Pond Boss Forums GENERAL QUESTIONS Wildlife Management Bullfrogs in pond pros and cons

I can run a net in my ponds and collect 50-100 American Bullfrog tadpoles every run, without fail. I estimate I have 10-20,000 in my main pond, if not exponentially more. Per Bob Lusk [and my own personal experience], fish do not utilize bullfrog tadpoles as forage due to a enzyme secreted on it's skin which is their only defense mechanism. They are far too vulnerable for them to survive active predation to have ever made it through evolution is my personal reasoning, so I see the logic on what Lusk states regarding the subject. Further, if tadpoles were utilized as forage, my SMB and HSB would all have WRs approaching 200 with the endless availability! I have never witnessed a HSB, YP, WE or SMB eat a tadpole, and I have tossed them into the AM LMB feeding frenzy by SMB/HSB from time to time to test the theory. If a fish does take one, they are immediately spit them out.

LMB and CC may utilize them as forage - I don't have any experience there. Also, some on the forum have stated they've seen their fish target tadpoles and I am not doubting them - but I do wonder why our experiences are so vastly different. If tadpoles were the only option for my fish maybe they'd be eaten - but I have never witnessed this, and the dense population of tadpoles in my fishery indicate they are not utilized as forage.

Now, adult frogs seem to be fair game, and preferred forage items in fact - I have VERY few adult leopard frogs in my pond and I attribute this to high predator density and their preferred forage status. The bullfrogs however seem too large for my limited gape fish, but I'll bet they'd love a shot at them if they could manage them.

Next time you're looking in BPS or Cabelas catalog, check out how many tadpole shaped artificials are on the market. Last time I checked, there were few to zero. Seems more evidence to support Lusk's experience.

In terms of pros and cons, I don't see any downside, and I think adult frogs can help diversify a forage base as noted by others.