Would you?

[pikeking]

Well there is a favorite lake that I fish, but it's getting over run with weeds.( lots of big pike and big bass) So I have been bringing a 50ft chain with a grappling hook on the end. I fish there all year round and once a week I have been throwing out that chain and pulling out a row of weeds every week to make some lanes for ice fishing. Is this a bad thing and would you do it?(((((FLAG)))))

[BobWhite]

I have a pond that was redone 7 years ago and 4 years ago I could pull out 10 2 pounders (bass) in less than an hour any given day, now the pond is over loaded with weeds and there are some 5+ pound bass but far few 2 pounders and they are hard to get. Was thinkin of doing the same thing before the pond is dead good luck..

[Hard stuff]

You would be surprised how many fish you can pull up threw thick weeds.Big panfish love thick weeds in the day when the pike are out hunting.


Punch threw or find the weed pockets.Works for me    

[brookiebomber477]

yea, milfoils a huge problem in some ponds up here in maine, i think as long as you don't hire all your buddies and start dredging or anything big like that (aka keep it on the down low) you'll be fine. Heck thats not a bad idea really...

[scavengerj]

Beats spraying!

[njsimonson]

You may want to check your regs.  Several states have laws against removing weeds from waters, or certain waters afflicted with ANS like curlyleaf pondweed, spiny water fleas and zebra mussels. 

[IceholeFisherman]

I have a pond that was redone 7 years ago and 4 years ago I could pull out 10 2 pounders (bass) in less than an hour any given day, now the pond is over loaded with weeds and there are some 5+ pound bass but far few 2 pounders and they are hard to get. Was thinkin of doing the same thing before the pond is dead good luck..

On the other hand, weeds in a small pond are beneficial. They will not only provide cover, but much needed oxygen when the pond is iced over for an extended amount of time. As for the shortage of two pounders, the 5 pounders are eating out the pond and leaving less food for the others. The reverse is also true that too many little fish will keep any of them from reaching larger sizes. Smart harvesting is the key to a healthy pond.

A friend of mine and myself come across a pond that was loaded with stunted blue gills and bass. We started fishing the crap out of them. Within two years, the gills and bass that were left doubled in size. You have to keep things in balance, ESPECIALLY in small farm ponds 3/4 of an acre and less.

[BobWhite]

When you try to ice fish the pond you drill threw 12 inches of ice then to feet of weeds thats how bad its getting. I lot seem to die then float during ice season.

[iceman_4432]

I would definately do what you are doing.  ITs far better then putting chemicals into the lake/pond to kil the weeds.  And i seriously doubt that you would be in danger of ripping out every weed int he lake the ay your doing it.  Clear a few lanes, know where they are and utilize them !   

 

[pikeking]

This lake that I'm doing this in is by far a pond. It has great flow and there are only a few pockets where there are no weeds. It's so bad that it is almost imposible to put a row boat on it. I would never do this if it were not nessisary.

[BottomDweller]

sounds like a sound idea to me.

[BottomDweller]

cut three or four intersecting lanes into something like a big asterisk, and then fish in the middle of it where the lanes all intersect; the fish crossing through or traveling in those lanes would all be able to see your lure or bait.

[Chucker]

I would.  I've heard there is someone who uses a large rake to create pockets in a large pond in a local county park.  He then puts tip-ups out with small minnows for crappies and cleans up, even in the middle of the day.  It's like slapping a new product in a store display case with spotlights on it.

Of course, all depends on what your local regs allow.

[bucketmouth]

Of course the regs may say different in your area, but I can't see it hurting anything... likely better than when folks toss everything but the kitchen sink in to create cover.  And I'd do what BottomDweller suggested, fishing at the junction point might indeed prove to be successful... let us know how everything turns out come freeze up...

Don

[Skipper]

They have a combine on Lake Minnetonka to harvest milfoil. It is pretty cool to watch. The machine sits on large pontoons and they unload it into dump trucks. A weed choked lake or pond will actually starve for oxygen in the winter. As the weeds die and decay under the ice, decomposition uses up all of the available oxygen. In MN, we call these "winter kill lakes". One thing all of these lakes have in common is over vegetation. We had a total kill in a lake just north of me a few years ago. It is over 600 acres and 16 feet deep, but rotting weeds under the ice used up all of the oxygen and most of the fish died.

Is this a public or private water?

Either way, most conservation officers I know would be willing to help you. If a water is unhealthy, they may be able to give you some pointers or even some help to fix it. Sometimes agricultural runoff can choke a pond in a big hurry.

[Scientist]

Well there is a favorite lake that I fish, but it's getting over run with weeds.( lots of big pike and big bass)  Is this a bad thing and would you do it?

