Pond Boss Forums AQUATIC VEGETATION Controlling unwanted plants East Texas Pond (Rusk Co)

Good morning, everyone. Need some help with controlling this grass like kelp stuff that showed up in my pond over the last week or two. This stuff makes fishing no fun. Any input for short and long term management is welcomed. Tks.

Hey Joe,

Please post a closeup picture. I'm sure one of the pros can identify it with a closer look.

I had what looks like similar stuff in one of my ponds. As some people will probably be quick to point out some aquatic plants will spread by fragmentation.(And they are 100% right and justified in doing so it's a good warning.) I used some rope purchased from a box store and a landscaping rake from the same store to get the stuff out of my pond. It is now residing in my compost pile. Although I didn't pull all of it out. I do not have a boat and could not reach some corners it has not came back with a vengeance.(But the next inhabitant is this blue greenish algae that clumps together, something will utilize the nutrients.)

So if your looking for a low buck approach you could try what worked for me. 100' of rope and a landscape rake. Tie rope to head of rake with a clove hitch and a half hitch stopper or any other secure knot combination bowline etc... Put a few rolling half hitches down the length of the rake shaft so you drag it like you would on land. Can tape the last half hitch so it doesn't slide around to much. Then get your rope laid out and javelin that rake out there as far as you can drag to shore clean it off and repeat.(If it's just on the surface to keep the rake from sinking just zip tie a "fun-noodle"(those long tubular pool float things made of foam.) I was able to clear my smallest pond which is only a little over a 1/8 acre pond. In around an hour of work time.

Oh note on safety...do not throw the rake to high in the air try and keep it low or a stray loop of rope may go around your neck and give you an interesting looking rope burn. Live and learn .

Sorry everyone. That initial picture was pretty bad. I've attached a better pic, however since I'm no longer at the property this is as close as I have right now. To describe it better, would be to say that there is quite a bit of what I would call algae...that's the brown stuff attached to underwater vegetation, very slimy and appears to be spreading.

Diver Cody, thanks for the tip. I have a kayak and will probably end up doing exactly what you suggest in the next week or so.

I just want to make sure that I don't have a more serious problem other than aesthetics and an inconvenience to fishing.

Lastly, I caught this little guy (10 1/2") with a texas-rig worm shortly after my initial posting.

Joe, the stuff shown in your photo could easy be any one of a half dozen or more aquatic plants. Slender spikerush, bladderwort, southern naiad or coontail are my first guesses - in order of likelihood.
For accurate ID-purposes, we'll need an in-focus photo of ONLY one individual plant (roughly 6" of terminal/tip-growth) resting in your palm, or positioned on a contrasting surface adjacent to a coin or something similar for size-reference.

Kelly, I will do that soon. Stay tuned.