Fortunately, this minnow trap experiment is not an expensive one. So far, all we’ve caught are some tadpoles (polliwogs, if you prefer). Either the bait is wrong, or the location is. Evidently, baby frogs like pizza crust better than goldfish do. This morning, we relocated the trap near the rock dam at the one end of the pond, where the overflow goes into the creek.
Some of them are almost the size of perch. They’re not carp, though. They’re ordinary goldfish that just get that large when they’re not confined to a 20 gallon tank, and have an ample food supply. They’re considered invasive in this state. The only reason I give a shit about them is that, in theory, I could get slapped with a fine if someone downstream has a problem with them, and can trace the source back to me. Wild roses are considered invasive, too, and it’s illegal to have them on your property, although I’d challenge anyone around here to prove they don’t have at least one hidden somewhere in their woods.
If the minnow trap doesn’t work its magic, and the kingfishers and herons are insufficient, a half dozen largemouth bass should do the trick. I’ve already located a few potential suppliers. Bass are not expensive.
My leftover pizza crust is probably better used as dog treats. Ben is the most obedient dog in the world when I show him a piece of pizza crust. It’s as good as a fake Meatybone, as far as he’s concerned. He’s such a cheap date.
If you feed tadpoles pizza crust do they grow up to be teenage mutant ninja frogs?
Good question. I’m going by the size. These might turn into Teenage Mutant Ninja Bullfrogs. If they are bullfrogs, they’re not poisonous, but they will try to piss on you when you pick them up. Still, I’d rather have the little green ones that sound like one note banjos. Thay’re cool.
Ben got a toad once. Its skin was toxic. Not fatal, obviously, but we had to hose out his mouth for a good five minutes before it stopped foaming.
I caught a bullfrog while fishing once. I was reeling in to call it a day, and he went after the worm on the hook. It’s a bit more difficult to get a frog off the hook than a fish!