Back to the premise of "Optimal Foraging Theory".

Fish, and probably all other animals have an innate ability to calculate calories in (prey) vs. calories out (energy expended during capture). Whatever prey item creates the best ratio is likely to be targeted by the fish.

Animals that can't make this calculations become part of the fossil record.

These are great stories! I grew up with the prejudice that tadpoles were not desirable prey items. I did, however, always catch lots of channel cats and even walleye on leopard frogs. It was the bullfrogs that wouldn't catch a fish.

Holding a redear sunfish is like running with scissors.