Pond Boss Forums STOCKING A NEW POND Creating the food chain Bullfrog Tadpoles

My pond has GOBS of Bullfrog tadpoles. Is this a good thing or bad thing? The big fatties would seem to me to be super easy bass bait....but there are SO many that it'd seem to make an easy buffet for a predator vs chasing a small BG.

For example, I can drop in a basic Wal Mart minnow trap and check it at the end of the day and it'd have no less than 75 of these 3" critters (some with legs, some without) in it....every time i check it.

Thoughts?

I had an insane amount of those little buggers everywhere until... adding Bass, Bass, and more Bass, of the large-mouth variety. This was coupled with a weed eradication, it must have made them easy pickings.
Now they are rare to find anywhere!

My experience mirrors Journeyman's. Once we corrective stocked LMB, our hoards of bullfrogs and their tadpoles were hammered. The larger bullfrogs have learned to be wary of open water. I happened to catch a nice big bullfrog wading the edge and tossed him out about 25 feet. My dog decided this was his cue to retrieve the frog (which was kicking like crazy for shore). When the dog met the frog, the frog climbed up on my dog's back! The dog circled for a bit, decided he'd lost the frog, and came to shore. The frog dove off into the weeds along the edge.

My 9yo sure will be sad if the big frogs are taken out :), but will quickly forget when a HSB nails his topwater bait. He can't get enough of Frog Fishing. Btw, if you've not "fished" for bullfrogs with a topwater rubber frog - you should. It is hilarious when they attack it - and good casting practice for a little fella. Watch this frog attack.

https://vimeo.com/user4535506/review/355403853/ec5b3afda6

I've heard that bull frogs are an indicator species. If you have a lot of bull frogs then you must be doing something right!

I believe that the presence of amphibians like frogs at the very least indicate good water quality (non toxic). That doesn't mean the BOW won't be plagued by other issues, like FA or be too shallow. But my pond has proven that once a predator species of fish is established, the 'frog days' of summer are done.