# Self Sufficiency/Living off the Land or Off the Grid > Fishing >  Frog gigs

## rebel

I did a search and didn't find anything about gigs on the forum. 

I was at a sporting goods store the other day and found frog gigs similar to these:http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_no...g+gigs&x=0&y=0

Does anyone here use them or carry them? 

They are light weight and inexpensive.  In addition to frogs, I could see it being handy to have for fish, snakes, birds and other small game.

Here are some other related sites:

http://www.associatedcontent.com/art...ig.html?cat=11

http://www.usadeepsouth.com/article1090.html

http://www.google.com/images?client=...w=1906&bih=845

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTEEJ8cO99Y

http://hubpages.com/hub/swamp-recipes

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## Rick

Yeah, we talked about it a while back. They are illegal here for fishing unless it's a survival situation. 

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...highlight=gigs

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## Old GI

Also used those to gig spiny and slipper lobster in Panama on the coral reefs.  Get off work, go gig lobster just after dark and wonderful dinner.  Oh what a life that was!  The lobster cerviche was wonderful.

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## rebel

> Yeah, we talked about it a while back. They are illegal here for fishing unless it's a survival situation. 
> 
> http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...highlight=gigs


There it is.

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## Nutman

I've giged a many of frogs on the fram we had two ponds that were full of bullfrogs very tastey

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## BH51

They legal in my area for non-gamefish species like carp, buffalo, drum, catfish and so on...
and are a popular sport in the Mississippi river bottoms, especially when the river is beyond
flood stage...I use the larger gigs intended for alligator and order them from a place out of
Louisiana...I've got a 3 and a 4 prong and a some'what bigger than what one would use for
frogs....gig'n frogs is popular also...it's fun but takes practice...been doin' it years.......BH51

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## glockcop

Good for flounder stickin' along the beach at night too.

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## EdD270

Frog gigs are illegal here, but I like to keep one in my truck kit. They are useful for lots of things besides gigging frogs.

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## Sparky93

> Yeah, we talked about it a while back. They are illegal here for fishing unless it's a survival situation. 
> 
> http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...highlight=gigs


Correct if I'm wrong but I think in Indiana it is illegal to gig game fish but non sport species are fair game like carp, drum and buffalo. A friend of mine and I went fish gigen this spring for drum when the river was out.

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## Sparky93

> They legal in my area for non-gamefish species like carp, buffalo, drum, catfish and so on...
> and are a popular sport in the Mississippi river bottoms, especially when the river is beyond
> flood stage...I use the larger gigs intended for alligator and order them from a place out of
> Louisiana...I've got a 3 and a 4 prong and a some'what bigger than what one would use for
> frogs....gig'n frogs is popular also...it's fun but takes practice...been doin' it years.......BH51


Ah I missed your post it's the same way where I live in Indiana. My gig is my geat grandpa's gig its got four prongs and the prongs are about a two foot long and its about a foot and a half wide.

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## COWBOYSURVIVAL

> Ah I missed your post it's the same way where I live in Indiana. My gig is my geat grandpa's gig its got four prongs and the prongs are about a two foot long and its about a foot and a half wide.


That isn't a frog gig...it is a pitch fork.

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## Sparky93

> That isn't a frog gig...it is a pitch fork.


lol... It's for fish the size of a haybail though
I'll post a pick of it tomorrow I think my great grandpa made it, at least I know its home made.

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## NightShade

I live on the water, and have quite a few frog gigs.  I always keep one in my pack, though I've never actually used it out and about, only at home.

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## Sparky93

after my dad saw an episode of swamp men where they were frog gigen and usin nets insted of gigs my dad got to schemin and made his own, and I tested it out for him. Its kinda like a butterfly net for frogs its got a 15' pvc pipe handle and you just ease it out over the frog and let it fall down on it. I used it with great success the only modification that we need to make is to make the net deeper so the frog hops in the net far enough that you could pick the net up and the frog would be traped to remove at your discretion.
I'll post some pics of this to today if I get a chance.

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## Rick

> Correct if I'm wrong but I think in Indiana it is illegal to gig game  fish but non sport species are fair game like carp, drum and buffalo.


That is correct in most places. However, on the tributaries of Lake Michigan you can not even be in possession of a gig. It's a bit confusing but the Ohio River rules seem to indicate gigging of sport fish is okay as long as it isn't done from a boat or platform. 

If I were starving and a gig was all I had I'd certainly use it.

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## Sparky93

I may have over exargirated the size my fish gig is only about a foot wide and a foot and a half long

This is my fish gig which was my great grandpa's
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This is my trusty frog gig which is also as old as dirt, but the prongs don't break off like the ones you buy at wally world.
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This is my dads prototype frog net, the only problem with it is the depth of the net. For the net he used some shoot through screen mesh off our hunting blind that we never use.
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## Rick

That's actually not a gig in the first picture. It's a trident.

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## Sparky93

> That's actually not a gig in the first picture. It's a trident.


rick are you sayin my great grand pappy was king neptune?

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## Rick

If he was holding that he could be anything he wanted as far as I'm concerned.

EDIT: Heck!! I just realized that dang thing has four prongs. It's not a Trident either. Tridents only have three. I've got a couple of books on old tools. I'll see if I can figure out what it is. Way too big for a gig.

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## Rick

Well that didn't take long. It looks like it might be a Flounder gig. Who knew? Did your great grandfather live around the coast?

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## Sparky93

If you look close at the left of the fish gig you'll see a string my great grand pappy tied on there so he could throw the gig. I have heard stories of one hundered pound fish bein takin with this gig. The man that used to go fish giggen when my great grandpa was still alive. The next time I sea him I'll have himm tell me some stories about their giggen days. He has some gigs similar to this and they are all home made as well.

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## Sparky93

Oh sorry rick I was typin when you posted.
No he was a small town farmer from southern Indiana, I don't think he bought it but maybe he did I've always been told it's homemade

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## Rick

Maybe he used it on the river? (shrug) Either that or you have some monster bull frogs down there. 

"Stay back, son and watch out for the tongue."

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## Sparky93

yah he used in the river when it was at flood stage for white and red drum or buffalo, as for the mutant bullfrogs they are only in some (more contaminated) rivers

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