Frogs as bait.

[chipster621]

For some reason, we've been finding frogs in our lily pots. (we live in Wahiawa and this is the first time I recall finding frogs). Caught a few months ago and one yesterday, these we released at the lake. Today we caught two and there's at least one more. The body's about 2 inches long.

Anyone use frogs for bait with success? What kind of hook and how would you hook it?

[medc808]

Doesn't look like a coqui. Anyone know species? Don't think it's on invasive species list. Don't want an invasion...unless the bass will eat it.

[Ahnkochee]

I only know of 3 species of frogs here.

Bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) max size 8 inches


Coqui Frog (Eleutherodactylus coqui) max size 2 inches


Greenhouse Frog (Eleutherodactylus planirostris) max size 1 inch


If 2" your frog seems a tad too small to be a even a young bullfrog, and too big to be the terrestrial coqui or greenhouse frogs which do not have webbed toes like your obviously aquatic frog does.

[KIA68]

Better not be a Coqui!!!! I went to school in Hilo and dammmmm,,,Those Coqui frog are out of control on the Big Island!

[medc808]

Ahnkochee...thanks for the good pics! Looks like it is a young bullfrong. I used my iPhone to take this pic... Chipster621 used his old Android

So I'm thinking it's ok to release into the wild . . . any thoughts?

[Ahnkochee]

Looks like it's a bullfrog, and they are pretty much already found in almost every stream on Oahu in one section or another so I personally don't see any harm as I believe they are already in lake water though more numerous nearer the feeder streams. I have used both bullfrog pollywogs, and young frogs when fishing for smallmouth bass with good success so should be even better for largemouth.

[blast from the past]

The little dark bodied ones are the ones i remember most. They hatch right out of the ground (out of the dirt) during a certain time of the year. i think the eggs are laid under the ground in places near the river. But it's the larger green one that is what the bass eat. Try tossing the Bill Dance Strike King frog (white underside and green top) in the summer around froggy-looking places along the shoreline. kick-pause-kick-kick-pause-kick, wait......and repeat. Booooosh! The bass will inhale it. Only the bigger bass will chomp this topwater lure. The frogs are a good sign that the water quality is getting better or already good. They are sensitive to pollution.
Blast from the past: Catching 18" tilapia that looked like silver tucunares that bent our 5-foot fiberglass trout rods in half. We used the cheap, plain-wire (no roller) bail, green plastic bodied, 3:1 gear ratio, no-ball bearing spinning reel bought for 3.99 at Coronet store in downtown Wahiawa. Cast out earthworm either weightless underneath the small, marble-sized (red and white plastice) floater. Twang! Down goes the rod! We had to spool 15lb. line on the reel so the whopper tilaps wouldn't break the line! We would bring several back in plastic bread bags and give them to the old lady down the street who ate them. All we needed was a small mint-tins full of bronze number 6 hooks and a small paper bag full of dirt and earthworms and our trout-sized spinning gear. Just awesome fun. Now you guys go fishin! - and don't forget to bring the kids!!