Frog legs are one of nature’s delicacies. Contrary to some reports, they don’t taste like chicken, they taste like frog. The white meat is sweet and juicy, and they’re great dipped in melted butter. I know they’re not to everyone’s taste, but I look forward to fresh, well-cooked frog meat more than any steak ever put in front of me. Now is the time of year for mass frog collection in the lakes and ponds of the Midwest.
Rules vary from state to state, but in most cases there are several ways to capture frogs: with a gig or spear with a tip no wider than 3 inches and a single row of teeth, a bow and arrow, a club, your bare hands, a fishing pole, or a hand line. If you want to shoot a frog with a firearm, you can do so with an air rifle or a .22-caliber gun loaded with shotgun shells. You usually need a hunting license to shoot frogs.
Out frog fishing with my cousin Derek, we circled the shore of a small mossy pond. About 50 yards from where we thought there was a bullfrog, we turned on our 5-million-candela spotlight. After several quick scans back and forth across a small stretch of cattails, we saw two glowing eyes, looking like white marbles poking out of the water. Derek reduced power to the trolling motor, and we slowly approached the frog.
With a spotlight in my left hand and a gig in my right, I steadied myself for the jab. I shone a bright light in the frog’s eyes and it stopped moving. I attached the gig to a 12-foot handle and stuck it at the target, taking aim. I lowered the light, pulled the giant frog off the prong and tossed it in a cage. We switched places and did this over and over again. When we pulled it out of the water at 2 a.m. there were 17 giant bullfrogs! It was a good haul that night. We used a small jon boat, gigs and spotlights.
Once back at my house, it took me 20 minutes to clean the frog. I washed and rinsed its 17 pairs of legs, then placed them in a bowl of salted water to soak overnight. The next afternoon, I removed the legs and patted them dry. Then I dipped them in beaten egg and tossed them with seasonings. I fried them in peanut oil at 350 degrees in a cast iron skillet. They sizzled for 10 minutes and were perfect.
There are few opportunities to learn about frog fishing from an expert, and I don’t know of any well-equipped frog fishing operations, but the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) offers frog fishing classes for youth.
Kids ages 5-15 can try their hand at frog hunting at the Blind Pony Hatchery Preserve on Friday, July 26th from 8pm to 11pm. Participants will actually hunt frogs around the hatchery ponds, and the frog legs will be cooked and shared so everyone can get a taste of this amazing dish.
Frog fishing equipment will be provided at the event, but participants must bring their own flashlight. Register at http://short.mdc.mo.gov/4LH . For more information, contact Chase Wright at 660-641-3345 or via email. [email protected]No permits are required for participants in this event. The Blind Pony Fish Hatchery is located at 16285 Blind Pony Hatchery Drive. From Sweet Springs on I-70, go north on Highway 127 for one mile, then go east on Route ZZ for 6.5 miles.
If you travel to fish or hunt, why not travel for a gig? Frog fishing is an adventure and like all other outdoor activities, traveling to participate is often a means to enjoyment. Frog fishing is a fun way to get kids into the outdoors and compliments other outdoor activities. Travel to a lake or pond. Set up a nice camp. Fish during the day and frog fish at night. Sounds like a great weekend for me.
In Missouri, frog hunting season runs from June 30 to October 31. The daily limit is eight bullfrogs or green tree frogs and the possession limit is 16 frogs.
See you down the road…
