frog season is open from June 30 through Oct. 31. The daily limit is eight bullfrogs or green frogs. The possession limit is 16.
See you down the trail …
Brandon Butler writes a weekly outdoors column for the Daily Journal. For more Driftwood Outdoors, check out the podcast on www.driftwoodoutdoors.com or anywhere podcasts are streamed. Send comments to [email protected].