First time eating bullfrogs

[sportsmanlio]

My friends caught a few bullfrogs at Topsy yesterday, because they couldn't entice the crappie. They didn't know how to clean them, so they called me. I had never done it, but I'd read enough that I knew how to do it.

We prepared the legs and fried them in butter and paprika. They were surprisingly good! The old addage "tastes like chicken" would only be true if you were referring to low quality chicken. It was good, but reminded me more of rabbit than chicken. It was white meat, but it was chewy and very moist.

Can't complain.

They caught them by dragging a PowerBait worm along the surface. Apparently, they actually went after it! I usuall catch them by dangling a dry fly in front of their face. Kind of a wierd option that kids would probably enjoy. Catching and releasing is what I've always done, and it beats the heck out of not catching anything.

 

[n8r1]

When I was a kid we used to catch & release bullfrogs by the dozens out of Fanno Creek. We would use a cheap spin rod with a dry fly tied directly to the mainline, kind of like you described. Sadly, I went and visited my old stomping grounds a few years ago and there wasn't a bullfrog to be found. That creek is so polluted and full of garbage that it looks like all the frogs and cutthroat trout we used to catch can no longer survive in there.

 

[sportsmanlio]

I'm sorry n8r1. That sort of thing is happening all over.

Bear Creek in Medford is one such creek that was polluted so bad that it was highly recommended for people not to fish there. Salmon runs all but ceased, trout died out, and some non-native fish moved in. In high school, my friends and I used to have XC meets at Bear Creek Park, which we affectionately called "Bear Creek Industrial Park" after one of them fell in the creek and got cut by broken glass.

Recently, conditions have improved, so there is some hope for Fanno Creek. I fished at Bear Creek about two years ago, and I caught half a dozen rainbows and a strange fish that I think was a goldfish that had reverted to its natural colors.

It still has a long way to go, but at least the water doesn't smell like sewage any more, and the fact that trout were in it means the water quality is okay...

You may consider getting Trout Unlimited involved. They do a lot of streamside cleanups if you can get enough people to help. Just a thought.

 

[ChezJfrey]

You may consider getting Trout Unlimited involved. They do a lot of streamside cleanups if you can get enough people to help. Just a thought.

I recently received a solicitation from Trout Unlimited and had never heard of them. I checked online and found they were a legitimate and decently performing non-profit organization. Perhaps I should join with a donation.

 

[sportsmanlio]

Perhaps. I have heard a lot of good about them. They do more work up in your area than they do down south, so you may see the fruits of your donation close to home. Good luck!