Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations A Lunker In Every Stocking

To all who read, respond, and/or provide service to this site Merry Christmas!

There has been a lot of constructive criticism the last few months about this site, and that's okay. I have fished all my life and have built 9 different ponds. I would like to think each pond was better than the the one before it. One of the keys to quality of life is the pursuit towards excellence through continuous improvement. I would like to think that is what this site is all about. Recently I have learned that I cannot use talapia for forage in south georgia because it is illegal. I have learned not to incorporate cattails around the edge of my ponds, for additional cover, because cattails have been known to grow in 6 feet of water which makes them virtually uncontrollable. I have learned these things from this site. A lot of people in this area call me when they have a question about fish or a pond. Obviously, I still have a lot to learn. Hopefully, we all will never cease the yearn to learn.

And a Happy New Year!

I agree there is a different set of rules where ever you go we plant cattails in every pond they never grow in more than 3 feet of water up here some of us have built many ponds but it is always a honor to visit a pond that was built many years ago and has been given the attention it deserves to thrive with it's surrondings.

I did'nt think they would grow in more than 3 feet of water. However, I read a post awhile back
and someone commented that they had seen cattails growing in 6 feet of water. I have always liked the look in natural ponds of cattails. They would provide both cover and shade. They are also not strong enough to hold up a poaching heron or water turkey. I was concerned however about how invasive they might be.

I kill lots of cattails. I don't think I have ever seen them in deeper than 3 feet, so that is not their problem. They instead encompass the entire shoreline. I like them in small areas. Some pondowners will treat edges (glyphosate) to keep from spreading. However I promise if established, they will after year one start to spread over the entire littoral zone and this limits fishing from the bank. Also with low fertility water in the south they take up fertilizer intended for phytoplankton.

Sounds like the bad outweighs the good.

I, too, eradicate plenty of cattails. But, let's not lose perspective.
Cattails are plants nature uses to hold loose soils in shallow water. Some environments need cattails.
I have found cattails in water as deep as six feet, and as shallow as ankle deep.
In every case, cattails grow in loose, mucky dirt.
Cattails don't serve a constructive purpose for fish cover.
Cattails are invasive in waters less than six feet deep.
On the other hand, cattails can serve a wonderful purpose in a landscape, or to provide a visual barrier.
I have used dwarf cattails in landscapes. Bought some from a water garden distributor before.
Look at cattails in your overall scheme. Want them for fish cover? Forget it.
Want them to hold loose soils in a shallow creek bed, next to a neighbor you don't want to see? May be a good idea.
Want them as part of a diversified landscape? Use dwarf cattails, with other species of plants.
Here's my biggest point....you have lots of tools at your disposal. You have different plants, different fish, boats, docks, fertilizer, herbicides, catch and release, slot limits and many others.
Use the tools which apply to reach your goals. Leave the others for their best applications.
Look at cattails as another of nature's tools. If it applies to your environment, use it. If not, don't.