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northstar
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In the late summer, my phone rang one evening and a man I had never met said, "I hear you do a lot of catfishing". To which I replyed, "Well ya whatsup?" "Well, he said, I haven't catfished in years and was wondering if you would take me."
Now let me think, is the pope catholic, does the sun come up in the east. This is a no brainer. I usually scare off any wannabes when I lay down the terms. "Meet me in the municipal parking lot across the street from the American Legion at 5:00 AM day after tomorrow." When he said OK, I knew I had someone who was really interested.
The day before we were to go he called in the afternoon and said is there anything I can do to help on the trip. Now, I knew I had a live one. "Sure, I said, see if you can find us a bunch of frogs." Silence.
"Well, he said, I saw a bunch near one of my duck sloughs the other day." He called around to all the local bait dealers who thought he was out of his mind then went about his business. About 7:00 PM here at my door was this 75 year old man, muddy to his waist, with a bucket full of frogs. I was near speechless. This was a live one for sure.
We met as prescribed and after the hour and fifteen minute run to the river and the hour run up the river, we came to the best hole on the river.
He was a little skeptical when we started loading the hooks with luckless leopard frogs. An hour later we had boated 24 channel cat and were still siting in the same spot.
Around the end of July - early August, the frogs have finished their metamorphosis from tadpoles to frogs. They are the most abundant they are going to be all year. And the catfish love them. Channelcat will hunt frogs and ignore almost any other bait in the river at that time. On more than one occasion, I have been surrounded by boats who simply sat and watched as I caught one catfish after another while they were simply spectators.
I have caught catfish on worms, minnows, cut bait of various kinds, grasshoppers, crayfish, chicken liver, mussels, stink bait and of course frogs. I have found them full of choke cherries and wild grapes. But in early August, better see if you can find Kermit because the channelcat are sure hunting him.
There is a natural feeding rotation for channelcat and if you don't know it in your area, better find out. In the early spring right after ice out, stink bait can often be the best. A little later, cut bait will fill the stringer. After that it is time to hunt frogs. Channelcat get tired of eating the same thing all the time just like we do and if you catch things just right you will make the change in the bait rotation just as the cats are changing and catch channelcat like no other time in your life. The frog rotation often happens about the same time as the end of the spawning period and the cats go on a feeding rampage. Be there.
I use a butterfly net and look like I'm ten years old again, heck, I feel like I'm ten years old again. Better buy some really good mosquito repellent because you going to need it. Golf courses are a good place to look because they have shallow water traps that are perfect for breeding frogs and lots of short grass. Trying to catch frogs in long grass is a real pain and not very fruitful.
Toss a frog out in front of the wood in the water and hang on with both hands.
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Northstar - Even as you have done it unto the least of my children, you have done it unto me.
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Mike Stori
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Do you hook them through the mouth?
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northstar
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Quote:
Do you hook them through the mouth?
No, that's one of the reasons it is not easy being green. We bang them on the head to "anesthetize" them, run the hook through the head, back through the body then hook each leg through the thigh. Then take a knife and open them up. Sends much more scent down stream. They wind up looking like a ball with arms and legs sticking out. Sure turns kitty on though.
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Northstar - Even as you have done it unto the least of my children, you have done it unto me.
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Briank
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Photo's help.
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Briank's Trophy Catfishing and Sturgeon Adventures
Photo's From the 2009 Season<<
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northstar
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My hands are too gooy to take a pic after "loading" a frog. 
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Northstar - Even as you have done it unto the least of my children, you have done it unto me.
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DFresh
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I have used frogs on the Minnesota numerous times. Can't be beat as a channel cat bait at times.
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It has always been my private conviction that any man who pits his intelligence against a fish and loses has it coming. ~John Steinbeck
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channelcatben
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I love using frogs, alive and kicking. I usually hook them through the lips or through one of the legs. They kick for quite a while. Usually I have a cat on before the frog drowns.
The river I fished in my childhood had lots and lots of sand toads lining its banks. They were an abundant source of free bait, and it worked like a charm.
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The two best times to fish are when it's rainin' and when it ain't.
