Okay - just saw this on Foxnews:
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/05/30/texas-man-catches-monster-frog-photo-goes-viral.html Made me wonder if all the bullfrogs in my pond are helpful or harmful to my pond. I understand that bass do eat frogs but I also know they (frogs) are known to eat small fish and minnows. Is it better to have or not have frogs in a small pond?
As with most things pond related, 'it depends'. Amphibians can be a nice indicator of good water quality, as they are some of the first to go if toxins enter a BOW. And they ( and their offspring) can provide forage for your favorite fish, another bonus. Apparently the jury is still out on bullfrog tadpoles as forage; I've seen/read discussion about them as poor forage (toxin in skin reducing palatability) and discussion about good forage source (for bass in particular). Maybe some fish, like people, prefer a little 'zing' in their hors d'oeuvre?
i put 'em in for the sound effects at night.
Bullfrog
I'd be afraid to be in the pond with frogs that size! Holy Moly!!!
Bullfrogs will eat anything that moves and they can fit in their mouth. I couple of years ago I found a BF in the pond with a Bluebird in it's mouth. My mom said she saw one tackle a Robin while mowing around their old pond, they are predators that will eat small birds, fish, snakes, other frogs, and crawdads.
I like to keep them around to give GBH something to target other than my fish. I have number of "monsters" that are 6"+ vent to snout and they have been eating well this spring.
On the topic of LMB eating BF tadpoles...Once in a conservation pond I was fishing, the LMB were on beds and could not be temped to strike on anything in my box. I started catching live bait from around the pond (grasshoppers, worms, whatever I could catch) and nothing until I tried BF tadpoles hooked through the lips and reeled in slow through the beds and it was on! I have to think that the bass were more interested in eating the tadpole to protect the nest from a familiar annoyance, but they were hitting them when nothing else would work.
On the topic of LMB eating BF tadpoles...Once in a conservation pond I was fishing, the LMB were on beds and could not be temped to strike on anything in my box. I started catching live bait from around the pond (grasshoppers, worms, whatever I could catch) and nothing until I tried BF tadpoles hooked through the lips and reeled in slow through the beds and it was on! I have to think that the bass were more interested in eating the tadpole to protect the nest from a familiar annoyance, but they were hitting them when nothing else would work.
Interesting. I was watching a male PS on the nest yesterday and he was spending all his time driving tadpoles from the nest. I wonder if tadpoles eat fish eggs?
Luke, that face speaks volumes.
Luke, that face speaks volumes.
Yeah, she wasn't really too excited about holding that guy for the photo...
I caught one once on my pond with a 5 inch zoom super fluke! I thought I had a nice bass coming after as I saw the wake coming towards my bait!! Ha was I wrong. This bully was 17 inches spread out from head to toe. Yes they will eat and eat well!!
Are they bad for your pond... I don't think so with the exception of losing a few smaller fish....
RC
If the bullfrogs get big enough and numerous enough in my pond...I like frog legs. I would believe that we should consider them a species to monitor and cull when necessary. Wouldn't BFs be like a BG (or HBG) or the like? They are both predators of small fish, but also supply food to the larger predators like bass. I look forward to large BFs in my pond and if they get very numerous without eatable size, I will consider reducing their numbers.
I have fished with live frogs, mostly spring peepers not BFs, with some success so I know fish will eat them. And the frog noise from the pond just puts me further out in the country, I like that!
