First, check all local laws and regulations in your state or county before
purchasing this item.
BLOWGUN SPECS: A 3/4-16 stubs gauge is used. That makes the Inside Diameter .620 or 62
caliber. The wall thickness is .065. Here's a picture of the dart
that comes with the blowgun with purchase. Four darts are included with
your purchase.
Introducing The Cottonmouth Frog Gig. Shooting and resetting the
Cottonmouth is simple. Just press the casting button on the reel and shoot
the dart as you would from a conventional blowgun. Reel the dart back in,
hopefully with a frog attached. The maximum effective range of a four-foot
Cottonmouth is about twenty-five feet. The Cottonmouth has a Zebco 202
reel. This has proven to be the cheapest but the most rugged. An 8
pound test monofilament line is the heaviest you will need. I recommend
replacing the line that is on the 202 with Trilene or some other better quality
monofilament. It is not recommended using a braided or carbon fiber line.
(NOTE: product parts and colors can change from time to time).
This Cottonmouth Frog Gig is a bit more expensive and a bit heavier to
carry than a conventional frog gig, however, its advantages make it well worth
it. The Cottonmouth is safer. Until you actually shoot it, the
barbed dart is not exposed. This means fewer bloody wounds and tetanus
shots. The Cottonmouth brings the frog to you once you shoot it
rather than you having to wade in after the frog. Also, the Cottonmouth
dart doesn't ricochet off the water, or scare off all the frogs with its report.
The range is another essential point. Nobody wants to carry a 15 to 25
foot long frog gig around all night. Steep banks and heavy cover are no
problem for the Cottonmouth. If you can see the frog within
twenty-five fee, you can gig it. Conservation of motion is another
highlight. There is no sudden movement in the act of spearing so the frog
is less likely to jump the gig and get away. You can gig from a boar or
canoe. Accuracy is a huge bonus with the Cottonmouth. Once
you get the hang of gigging with the Cottonmouth, it is easier to hit
your target with the Cottonmouth than it is to stab at it with a
conventional gig. The dart is traveling so fast it often penetrates
completely through the frog. The last point is sportsmanship. The Cottonmouth
brings frog gigging into the realm of the true shooting sports. There is a
fishing dart available for carp, suckers and other non-game fish. It is
effective within ten feet and through eighteen inches of water.
States where frog gigging is popular is Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi,
Texas, Georgia and the Carolinas. In Florida there is commercial frog
hunting and you can even go on a frog gigging safari for a small fee.
Florida regulations mention blowguns specifically as a legal means of hunting
frogs. Fish are an entirely different matter though. Most states
flatly outlaw the taking of freshwater game fish by spearing and the Cottonmouth
is considered a spear. This item can be used to pull ropes over tree
limbs.
A few words about "FROG HUNTING" with the Cottonmouth
blowgun. Bullfrog hunting or frog gigging is mostly a spring and summer
activity. Frogs are almost always hunted at night with the aid of a
light. The range of the Cottonmouth also makes it possible to hunt
them in the daytime without a light but his is extremely challenging. You
will find bullfrogs in any permanent, quiet, slow-moving body of water.
They prefer areas with lots of plant cover. You can hear their distinctive
call from hundreds of yards away and this helps to locate good hunting water.
The frogs will freeze when the light is shone in their eyes. When you
see a frog, slip up quietly as close as you can. This is sometimes as far
away as twenty-five feet. Press the button on the reel, take careful aim.
and blow a quick forceful puff of air through the Cottonmouth. The
dart will fly out of the barrel at around 200 feet per second. Quick as
the frog's reactions are, it cannot outrun the dart. If you hit the frog,
the reaction will be immediate. It will jump into the water, and the
fight is on. Gently steer the frog toward you with the Cottonmouth
barrel and reel it to you in stages with the reel.
ADDITIONAL ITEMS AVAILABLE THROUGH THE MANUFACTURER:
(name and address provided with your purchase of the Cottonmouth)
- A mounting bracket is available for a flashlight
- Practice Dart (no barbs)
- Dart rebuild kit
- mouthpiece rebuild kit
- reel bracket
- 5 cones with O rings
- reel
- booklet
- conventional mouthpiece
- fishing dart (barbed)
- foam block reel in target
- reel and reel bracket may vary in color
- target practice, Lucky
Frog (no matter how many times you shoot him, he always keeps his legs),
WARNING: Never shoot the Cottonmouth
at anything you do not want to make a hole in. Never shoot the Cottonmouth
straight up in the air. Never inhale through the Cottonmouth.
Wear safety or shooting glasses when shooting the Cottonmouth.
Clear any backlash completely before resuming shooting. Use extreme care
in handling the darts. The point and barbs are very sharp. Never
store, transport or carry the Cottonmouth with a dart dangling out of the
barrel. Keep your reel and line in top-notch condition. Never allow
minors to use the Cottonmouth unsupervised. Do not modify the Cottonmouth.
Do not use open faced reels with the Cottonmouth. Do not use the Cottonmouth
for purposes not discussed in the literature provided with your purchase.
If the Cottonmouth's performance drops off, stop shooting and inspect,
clean or repair the Cottonmouth and its components.
