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Joined: Feb 2019
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Hi all, first post here. New to pond/lake management.

So to start, I live in south FL in a small development out in the country that has a sandy bottom 5 acre community pond that is approx 50 years old.

Back about 6 years ago the lake became covered with water lettuce in totality, bank to bank. It remained this way for a solid three years. Prior to this the lake was one of the best places to fish I have ever known.

The community finally decided to spray the lake to kill the Water Lettuce, but in the process it killed every last bit of aquatic vegetation leaving 90% of the bank and lake bottom barren.

During the years it was covered with water lettuce I believe the vast majority of the fish population died off. After it was sprayed I believe the remaining population died leaving the lake totally lifeless.

There were no signs of fish, nor could you catch anything, live bait, artifical, nets, nothing.

I moved back into the neighborhood about a 1.5 years after the water lettuce had been killed off and took it upon myself to revive the lake to its former glory.

In the last 3 years, I have released about 40 Largemouth from 1 to 5 lbs, twenty or so adult blue gill, several dozen wild shiners, and a few snook, all wild caught. All healthy, parasite and illness free as far as I could tell visually.

In the last two years I have also transplanted multiple crops of lily pads, cattails, reedgrass, cypress saplings, and water hyacinth. I have put in several well seasoned pine stumps and a sparring number of very well dried oak limbs.

I am happy to say that fish populations are present and healthy, both predator and forage, but not nearly as abundant as I would like. Unfortunately the banks remain mostly barren, with very very little aquatic vegetation.

The Lakes water level fluctuates dramatically with rain which led to the entire first crop of cattails drowning.

The lily pads I have transplanted are doing well, but don't seem to be spreading, even after a year of growth. They are planted in lake bottom.

I want to keep the structure and cover 100% natural, meaning no pallets, tires, 55-gallon drums, plastic, etc.


I would really like to add some timber structure as its results are instant, but I am afraid of using the wrong tree or method.

Should I even be worried about water contamination with a lake of this size?

The lake varies from 12ft to 1ft with an assortment of sandbars, two small islands with a shallow channel inbetween, and one deep corner that contains the 12ft area.

Would it be recommended to add hydrilla or milfoil?

I can supply pictures if it would help.

Thanks,
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I think you're woefully light on prey for the bass. We general start with 1,000 to 2,000 bluegills per acre and about a year later add the predators.


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Just my opinion, but I'd steer well clear of hydrila or milfoil. Both of these plants will spread to as deep as ten feet and while the initial affect will be beneficial, both could potentially put you right back to square one over time, with a pond almost completely choked out and almost impossible to fish.

The hiacynth can potentially become problematic in a large body of water as well, as it spreads rapidly and once established is very difficult to get rid of. I say that, and yet am considering floating containment rings to add some to my little pond as shade and to help use up excessive nutrient loads, while providing cover over deep water.

I would suggest looking into eelgrass and Kissimmee grass types as they'll stay confined to the shallows and still provide ample cover for fry and YOY, and are still easy enough to fish through. Also look at some form of arrowheads. All of these should be available in just about any BOW in your area.

Hard cover is never a bad idea and I personally think you cant have too much. But it does eventually rot, adds more nutrients to the water and is a hook magnet. That's why so many pond meisters use synthetic materials.


.10 surface acre pond, 10.5 foot deep. SW LA. The epitome of a mutt pond. BG, LMB, GSF, RES, BH, Warmouth, Longear Sunfish, Gambusia,Mud Minnows, Crappie, and now shiners!!...I subscribe!!
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I'd be leery of water hyacinths. Almost completely took over a 12 acre lake I used to fish when the owner decided to fertilize. They can be killed fairly easily, but the problem is that they send down seeds into the bottom which can regenerate up to 14 years!


7ac 2015 CNBG RES FHM 2016 TP FLMB 2017 NLMB GSH L 2018 TP & 70 HSB PK 2019 TP RBT 2020 TFS TP 25 HSB 250 F1,L,RBT -206 2021 TFS TP GSH L,-312 2022 GSH TP CR TFS RBT -234, 2023 BG TP TFS NLMB, -160




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Thanks for all the replies guys, really appreciate it.


Dave:

I agree entirely. As much as I would like I simply do not have the financial resources to stock the pond in a commercial manner. That is why I have limited the number of bass I have introduced and spread it out over two years. There is a fairly significant bluegill/panfish presence. I can throw a cast net and catch a dozen silver dollar size pan fish without to much issue. Same goes for golden shiners, although they tend to be much more elusive. There is also a significant tilapia population, beds all over the place, dont know how they got there, as I have never released any.


