If you’re lamenting the hot weather and want to do something a little unique and definitely fun locally, think about frogging the Humboldt River or a local reservoir.
Let’s face it, the fishing isn’t great in the super-hot weather and it’ll be a while before deer season starts.
The water is down enough to make it safe and it’s more fun than you can imagine. A couple things to always remember. Put on a life jacket, no alcohol and always frog with friends. This sport will deliver enough laughs to last all season and might just put a tasty, locally sourced meal on the table.
What do you need??
A frog gig attached to a shovel handle. You can get both at the hardware store. Frog gig is a trident fork and is all set up to attach to a shovel handle.
A gunny sack or old pillowcase, with a shoe string or baler twine to close one end and tie it to a belt loop on your shorts.
A head light
Water shoes, life jacket/vest
Pocketknife
And plenty of nerve
The whole gigging outfit will set you back about $65 even if you have to buy it all new; but, most of us have some of this gear at home. The good news is that, a first class gigging set up will last for decades and can easily be stored out in the garage with your fishing gear.
My brother Joe seemed far too serious and stuck in the rat race as he approached his fortieth birthday. I decided to give him a gift that would instantly put a grin on his face and give him a trip back to the best parts of growing up. A new frog gigging set up!
The trick to frogging…is to listen, watch and GIG (do your best to miss your own feet). A big toe is nowhere near as tasty as frog legs, although not terrible if you cook it in garlic butter, nah!
So, get yourself set up along banks of Humboldt or your local reservoir. Somewhere with shallow, easy to access banks.
Try walking into water before sundown so you feel comfortable getting in and out. Make sure you pick a spot with willows, cat tails or other plants along the bank. Swampy areas are much better than big clean stretches of river or water.
Now, ease back in your lawn chairs, put on plenty of bug spray, enjoy the company of friends, and wait for dark. As soon as the sun goes down, you’ll start hearing the frogs.
Try to line out the places the croaks are coming from and make a little plan to get there and back. Once it’s dark, throw on all your gear and turn on your headlights.
Like a moth to flame, make your way toward the sound of croaking. Use your keen hunter/gatherer instincts to locate eye shine with your headlight. Once you have your amphibious prey in your headlight, use your gig like a spear and stick the sucker.
When you shine the light in his eyes, he can’t see you, but act quickly nonetheless. Hard, swift downward gigging motion like you are trying to stick him to the ground. Don’t let go of the spear. You’ll know you’ve hit your mark when the whole handle shakes and riggles in your hands.
Now what? Reach down, grab your croaker and pull him off the gig. I usually put the business end of my pocket knife straight down through the middle of his head before I take him off the gig, so he doesn’t hop away from me. Frogs like fish do not experience pain like mammals, so don’t get to feeling bad for the croaker. I usually throw whole frogs into my gunny sack and keep gigging. Remember to tie your game bag closed because frogs keep moving long after they are dead. Sometimes you’ll get four or five from same bunch of willows.
When you have caught all the frogs you desire, bring your bounty back to the bank. I usually bring a little wood cutting board along, but a flat rock or blacktop parking lot also do the trick. Cut off the frog’s legs. Rest of frog makes excellent fishing bait. Catfish love it.
When you get home or have time, skin your frog legs. I usually put on a glove with pretty good grip and use a little pair of pliers. Grab the hip end of the leg with gloved hand and then use other hand to grab skin at same end with pliers.
One quick pull toward the foot and the skin should pull right off in one piece. Now chop off the skin and foot with sharp knife. Repeat until all are cleaned.
The muscles in a frog leg are amazing, definitely worth a closer examination. Great lean protein that is delicious and good for you.
I like to prep frog legs by first soaking in cold salt water for about thirty minutes.
Then rinse them off and place all in a bowl or ziplock bag of milk. Let them sit in refrigerator overnight, but if you are in a hurry, an hour will do.
Most of our northern nevada frogs are mild, but the salt water pulls any fishiness out of them, and the milk tenderizes and ensures a wonderful mild flavor.
When you are ready to cook the frog legs, remove them from milk and rinse. Pat dry on paper towels.
My favorite is an easy, classic french preparation. Awesome as a special appetizer or main course. Once you try these, you’ll be hooked, or gigged as the case may be…
Bon Appetit from the Great Basin
Cuisses de Grenouille
Frog legs , skinned and prepped
Olive oil
1 cube of butter
Salt, pepper
Fresh garlic, finely minced
Capers (if you have them
A lemon
About a cDry white wine (nothing oaky like Chardonnay) just a good basic white (or veg stock if you don’t partake.
A little all purpose flour
(Other optional ingredients include a chopped onion, chopped mushrooms and fresh chopped parsley.)
Get a skillet hot either over the campfire or your stove at home. Put several tablespoons of olive oil in with butter. Let it meld and melt.
After patting your legs dry, run them through flour, just a light dusting. I usually throw it all in a ziplock bag and give it a shake.
Next, add the legs to your skillet and settle on a medium to medium high heat. You don’t want to burn your butter, just brown it. Spread the legs out and let them brown on one side and then the other, adding salt and pepper to taste, about 3-4 minutes per side. Now, add your garlic to brown slightly, followed by the wine/veg stock, as well as zest and juice of one lemon.
Let the legs swim in the sauce while the alcohol cooks out of wine. Add capers and any other veg you want and let cook on medium/low heat till legs are tender and all the alcohol has cooked out of the wine. About ten minutes. Taste and adjust your salt and pepper accordingly.
Now grab your finest chinet paper plates, plastic forks and dig in. Now that everyone is out of the river and presumably dried off, feel free to crack a cold one and enjoy one of the most delicious dishes you will ever pull from the mighty Humboldt River.
You should know that much like escargot or chicken, frog legs end up tasting like what you cook them in. I think garlic butter is the very best.
They definitely benefit from some fat as they are completely lean. BBQing them without fat really doesn’t deliver.
Post script: I acquired my master gigging skills as a kid at Bass Lake and along the ponds at local golf courses we snuck into in So Cal.
Trust me that frog gigging will make you feel like a kid again. I turned my superior gigging skills to Chimney Dam Reservoir and the Humboldt River once I moved to Nevada.
I really am a serious frogger when it comes to safety. A life vest for everyone no matter what your swimming ability is, no alcohol until you’re completely done, and never gig alone.
Until our next adventure, here are Nevadas regulations on gigging.
Nevada bullfrog and Frog Legs hunting laws Rules Regulations Policy Bag and Possession Limits & Seasons for the State of Nevada:
There is no closed season and no limits on daily catches in Nevada. Frogs may be taken by spear, bow and arrow, hook and line or by other methods authorized by the Commission’s regulation. Taking of bullfrogs or crayfish.
A person may take bullfrogs or crayfish by any method specified in NRS , other than by a hook and line, without obtaining a license or permit issued by the Department.
May be taken by bow and arrow, hook and line, dipnet, cast net, minnow seine or minnow trap. May be taken by spear except in any water where this method is specifically prohibited. In addition to taking bullfrogs by any method enumerated in, they may be taken with hands or gig. No firearm or airgun may be used in taking bullfrogs.
Kris Stewart is a rancher in Paradise Valley, NV.