By DON DUBUC

Without a lot of fanfare frogging season opens next Saturday. But don’t expect trouble finding a parking place. Let’s face it, when was the last time you heard “Frogging is one of the fastest growing sports?”

Here is my list of the top five reasons why not to go frogging and my reasons why you should.

Reason Number Five – “You’ve got to go at night, I don’t have time to sleep the next day.” The best frogging takes place after 2 a.m., get your sleep early, wake up after midnight, go frogging for a few hours and get back in time for a shower before work, class or whatever you are doing that day. Reason Number Four – “It’s too hot and too physical.” You’d be surprised how relaxing and soothing a night spent listening to a swamp serenade can be. Besides how many of us couldn’t use a little more exercise.

Reason Number Three – “There’s no place to go.” Several of our WMAs not only have good frog populations, but also get very little participation, which you can’t say about deer hunting on them. Ever hear of a lottery for frogging? Reason Number Two – “The swamp at night is spooky and dangerous.” The swamp is much safer than where most of us live. You won’t find many murderers and rapists lurking in a swamp.

And the Number One Reason – “At night I watch TV and surf the Internet.” Need I say more?

No, frogging isn’t one of your more popular outdoor sports, in fact, lots of folks are surprised to even hear that it requires licensing, has specific season dates and regulations. I guess when you don’t have a connected line of specialty clothing and gear to drive media attention; midnight outings in the swamp can go pretty much unnoticed.

But as with any activity, there are always the serious, even fanatic participants. And those are the ones who have waited for the June 1 reopening. April and May are the only two months when frogging isn’t legal in Louisiana and my advice to those who will be searching for bullfrogs and pig frogs is to keep it simple. Getting into the deepest recesses of the most remote swamps can eliminate what little competition there is and adds to the mystique of the trip but often isn’t necessary. I know a couple of guys who do quite well in the roadside ditches not far from motels, shopping centers in the Baton Rouge City limits.

Driving slowly along gravel roads that border swamps and allowing the headlights to sweep the banks is another simple but highly effective way to locate frogs. When the terrain does call for getting more into froggy habitat, my choice is a pirogue or for the less nimble, a canoe. I know froggers who use mudboats, go-devils even airboats to cover more territory but you’ve still got to slip in close for the catch.

Noisy motors and boats that require more than a few inches of water can leave you just short of where you need to be to make a capture.

While sometimes frogs will be submerged in water, most times they are on the edges of banks where with one quick leap they can safely swim away. More often than not, those banks are weedy, with stumps protruding in front and branches overhanging from above.

The smaller and lighter the vessel, the more smooth and quiet the approach.

The moment of truth is when you spotlight a frog, drift in close and make a quick catch. “Simple” equipment is again the key. The simplest of all is permanently attached to all of us – our hands. When you can get that close, hand grabbing is the best choice so long as you’re sure it’s a frog and not a submerged gator or snake.

Other simple items I always have are a wooden handle bait net, a spear and a paddle. Each of these I use for different situations. The net comes in handy when frogs are partially submerged on the edge of a bank out of arm’s reach.

The spear is used when frogs are perched on the side of a bank but might be out of reach or protected from above by branches. The spear won’t work in the water since there’s nothing solid behind the frog to brace it while the spear point impales it.

Finally the paddle is used to smack a frog floating in deep water. If not killed, it will be immobilized long enough to bag it up.

There are just a few other items that should be in every frogger’s arsenal. Battery powered lights are a must. Many people are under the impression that frogs are blinded and held motionless by bright lights.

I’ve never found that to be true. I’ve used a regular flashlight to locate frogs. What does spook them worst of all is the feel of rippling water as you approach. Again, here is the need for small boats that can slip in with the least amount of water disturbance.

A grabber seated in the front with the light and a paddler gently steering the nose of the boat in seems to work best. Locating frogs up on banks out of the water gives froggers the best chances for a successful catch. That’s why working exposed banks during a low tide in tidally affected waters is a good plan.

Most low noises don’t seem to bother frogs, so low talking while positioning for a grab isn’t a problem. Recreational froggers need a basic fishing license while those selling frogs must have a $25 reptile/amphibian collector license. Bon appetite!

DON DUBUC is the outdoors reporter for L’Observateur.