Frog gigging is an extremely fun way to enjoy the outdoors during summer, while avoiding the sunburns, and heat. The equipment needed to frog gig is quite basic, you need a frog gig on a pole, and a head lamp. There are additional other things that may help, but these are the bare minimum to get some frogs.
A frog gig is essentially a small spear with 3 to 5 prongs on it, and these can be bought at local bait shops, or even Wal-Mart. You then attach this gig, however you can, to a straight pole anywhere from 6 to 12 feet in length. I use a 4 prong gig that is Gorilla Glued, and Duct taped to a 7 foot bamboo stalk. A headlamp can be purchased at a number of stores such as Home Depot, Lowes, Wal-Mart, or Target. You want a headlamp that holds firm on your head and gives a good bright beam of light. I tried using an LED headlamp, but found that the light was too widespread, and not enough of a solid beam. When choosing consider the batteries require, AAA cost more than AA and they typically aren’t as bright. My headlamp is a basic bulb, powered by 4 AA batteries, a single strap around my head.
Now that you have the gear required, you must find a pond or lake that you can wade around the edge of, and head out there after dark. While wading, you must constantly scan the shore, lilly pads, and any other objects in the shallows. Seeing the frogs is difficult when you first start out, you need to look for 2 little eyes reflecting back at you, or the white of their under body and throat. Once you find a frog, you move slowly towards it, keeping your headlamp shining in its eyes. Hold the gig about 4 to 12 inches from the frog, then in one swift motion push the gig through the frog. If it is shallow, hold the gig in the ground and slide your hand down to grab the frog, if it is too deep to pin the frog to the ground, then swing the gig, using gravity to help hold the frog on. Once you have the frog, cut their head or neck to kill them, and then toss them in a cooler or sack.
While you’re out there, its important to keep a lookout for snakes, and gators. You can reduce the risk of these, you can go out in a boat, which can make it easier access some places. When gigging out of a boat, the same basics apply, just be careful not to tip the boat.
After you are done gigging, take a pair of shears and cut off the back legs, and pull the skin off. Now you have frog legs ready to fry and enjoy. It is important to check your local laws before heading out. In Florida, there are no licenses required and the limit is a 5 gallon bucket per person. So head out to a pond tonight, and try frog gigging, you’ll have a blast.
