Pond Boss Forums Thread Like Summary - % aquatic plants for a healthy pond?

I just did a Draftlogic area calculation and came up with 6.87 acres of plants in a 18.55 acre pond. This is approximately 37% weeds (if I did my math correctly).

What's healthy? Is this too much or too little, or just right? Ultimately I would like to grow some big LMB.

I'm sure someone will ask so here's what's in it; black and white crappie, bass, golden shiners, bluegill, green sunfish, channel cats, bullheads, and probably some other random stuff.

I had coontail completely take over my pond, growing from depths of at least 12' and spreading on the surface. For years it kept itself at bay, although it would spread as the summer came on, we could at least use some of the pond. Each year though, it got worse and worse. It was so bad that by June each season, our pond was unusable. You couldn't cast in it, couldn't swim in it and even putting a kayak in wasn't any fun. It was so bad that I was worried if a someone fell off our dock and got panicked, they could drown should that stuff wrap them up.

I tried raking it and maybe got a 30' x 30' spot around the dock yanked out and carted away while it took me a good portion of a day. It was far too much for us to treat with pesticides and we eventually decided to drain, dredge and start our pond anew, a decision I am so happy with now. This time we'll hammer on it if and when as soon as we see any of it again.

Maybe other people haven't had the negative experiences I've had with that vegetation but for me, that stuff is evil.

Lochow Pond Management says 30%. I hate grass carp. Our lake is 70 years old. Grass carp stripped it of all native vegetation and invasive Alligator grass took over. Grass carp won't touch that stuff. I'm now trying to re-establish beneficial vegetation and even after 20 years I still have to fence everything to keep the grass carp from destroying it. Vegetation is the base of the food chain,unless you want to feed forever.

What plants make up the 37%? 37% of Potamogeton is a lot different than 37% European Milfoil.

A buddy and I used to go fishing for catfish as teens. If the catfish weren't biting, we would then make dough balls and fish for carp.

We always had more fun when the carp were biting than anytime we fished for catfish! Even small carp on your ultralight spinning tackle is highly entertaining.

Rumor has it that some guy that looked very similar to me, may have once filled the concrete pond in front of his high school with 5-6# carp.