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Steve DeMars
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I thought you all might find this interesting. This is a press release from the Fish & Wildlife Service back in October. Looks like frogs could become the next live bait that we will have trouble being able to harvest legally. We used frogs on the Red River in Canada and they worked awesome. I was looking forward to using them on channels next year on the St Croix. I hope this doesn't happen to harvesting frogs for bait. Between invasive species and the Endangered Species Act we may all end up using GULP Alive products for our primary bait source when it is all said an done.
For Release: Oct. 28, 2009
Contacts: Jeff Humphrey (602) 242-0210 x222
Shaula Hedwall (928) 226-0614 x103
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Continues to Seek Northern Leopard Frog Information
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has affirmed its desire for public involvement in its decision on whether the western population of the northern leopard frog is warranted for listing under the Endangered Species Act. The Service has extended the period during which it will accept information on this subject through Nov. 27, 2009.
On June 30, the Service announced that its review of a petition seeking to add the western population of the northern leopard frog to the list of animals protected under the Endangered Species Act indicated that the frog
population may warrant federal protection as a threatened or endangered species. The finding triggered a more detailed status assessment of the frog population to determine whether protection of the northern leopard
frog throughout its 19 western states range is needed. The Service appealed to land managers, states, Tribes and researchers for information about the northern leopard frog to inform its status assessment and listing determination. Information is again being requested.
The status assessment will inform the Service's determination as to whether the population warrants protection under the Act. If warranted, the Service will propose listing or may defer listing while it works on listing proposals for other species that are at greater risk.
The Service is seeking scientific information on the historical and current status and distribution of the northern leopard frog; its biology and ecology; its taxonomy (particularly genetics of western U.S., Wisconsin and Canada populations); ongoing conservation measures for the species and its habitat; and threats to the species and its habitat. If listing the northern leopard frog is warranted in all or a portion of its range, the Service intends to propose critical habitat to the extent prudent and determinable and therefore also requests information on what may constitute physical or biological features essential to the conservation of the species; where these features are currently found; whether any of these features may require special management considerations or protection; and whether there are areas outside the geographical area occupied by the species that are essential to the conservation of the species.
Scientific information will be accepted until Nov. 27, 2009, and can be submitted electronically via the Federal eRulemaking Portal at: http://www.regulations.gov, or can be mailed or hand delivered to Public Comments Processing, Attn: FWS-R2-ES-2009-0030; Division of Policy and
Directives Management; U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 4401 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 222; Arlington, VA 22203.
The petition seeks protection for the northern leopard frog in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Texas, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. The northern leopard frog is now
considered uncommon in a large portion of its range in the western United States, and declines of the species have been documented in most western states. The range of the western population extends into the Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, southern Northwest
Territories, Saskatchewan and western Ontario.
Additional information regarding the frog and status assessment, including the June finding, news release, range map and FAQs are available at:
http://www.fws.gov/southwest/es/arizona/Northern_Frog.htm
The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. We are both a leader and
trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for our scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals and commitment to public service. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov.
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King of the Cats Champion 2007
King of the Cats Champion 2008
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Steve DeMars
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Here is a quick frog tip for you. This was the first year several of us started using frogs and we struggled with how to keep them once we caught them. There were a lot of different ideas floated around on how to store them. As you can expect from a frog - they don't sit still very well and don't just sit in a bucket when you catch them. We struggled with how to keep them alive once we had some on hand.
My neighbor solved the problem for me. He caught a nice big leopard frog in his backyard while cutting grass one afternoon. He knew I was looking for frogs and he put it in a Bait Tamer he had and left it on my workbench. That Bait Tamer was the ticket for keeping frogs and I managed to talk him out of it. The top of the container closes with velcro straps which are easy to open and grab a frog and then get your hand back out before they all jump out. Next year when you start chasing frogs you might want to get one of these containers - you can find them at most Bait Shops or Outdoor stores. Here are a few pics -
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King of the Cats Champion 2007
King of the Cats Champion 2008
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northstar
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Shucks, I got one of those and never thought about using it for frogs. See what happens when we talk to each other?  
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Northstar - Even as you have done it unto the least of my children, you have done it unto me.
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Its not easy being green
