Stupid otters!

[fishinwrench]

41 minutes ago, OzarkFishman said:

Are the frogs and insects not around due to water quality OR is it another variable?

You are absolutely correct, I haven't even thought about frogs or the lack of insects. 

I'm not sure.  All I know is that they used to be here...and now they are gone.  I only see the little skinny black damsels now, and even they are scarce.   

What seems to have replaced them is a big giant gray Midge (almost an inch long), and some Craneflys.  The big burrower Mayflys still hatch in the backends, and that should start happening any day now.

I miss the frogs the most. My wife misses the dragonfly's. 

[Ham]

Ppl are a much bigger problem for floral and fauna than an animal that was once native to this area and had to been re-established in this area due the foolish behaviors of ppl. 

I'm Team Otter all the way. I much prefer otters over ppl. I have no concerns about the impact of otters on the places I fish. I always have concerns of the effects of man on the places I fish. 

[Daryk Campbell Sr]

We had many, many frogs in neighborhood the first few years we lived there.  Now, they are sometimes tough to find.  A pay neighbor told me, per her exterminator, the chemicals used may kill the frogs.  Now we get a periodical bug sprayer through the city.  That has to have a detrimental effect to the small animals.   

[snagged in outlet 3]

I used to fish a local country club lake that was loaded with big fertilizer bass.  When the club subbed out the ground maintenance to another company their workers (immigrants) netted the lakes out of all the fish at night.  Now you walk around the lakes and literally the ground is covered in thousands of bull frogs.  Kind of weird and eerily spooky to see the ground move with all the frogs. 

[GSPHUNTER]

There also used to be grass in parts of the lake in the Gravois.  I took a long ride up toward Ha Ha Tonka a few years back and saw cages where it looked like they were trying to re-establish it up there.

[MoCarp]

chytrid fungus is killing many frogs all over the americas, the insects prob not doing as well because of wave action from big boats on the margins......with less frogs could be less to eat as well, prob a combination

 

[fishinwrench]

I'm not gonna buy into the chytrid fungus BS because that's obviously something that some biologist came up with so that he could tie it all in to global warming or some other agenda.  Every time a biologist opens his/her mouth I wanna shove my soggy wet wading socks in it.   It's an attitude well deserved IMO.  I can't shake it and I'm not going to apologize for it.

I'd love to blame the frog and aquatic insect disappearance in LO on the wave/wake action or on questionable water quality BUT there are sanctuaries in the backends of coves and in the upper reaches of tributaries that should still have good frog habitat since other critters that have been proven to be more sensitive than frogs and dragonfly's to diminishing water quality are doing quite well.  I mean if you have an abundance of water pennies, caddis, and mayfly's then the habitat should easily sustain frogs and dragon/damsels flys.  

Frogs don't thrive on bluff walls or in close neighborhoods with groomed lawns, they inhabit backwater swampy areas, and there are still plenty of those type areas, even here on LO.   

You don't see many frogs on Truman either, or in the tailwater areas below Bagnell/Truman/Pomme/Stockton/Taneycomo, and we all know why that is.... it's the constantly fluctuating water levels.  So if I had to blame it on anything then that is what I think has relocated the frogs. Not some BS virus that some biologist, who has become so smart that he lapped himself...and is now stupid again, came up with.

[MoCarp]

chytrid fungus is as real as it gets I raise Dart Frogs and its a huge problem, have to sterilize everything you put in the tank

[snagged in outlet 3]

7 hours ago, fishinwrench said:

or in close neighborhoods with groomed lawns

My sons neighborhood in loaded with frogs.  They are tree frogs and the climb up and hide under the siding near the porch and garage lights.  I'll have him send me pictures.  The kids love em.

[Quillback]

23 hours ago, snagged in outlet 3 said:

I used to fish a local country club lake that was loaded with big fertilizer bass.  When the club subbed out the ground maintenance to another company their workers (immigrants) netted the lakes out of all the fish at night.  Now you walk around the lakes and literally the ground is covered in thousands of bull frogs.  Kind of weird and eerily spooky to see the ground move with all the frogs. 

Are they big enough for frog legs?