Define over run by weeds. What type of weeds and how thick? What is the average depth of the lake/pond? What percentage is covered in weeds and at what depth does the weed line being? Without knowing all the specifics I can’t tell you yes or no. What I can tell you is aquatic vegetation = shelter for fish, food for invertebrates which = food for fin fish, and oxygen during the day.  Some weeds also die off in the fall time so clearing them is really unnecessary. Most weed removal done by the state agencies are to either clear waterways for boat traffic or to clear pipe inlets to pumping stations just something to think about

[pikeking]

Ok, the average depth of the lake is 6 to 8 feet deep. It's a man made lake. The weeds are Duckweeds, Bladderworts, Marsh dayflower, and Alligatorweed as far as I can tell, they are very thick and are still there during ice over except for the duckweeds. I drill holes and all that comes up are weeds. The weeds cover about 85% of the lake with just a few pockets, I'd say the lake is about 75 acres. there is a culvert pipe and the weeds are just about 5 to 6 feet from that now, and a few years ago there was a large opening there about 30 feet away from the pipe. I understand about the oxygen and the food value of the vegetation but it's not like I'm clearing a football field just a few lanes to fish. The fish in there used to be huge and now the fish population is harder to find now.

[Skipper]

Most weed removal done by the state agencies are to either clear waterways for boat traffic or to clear pipe inlets to pumping stations just something to think about

Minnetonka is infested with Eurasian water millfoil. If left unchecked, the lake would be destroyed. It seems there are a few hundred dozen people dumping chemicals on their lawns and then running their sprinklers all day too. In a natural environment with native plants and seasonal runoff, there is no need to remove vegetation. If you enter exotic plants and polluted runoff into a system, everything changes. From what I have learned, exotic plants do most of the lake choking and runoff makes a whole new set of problems with algae.

Check this link out... Little Rock Lake

Now this is a total disaster. Don't underestimate polluted runoff, this lake is a total loss. This is not the water that I mentioned in my earlier post, god intended that lake to cycle every few years.

[pikeking]

I hope our lake doesn't get that bad. It also flows into the Hoosac river then flows into the Hudson river and into the ocean. There will be alot of people and places affected by one problem weed lake.

[1MOFISH]

Ok, the average depth of the lake is 6 to 8 feet deep. It's a man made lake. The weeds are Duckweeds, Bladderworts, Marsh dayflower, and Alligatorweed as far as I can tell, they are very thick and are still there during ice over except for the duckweeds. I drill holes and all that comes up are weeds. The weeds cover about 85% of the lake with just a few pockets, I'd say the lake is about 75 acres. there is a culvert pipe and the weeds are just about 5 to 6 feet from that now, and a few years ago there was a large opening there about 30 feet away from the pipe. I understand about the oxygen and the food value of the vegetation but it's not like I'm clearing a football field just a few lanes to fish. The fish in there used to be huge and now the fish population is harder to find now.

i had the same idea our lakes are choked with coontail its impossible to fish through when you find a pocket where its not thick its a bonanza its a good idea within reason we have a lake where the record muskie came out of and the lake association run by millionaire power boaters wants to irradicate all the weeds using weed killer which will have a detrimental effect on the fish.  conneaut lake will most likely be affected if no one takes a stand        mo

[Glenn]

Skipper, just a little history of Little Rock Lake...it has had problems for years prior to this. In 1990, the same concerns were raised by the residents. The Pollution Control Agency made some recommendations, such as limiting development and reducing phosphorus levels, which went largly unheeded.

One of the major contributing factors is phosphorus runoff from fertilizer. Not only caused by farming, but also lawn fertilizer.

The report also inducated that this lake had been like this for 10-15 years previously. Secci disc readings have been in the area of 1.5-2.0 ft since the 70's, but were 3.5-4.0 ft in the 50's and prior.

So in essence, the people (farmers and residents) around the lake refuse to change their ways, and have a slimy lake to show for it.

You can read the 1990 report here: http://www.pca.state.mn.us/publications/reports/lar-05-0013.pdf

[pikeking]

I like this lake so much that I have put in a request to save it before it is lost.

[Skipper]

Skipper, just a little history of Little Rock Lake...it has had problems for years prior to this. In 1990, the same concerns were raised by the residents. The Pollution Control Agency made some recommendations, such as limiting development and reducing phosphorus levels, which went largly unheeded.

One of the major contributing factors is phosphorus runoff from fertilizer. Not only caused by farming, but also lawn fertilizer.

The report also inducated that this lake had been like this for 10-15 years previously. Secci disc readings have been in the area of 1.5-2.0 ft since the 70's, but were 3.5-4.0 ft in the 50's and prior.

So in essence, the people (farmers and residents) around the lake refuse to change their ways, and have a slimy lake to show for it.

You can read the 1990 report here: http://www.pca.state.mn.us/publications/reports/lar-05-0013.pdf

Thanks for the link!

Yeah, that lake has been gross for a long time. The water is so rank, I don't think there is enough sun penetration for any weed growth.   That lake used to produce crappies like nowhere else, now it is a sewer hole. I heard some talk of the federal government getting involved now to resolve some issues with the lake.