It Is Froggin’ Time!

Our Nebraska bullfrog season has been open for over two weeks now and I have not said anything about it.  I do not need to!  Check out Mark Davis’ article that ran in the Omaha World-Herald last weekend, Summer Evenings Around Ponds Make for Perfect Time to Grab Large Bullfrogs.  Mark is an excellent photographer and got some great shots to go with that story, make sure you check them out.

Mark went frogging with a couple of experts who prefer to shine lights and grab the frogs after dark.  I have caught bullfrogs that way, and it is a lot of fun.  Was embarrassed by a co-worker’s young son once who took his turn in the front of the boat and showing off lunged and grabbed two frogs at once, one in each hand!  No, I could not match that.  Maybe it is because of that shaming or maybe because I enjoy the option of catching frogs in the daylight, I would rather catch my frogs on hook & line.  Either way is a lot of fun and can be very productive.

If you want some more ideas on how to catch some bullfrogs:

Sure, tromping around or floating on a pond looking for some frogs can be wet, sticky, buggy, and usually muddy, but that is half the fun!  The other half is eating them!  “Keep It Simple, Stupid” (i.e. the K.I.S.S. principle), frog legs are very mild and easy to prepare.  Your favorite batter or coating for frying will work very well, but I am warning you, they are like potato chips–you cannot eat just one.

Bullfrogs are where you find them and certainly you can find at least a few on almost every body of water in the state.  Most froggers are very protective of their waters, so never expect anyone, not even family members, to divulge their froggin’ spots to you.  You will have to find your own.  Generally, you will locate the greatest numbers on smaller waters, pits and ponds and small to medium-size reservoirs, especially if those waters have great frog habitat–grassy banks and at least some aquatic vegetation.  Good frog habitat is good largemouth bass and bluegill habitat too, so some of your best bass and bluegill fishing spots may be some of your most likely frogging waters too.

Move slow, look far ahead, and yes, even wear camo.  Bullfrogs have very good eye sight and they can feel your clumsy stumbling along the shoreline or sloppy paddling on the water.  If they are not spooked, they can be easy to capture, but once you spook ’em “the jig is up” although once in awhile, after some time, you can sneak back to a particularly big frog and still get ’em.