Leopard Frogs

I was wondering if leopard frogs are legal bait. I went through the regs and could not find anything about using them for bait. I know of some guys that use them over in Iowa. If anyone has any info about them I would greatly appreciate it.

I don’t know anything about them being legal in Illinois, but I love them for bait (legally) in Minnesota. Biggest problem is that they are disappearing. I used to have them by the thousand in my yard this time every year. I just mowed the grass today and had one.

Something about the UV rays and the ozone layer is what I heard some years back. Messes with their eggs or something?

I know in MN you can have frogs you caught legally and they can be sold as bait as well?

Still see lots of them when mowing by our creek.

I’ve seen more around the house this year then any other. I didn’t get the chance to go fishing last night so I let them go this morning. If I decide to go all I have to do is walk by the field and I’ll have plenty.

Tony, something I’ve noticed is bullfrogs are better then Leopard frogs for bass atleast. I used to fish this lake for bass and seen them cruising the weedline, pretty nice ones around 3 pounds. I put on a leopard frog I found along the lake in the weeds, hooking it through the back leg and flipped it out on the weed line, nothing would take it. After a few casts it came off so I caught a bullfrog and flipped that out. Immediately the water boiled. I didn’t notice the connection between the two at that time. That frog came off and caught another leopard frog and flipped that out, nothing again and the bass were swimming right under them a few feet. That frog came off and tried another bullfrog and wham! it disappeared again. I caught about 4 or 5 bass that afternoon and nothing hit the leopard frogs but the bullfrogs they did. I don’t know foresure but it looked like they liked bullfrogs over leopard frogs, atleast on that day, any connection? Maybe thats one of the reasons we like to eat bullfrogs, size aside, instead of leopard frogs too.

Thanks for the info Dan. I was going to use the frogs for catfishing. I know some guys that use them in Iowa on trot lines and bank poles. But most use them on rod and reel.
Well I don’t have to worry about it now. Some animal got into the bucket and had a snack. The good thing is that there are plenty of them on my property.

I never used frogs much but dad did,He would step on them first, squish them real good,he caught alot of channel cats on tho’s messed up frogs.

The back waters of pools 8 and 9 a overflowing with frogs right now. Lots of huge ones this year. I was out spearing bullfrogs at night a few weeks ago. They sure do taste good.