I have never used on nor tried one. Does a person literally take a long handled rake and pull algae etc, to the shoreline. Seems like a lot of work

I have one...

I have a bad shoulder.

Used it once or twice.

It is a lot of work and aggravated my shoulder.

Here is the one I have:

Amazon Weed Razer

ps: If ya get one be careful that thing is very sharp!

I have a lake rake. It works really well with fa dragging it out. Plus any weeds on the bottom. Yes its a long handled rake that will work you! Mine is not the razor.
Dave

The razor is a cutter. The various rakes are just that a rakes use to drag stuff out or mix the upper layers of the beach area to get oxygenated water into the beach material to minimize black sediments. Big waves do it in lakes but ponds usually require mechanical mixing of water into the blackened sediments with something like a rake or drag.
Floats or weights can be added to the rakes to drag stuff on top or drag deeper into the bottom sediment.

I bought my weed rake from Bill C. Last summer my wife had a 5lb+ CC on the line and it went into a brush pile. I threw the rake into the pile and pulled part of the pile and the CC to shore. Absolutely outstanding! Recently tossed the rake and just hooked the rope to a clevis on the tractor to get it done. This old man just doesn't have the body I used to have!