Hey..Gene is it??

Anyway, you mentioned a while back about bass not eating toads, I think. I've heard similar stuff about bullfrog tadpoles.

Found this:

Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides) learn to avoid feeding on toad (Bufo) tadpoles

Kipp C. Krusea and Bradford M. Stonea

aDepartment of Zoology, Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, Illinois 61920, USA

Received 14 July 1983; 

revised 30 November 1983. 

MS. number: a4130. 

Available online 3 June 2006.

Abstract

Largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides), when starved for 1 day, almost totally abstain from eating toad (Bufo americanus and Bufo woodhousei) tadpoles. However, there is a positive relationship between bass hunger levels and the acceptability of Bufo larvae as food items. With experience, there is a decrease in the number of toad tadpoles engulfed (taken into the mouth), and that actually consumed by the bass, while the number of larvae expelled (spat out) increases. Bass strongly prefer Hyla crucifer tadpoles to B. americanus larvae, and learn to distinguish between the two species. These results agree with the hypothesis that the schooling behaviour found in B. americanus tadpoles functions, at least in part, as a deterrent to predation.

Hyla crucifer btw is the Spring Peeper a tiny frog. B(ufo) americanus is the common toad.

Hey Paul, do the people at the Department of Zoology,  at Eastern Illinois University make these observations in the basses actual habitat or in an observation tank?  I've always felt that science and nature sometimes don't parallel each other.  Not saying that in this case obviously, but I'm curious just the same. 

How did Mattlures learn of this?  Experience bass fishing or some other way?

I have always heard that bass will not eat bullfrog tadpoles. I have tried using them as bait on several occasions, with never a bite to show for it.

Hey Paul, do the people at the Department of Zoology, at Eastern Illinois University make these observations in the basses actual habitat or in an observation tank? I've always felt that science and nature sometimes don't parallel each other. Not saying that in this case obviously, but I'm curious just the same.

How did Mattlures learn of this? Experience bass fishing or some other way?

Depends on the questions you are asking. Some lab work can offer things you can't get another way, having proper controls, which can put some light on biological limitations. The above work could can probably be safely applied to the wild, to some degree.

As to Mattlures, he mentioned seeing this in a pond he had, I believe.

Yeah, I see ponds with lots of bullfrog tadpoles and they seem mostly unconcerned about the bass,or at least pretty well exposed. This kind of thing makes me think that "frog" bites (with hollowbody "frog" baits) are not what we think.

Yep.  Over at Pit D's smaller pond I see those bullfrog tadpoles by the dozens just sunning themselves on the rocks.  My friend and I have always wondered how they could just sit there all day, seemingly not even worried about being lunch and/or dinner.  I've seen large bass just swim by them without either one even flinching.  They must taste like they look.

Hey Paul, do the people at the Department of Zoology, at Eastern Illinois University make these observations in the basses actual habitat or in an observation tank? I've always felt that science and nature sometimes don't parallel each other. Not saying that in this case obviously, but I'm curious just the same.

How did Mattlures learn of this? Experience bass fishing or some other way?

Depends on the questions you are asking. Some lab work can offer things you can't get another way, having proper controls, which can put some light on biological limitations. The above work could can probably be safely applied to the wild, to some degree.

As to Mattlures, he mentioned seeing this in a pond he had, I believe.

Yeah, I see ponds with lots of bullfrog tadpoles and they seem mostly unconcerned about the bass,or at least pretty well exposed. This kind of thing makes me think that "frog" bites (with hollowbody "frog" baits) are not what we think.

I know for a fact that bass eat a great many adult bullfrogs in my neck of the woods. I have seen it on many occasions.

Yep. Over at Pit D's smaller pond I see those bullfrog tadpoles by the dozens just sunning themselves on the rocks. My friend and I have always wondered how they could just sit there all day, seemingly not even worried about being lunch and/or dinner. I've seen large bass just swim by them without either one even flinching. They must taste like they look.

Seen the same thing, at the same place, and others.

Fourbizz, neat. I haven't seen that yet.

mmmmmmm bullfrog legs

Cool post Paul. I have owned small ponds, managed big ponds and had bass in aqaruims. Most times I didnt do experiments on purpose but I learned things from just watching them. I feel big bass are soo much smarter then people give them credt for. I have seen way too many things to think otherwise. As for tadpoles, when I was a kid in elementry school I had a little pond abouth half the size of a small swimming pool. I always had some pet fish. I would fish almost every day and alot of times I would bring a net and catch food for my pets. It doesnt take a sceintist or a "natural setting" to see the bass dont like eating certain things. They would eat juvinile bullfrogs as long as they were fully developed. They would not eat the tadpoles.They wouldnt even bite a toad unless you tricked them but they would quickly spit it out. I am sure tadpols come equiped with some kind of defence mechanism. the first time the bass encountered tadpoles they would usualy eat one and then spit it out after 10 seconds or so, after that they wouldnt eat one again. Of course there are those that feel bass cant learn :

On 4/23/2010 at 6:40 PM, Paul Roberts said:

Depends on the questions you are asking. Some lab work can offer things you can't get another way, having proper controls, which can put some light on biological limitations. The above work could can probably be safely applied to the wild, to some degree.

As to Mattlures, he mentioned seeing this in a pond he had, I believe.

Yeah, I see ponds with lots of bullfrog tadpoles and they seem mostly unconcerned about the bass,or at least pretty well exposed. This kind of thing makes me think that "frog" bites (with hollowbody "frog" baits) are not what we think.

Late to this conversation? Lol

 

when I was studying sea bass we used microcosms a good amount of the time. It’s true lab environs often do not correlate with nature. It’s  highly dependent on the kind of study. It probably does not matter when it comes to what toad species they prefer when offered a choice. 

Regardless, Black bass DO eat bullfrog tadpoles. I’ve seen bass schools pin tadpole groups to the water surface and go to town.