So check this out. I had been actively trapping with various minnow nets, trying to see what I can catch. This weekend I pulled the traps out to the edges of the pond. One trap was left with half of the trap out and half in. The part in the pond had only about 3" of water in it and was right on the shore line, half in and half out.

I walked the perimeter today and pulled the traps all the way out of the water. Here is the trap I'm referring to.



I got to this trap and looking down the barrel of one of the side holes I found this big pile of white mush on the bottom of the trap right under the hole. This is looking down the little hole in the side of the trap:




I thought, COOL we have some frog or toad eggs here! They were a dense jelly like mass, very slimy. I reached into the opening on the side of the trap and could easily scoop up the mass of eggs in one mass. They seemed to be a clump and acted like Jello. I couldn't identify them, even close up.




I figured if the critter laid the big egg mass in the shallows then they probably should go back there. I saw no tadpoles, frogs, turtles etc yet as waters are still cold. I tossed the handfull into the shallows and then I saw the glob just turn into this!!
















































I was shocked! It was like a metamophosis in front of my eyes. Even though the eggs were a clear pile or blob, you toss them in the water and they become a very cool ribbon instantly!

So I have 2 egg 'piles' now, this one was on the east side of the pond where the sun can shine. The west side of the pond is shaded by forest. The first ribbon was on the south side where there is no trees.

Somehow that perch went into about 2-3" of water, backed in the hole of the minnow trap (or went in and swam around in the trap a bit), chose to lay eggs there, and perhaps some males also went in and swam around to to fertilize the eggs? Then the perch left the way she came.

I now wonder if the attraction was the water temp and shallow water but also because the minnow net and the small hole to get in presented a place to safely spawn? I wonder if perch like the protection of the dense tree branches but don't necessarily need a branch to drape the eggs over? I wonder why they chose the net particularly inside the net to drop the eggs even though the eggs had to go in a pile without any way to string them out along the bottom or over a tree branch. hmm...

Maybe I should put out some cavities and see if they do like a little hiding place while they are making babies?