I love to go frog gigging, and I like to eat frog legs. So It seems that a gig would be a good addition to my kit. Heres the problem, all the commercial gigs are to big and bulky to go into a small kit because of the tapered socket where the handle attaches. So I have designed and am going to make a flat 3 prong gig, you will have to cut a notch in the handle and lash it in place, It is going to have 2 holes at the top of the tang and the tang itself is going to flare like a flint arrowhead so it will be easier to lash to a shaft. When I get it made I will post how it works, in a survival situation it would be good for fish and small game as well. Anyway just an idea I'll see if it works. Chris

Chris,

I have never gone gigging ( I do like frogs legs), but you may want to consider the option of making a spear with a cross split end giving you 4 tines (admittedly with no barbs, but you could add some I guess). All you need is a knife, cord and couple of stick wedges. That way you don't have to worry about carrying the extra gig.

Since you have more experience in this area, how would you prepare a frog for eating in the field, i.e., dressing and cooking?

Thanks!

Greg

http://www.aircav.com/survival/asch08/asch08p12.html

from FM 21-76 online:

http://www.aircav.com/survival/asurtoc.html

Greg and Bill,
I have tried a number of field expedient frog catching methods and what works best is either, about 3 feet of heavy test line on a long pole and a baited hook, or fly, dangled in front of his nose, or a good stout club. Non field expedient methods, the best is a scoped 22 rifle, and second is a quality gig. I have already started making the gig I want and it is turning out fine it will be a frog catching machine.


Now on frog preperation in a non survival situation, cut off the legs, just cut where they join the body and remove at the joint. Skin the legs, the skin is loose and fairly easy to remove, I have a buddy that does it with his teeth. Cut the feet off and you have a leg ready for the frying pan. Take the legs and drop them in a bag with corn meal, a little flour, salt and pepper and shake around. Then drop them in a a hot skillet of bacon grease or butter until brown and crispy. Serve with ice cold beer, hushpuppies and grits, a finer meal can't be had.

Survival mode I would skin the whole frog gut like a fish and cook it with whatever way I could, stick over a fire maybe, but I am sure I would eat the whole frog not just the legs.

A word of caution frogs are like any other seafood, it does not keep well and must be consumed quick or it will go bad. Also only eat smooth skinned frogs and never any with bumps/warts, or brightly colored, they could be poison. Hope I helped out, if you are ever in AZ and want to go froggin look me up. Chris

Not really gigging, but we used to catch frogs for bait via the pole & line method mentioned, but with a particular "bait". We would take about 6 feet of 4 lb or other very light monofilament tied to a pole. At the business end we'd put about a size 8 or 10 straight-shank fishhook baited with a piece of red cellophane strip from a cigarette pack. The cellophane strip was about an inch long. Don't want to make it too big lest the frog miss the hook when it goes for the bait.

To catch the frog we'd just dangle the piece of cellophane a couple inches in front of the frog's nose and either jig it lightly or wave it around gently. The frog would eventually go for the baited hook, even jumping to get to it if needed.

I understand that you can also use a small (3/4" - 1" long) triangular piece of red flannel as the bait instead of the cellophane strip. Not sure what it is about the red color to the frog's mind, but they sure went for it. We didn't even have to be careful about hiding or covering the hook. We'd just hook the cellophane strip onto the bend of the hook, wave it around a bit in front of Ol' Froggy's nose a bit, and haul him in when he jumped & grabbed the bait.

Sheet spring steel should work well for your homemade frog gig, but it is a bear to cut and sharpen.

You can use softer steel and galavinized plate, but it is more likely to deform if you have to pin the fish or frog to a rock as you stab it. On the plus side, it is cheap, easily worked, and easily sharpened.

Bountyhunter

A frog gig sounds great. Not having done it before, I wonder if you could make a good gig out of large fishhooks that you would bend straight, then tie to a pole. Do you think that would work? If so, what is a good size hook to use? I'm thinking 2 or 3 in a PSK would be small but useful addition.

Thanks,
Steve

Sounds like a good idea to me but I admittedly have no experience gigging frogs (so far). <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Steve:

I think Ranger Rick recommends (3) nails lashed to a pole.

The barbs on a fish hook may not be splayed enough to keep them from slipping off the hooks.

I think the idea with nails is to spear and pin the frogs down so that you can bend over and pick them up.

As long as the water is not too deep, or the frogs too far off shore, a sling shot would be great for stunning them.

Bountyhunter

Take some mild steel rod, maybe 1/4 inch diameter by 8 inches long, hammer a flat on one end and use a cold chisel to cut to a spear point. Bend the first 1/2 inch of the other end so the rod is now an "L" shape. Drill a socket for this in the side of your improvised spear handle and insert the "L" into the hole before lashing. Three of these and you're good to go. A lighter tine could be made from brazing rod.