An adult male raised in rural east Texas or along the Gulf Coast might remember it as one of those boyish rituals of summer, a childhood memory associated with staying out late at night and traipsing barefoot through marshes, sloughs or creek bottoms with a stick and tow sack in hand, all-the-time hoping the muted glow of a handheld flashlight would luminate a pair of golden eyes set an inch or so apart.

The idea of toting the stick was two-fold. It’s primary purpose was to whack the golden-eyed quarry over the head and jar it into relative submission. But rest assured, a stout piece of oak or hickory also worked wonders when fending off a curious ol’ cottonmouth lured to the scene by all the commotion.

The tow sack was for carrying a passel of the addled critters home, where their rear legs would be cut off and skinned, rolled in a homemade batter, thrown in a hot skillet and fried into one of the best midnight snacks a country boy could ask for. While kids and their interests have changed considerably over the last 30 years or so, the sport of “frogging” has pretty much remained the same. Afterall, a bullfrog is still a bullfrog, monotone voice and all.

Frogging, otherwise called frog gigging, is the age-old practice of hunting bullfrogs down at night and harvesting them for tablefare. The rear legs of the web-footed amphibians are considered a delicacy by just about anyone who has eaten them, a fact clearly reflected by the healthy pricetag placed upon them at seafood restaurants all over the country.

While whacking bullfrogs over the head with a stick would still work today, the poor boy tactic is not utilized near as much as some of the more conventional gigging methods. Frog gigs are definitely more sophisticated than a stick. Plus, they will help make a novice frogger much more proficient at the game.

Many savvy froggers are sold on the idea of pinning them to the ground with a fork-type gig. The sharp prongs are attached to a 5-10 foot pole, which enables the frogger to reach out and stick the frog from a distance. Others prefer a spring-operated gig, which is activated when it touches the frog’s torso. Like the prong gig, the spring-operated model is attached to a pole. But there is a major league difference in the two. A spring-loaded gig doesn’t mortally wound the frog. Instead, it merely grabs the frog around the belly and allows for its release should the outing not produce enough froglegs for a meal.

Another catch and release method involves using a hand-held fish net. The trick here is place the net directly in front of the frog and keep it there. As the net moves closer, the frog will often grow wary and jump into the web. And then we have the real froggers, the old timers who vow they can slip up on a dazed bullfrog and snatch it up with a swipe of the hand before it can jump to safety. Alas, the hand must certainly be faster than the eye.

Whether you use a gig, net or bare hand, it is critical that you get close. The ticket here is to blind the frog by keeping an intense beam of light in its eyes. They can’t see where to jump with the light in their eyes. It guess it sort of puts them in a daze. They’ll normally stay put as long as you keep the light in their eyes and don’t disturb the water.

While a hand-held flashlight will suffice, a 300,000 candlepower Q-beam spotlight is perfect for spotting the squatty creatures in the night. When hunting alone or on foot, some froggers prefer using a head-mounted light similar to those used by coon hunters. The light is powered by a store-bought battery pack, which is usually strapped around the waist.

As one might expect, successful frogging is a byproduct of being in good frog country. That’s generally not a problem in southern states. But you’ll have to look to find them. Just about any body of water ranging from the Texas Panhandle to the shallow marshes along the East Coast will be apt to hold a huntable bullfrog population. Public reservoirs, running creeks, river systems and oxbow lakes are all excellent places to hunt bullfrogs. Old, clear-water stockponds can be good, too. This holds especially true of those larger, private ponds that maintain a fairly constant water level and contain some sort of aquatic vegetation.

Given the choice, I prefer frogging in rivers as opposed to reservoirs, because the frogs are usually easier to access and catch. The rivers around east Texas are really the best places to hunt, because the frogs don’t have so much grassy cover to hide in like they do in some lakes. Sometimes they get so far back in that cover that you’ve practically got to get out and wade to get to them. But often, they’ll spook due to the water movement you make when wading to them.

“On rivers they’ll normally just be sitting along the bank or up under the brush and you can get to them pretty easy. About the only thing you’ve got to worry about when getting in the brush is having a water moccasin fall in the boat with you. Lot’s of times, they’ll coil up on a limb to spend the night. Don’t be mislead, here. Brackish rivers aren’t the only places where the frogger runs the risk of coming nose to nose with one of the big, black snakes.

Somethings You Will Need

• Some states require a fishing license for frog gigging.
• A flatbottom boat is a must when frogging on public reservoirs and rivers. Some froggers use air boats or wade when hunting coastal marshes.
• A high wattage flashlight will do the trick, but a powerful Q-Beam spotlight works best for spotting frogs from a boat. When hunting afoot, some froggers use a head-mounted light so they can keep one or both hands free for action.
• Unless you intend to catch the frogs by hand, some sort of gig or a standard dip net will be needed.
• A dampened burlap bag or tow sack works well for holding captured frogs.

Where They Live

Bullfrogs inhabit freshwater reservoirs, rivers and stockponds all over the state, with a primary deterrent being unstable water conditions. Rivers sometimes harbor better populations. Plus, the frogs are usually easier to get to. Lake-dwelling frogs tend to mill about in small nooks and coves, usually around logs, lily pads and other types of aquatic vegetation.