Flooded fields in An Giang, riding motorbike to catch frogs, a wild animal specialty for the rich

When the floodwaters overflow the fields in An Giang , they bring alluvial soil to enrich the fields; bringing back many natural products for people upstream of the river to improve their lives. Among them, frog fishing is considered one of the "play for fun, make a living" jobs.

A frog fishing spot at the spillway in Phu Hiep hamlet (Phu Huu commune, An Phu district, An Giang province)

Clumps of water hyacinth, patches of grass, or patches of fresh green morning glory drift along the floodwaters, leaning against the spillway (WB9 Project - Strengthening the capacity to adapt and manage water resources for the upper Mekong River in An Phu district) along the canal in Phu Hiep hamlet (Phu Huu commune, An Phu district, An Giang province).

Early in the morning, Mr. Nguyen Van Nghiep (Vinh Truong commune, An Phu district) - a person who has been involved in the profession of catching frogs during the flood season for many years - is starting a "bumper harvest" day.

“When the floodwaters flood the fields, frogs have no place to hide and move to live in bushes and grass along the canal banks and roadsides. At this time, catching frogs is very convenient, low cost, just requires effort. Early morning and late afternoon are the times when frogs eat the most,” said Nghiep.

Instead of using a hook to catch frogs, Mr. Nghiep uses a “trick” to catch frogs without a hook. He only uses a fishing rod connected to a string tied to a small frog as bait and a net to catch the frogs.

What is required is skill. When the frog bites the hook, you must quickly pull back and use a net to catch it, avoiding letting the frog fall out.

Nghiep's first achievements were many frogs.

Mr. Nghiep put the frogs in the basket, preparing for the next journey.

Talking about catching frogs, Mr. Nghiep shared: "This is a job that depends on the tides. When floodwaters flood the fields, we start "working".

The best time to catch the most is at the beginning of the flood season, because at that time there are few people fishing so the frogs are big and the number of frogs caught is also large, sometimes catching from 15 - 20kg per day.

But at this time near the end of the flood season, the number of big frogs is not much, each day we catch about 7 - 10kg on average.

He brings the frog products he collects home to make finished products, depending on the size, he sells them for 100,000 - 120,000 VND/kg, after deducting expenses, he earns 300,000 - 500,000 VND per day.

Source: https://danviet.vn/nuoc-tran-dong-an-giang-phong-xe-may-di-cau-ech-dong-con-dong-vat-hoang-da-dac-san-dai-nha-giau-20241031081710971.htm