Mike:

I will take your advice and stay clear of it. The reason I was considering it is because there is a lake nearby to me that has a significant amount of hydrilla in it. It is exceptionally deep so it hasn't been able to take over.

I was considering the exact same thing myself for hyacinths or Water Lettuce. They seem like excellent habitat, but have the unfortunate habit of utterly taking over.

I've heard that plants like hyacinths and Water Lettuce are good at removing heavy metals from water.

I have seen Eel Grass, but it has always been in moving bodies of water like rivers or streams. Can it be grown in a stagnant body of water like a pond or lake? How do I grow it? Just pluck it out of a river a put in a bucket and dump it in the pond?

What is BOW?

Why arrowheads? I currently have transplanted "Hardy" water lilies, the variety with the spherical yellow flower and they seem to be doing well, just wish they would spread a little faster.

Are there any particular trees I should stay away from? Green or dried?

I am 100% willing to deal with hook magnets in order to maintain a more natural aesthetic.




Anthropic:

Thank you for the tip, I will be keeping a sharp eye on them.

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Warning sign is if all of a sudden you get a lot of pretty blue flowers on the hyacinths. Get them out QUICK, they are reproducing fast!


7ac 2015 CNBG RES FHM 2016 TP FLMB 2017 NLMB GSH L 2018 TP & 70 HSB PK 2019 TP RBT 2020 TFS TP 25 HSB 250 F1,L,RBT -206 2021 TFS TP GSH L,-312 2022 GSH TP CR TFS RBT -234, 2023 BG TP TFS NLMB, -160




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I'm not sure about eelgrass in a pond environment to be totally honest. If it reproduces through segmentation you don't even have to plant it, just throw some in the pond and it will eventually take hold.

BOW = Body of Water

As for trees to steer clear of the worst is willow, as even a stick of it will take root root and start growing and they use a lot of water.

I'd keep an eye on those lily pads too. Some species can grow up out of pretty deep water, up to 6 feet, and eventually take over as well.

It seems the best plants to introduce are those that grow and spread slowly, typically emergent types. Best advice is Google whatever plant your interested in. If its listed as "invasive", think hard before using it.


.10 surface acre pond, 10.5 foot deep. SW LA. The epitome of a mutt pond. BG, LMB, GSF, RES, BH, Warmouth, Longear Sunfish, Gambusia,Mud Minnows, Crappie, and now shiners!!...I subscribe!!
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Eel grass does well in ponds. I have redtip eel grass that I planted a few years back from some starts a kind PBF member sent me. It is around 12 to 18 inches high. I love it and plan on pulling some up this year and transplanting to other areas.

A few other plants I've had good luck with that have not gone crazy, at least in my pond...pickerelweed, duck potato, floating leaf pond weed, common creeping rush, hardstem bullrush and dwarf hybrid lilies

Last edited by Bill D.; 02/07/19 09:11 PM. Reason: after thought

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I tried planting eelgrass but did not take. Guessing it was due to high crawfish population at the time. Now the lmb are in I only see a crawfish every now and then. I would like to try it again. The only plant I have is American Pond weed and not a lot of it, but it is spreading some.


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Can I get recommendations for submerged and emergent plant suppliers? That redtip eel grass sounds great at 12 to 18 inches.


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If you are in more southern states, I think two very good short growing submerged plants are dwarf Sagittaria (Sagittaria subulata) and corkscrew eel grass (Vallisneria biawensis). Dwarf Sag stays shorter 3-6" compared to the corkscrew eel grass at 8"-12". They don't grow well in ponds that get ice cover but do very well in warmer ponds. Most are sold by the aquarium trade. Large suppliers or growers of these plants sell only wholesale. I would go to a local pet (aquarium) store or water garden shop. Ask if they they ordered them for you, would they give you a significant discount if you bought several hundred of these plants.

Ftpiercecracker - Another option would to buy several from the internet, raise them in pots or containers until they became abundant and then transplant them into your pond bottom. This eBay seller Fishareus in Opa-Locka, is in Florida. They sell both plants the dwarf Sag and short eelgrass. Contact them and see if they won't make you some sort of deal if you come and get the plants no shipping.




Last edited by Bill Cody; 02/09/19 09:44 PM.

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Thank you, Bill!


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