Reddit reviews South Bend Frog Spear, 5 Tine

i've gigged thousands of frogs. there's a lot to talk about, but here's the important part.

as for a gig, you can use a frog spear like this on the end of a cane pole. that's probably the cheapest option. the best option i've run across is something like this on a 10 ft fiberglass rod. the removable tines make it easy when you hit a rock and bend one or what have you. buy a spear. don't make one out of chicken wire.

as for method, a canoe or a little flat bottom will be your best bet, but hip or chest waders are completely fine. when i'm in a boat i keep a 5 gallon bucket to throw legs in, but when i'm using hip waders i hang gallon jugs off my belt by the handle and cut around the hole so it's big enough to get my hand in there. i've gotten as many in waders as i have in a boat. it's more work, and you're limited in where you can go, but it works just fine.

other tips:

1. keep everything sharp, cutting frogs in half with a dull knife sucks, and gigging them with a dull gig is even worse.
   
2. the gig will not kill the frogs. it will temporarily stun them sometimes (other times not), and you'll think they're dead, but they aren't. you'll need to cut them in half before you put them in a bucket or you'll have a lot of excitement when they start coming to.
   
3. you need a good light a simple head lamp isn't enough. get a good bright light with a really focused beam. hold it by your face so you can see their eyes the best, and make sure to hold the gig head so it's out of the beam when you approach the frog with it.
   
4. gigging takes a little practice. don't get discouraged if you miss or push them under a lot when you're first starting out. a sharp gig and making sure you hit them fast and straight will help with that.
   
5. it's a lot of work. you might go out and stab 150-200 frogs in a few hours without too much trouble, cutting them all in half as you go. then you need to get a good pair of pliers to pull the skin off them when you get them back home. bullhead pliers work well. and also you'll need to cut the feet off. the point is, as with any hunting, actually harvesting the frogs is only about a third of the work.
   
   oh, and regulations- it's under fishing regulations. most places you can gig frogs with a simple fishing license.