Pond Boss Forums AQUATIC VEGETATION Balance of plants in the environment SE Louisiana pond plant recommendations please

My little 1 acre pond has tapered banks that go to 5.5' and drop off to the 9-12' depths. I love to fish for LMB around lily pads but don't want the whole pond consumed with lily pads. Is there a LMB favorite hangout type plant that would stay in the 6' or less depths around the edges of my pond? Thanks everyone!

This one was hanging out off my water lilies. Planting in pots or selecting small varieties might be good?



I let mine run free, but a family of beaver have cut them back. My neighbor trapped out 2 young ones yesterday.





Update: 3rd beaver removed today!

Water lily stems provide excellent habitat cover for fish to hunt through. You have really nice habitat to grow bass as in your picture. Do you happen to have a variety name for those pink water lilies?

I bought them at Lowes many years ago and they are very aggressive, but I do not know what variety they are. I am willing to share with anyone that wants to come by and pull some (in warmer weather of course).

There are hardy hybrid water lily varieties that are less aggressive. RAH the variety that you have mush be a bigger Medium or Larger spread variety. There are small Medium, Small, and Dwarf varieties. If one wants only a few slow spreading lilies choose colors in the small or dwarf variety. New lily owners -do your homework before adding water lilies if size and depth of the spread is a goal.

RAH - you can control or trim your beds of lilies by selectively spraying the pads with blend - mixtures of glyphosate with surfactant / sticker. Your lilies are not real fast spreaders. If you want faster spreading water lilies plant wild native white water lilies. Then you will see 'fast' spreading water lilies. To some extent soft mud bottoms and clear water allow water lilies to spread into deeper water.

Bill - I consider the pinks very fast spreaders, but I have muskrats and beaver (3 beaver just trapped out in the last 3 days in the pond in the photo ) that trim back the beds pretty effectively. My dam on this pond is massive, so I am not very worried about a breach. I have white, red, yellow and bicolor varieties that are far less aggressive and I have moved these to other bodies of water where they do not have to compete with the aggressive pinks that crowd them out. We also have 2 ponds adjacent to one another that are only 3-4' deep and get so many immigrating muskrats from a nearby stream that the pink water lilies have never spread or even grown very well at all (barely survive) even though the muskrats are mostly trapped out every winter. I have never felt the need to plant the native whites, but maybe these shallow duck ponds would be a good place to try them. Any suggested supplier?

RAH - Very healthy looking bass there! Your pond is awesome! I love to fish around lily pads and they are pretty to look at above the water.

Bill-I was not aware that I could spray them, I have a lot to learn, can only read and retain so much information at one time, LOL.

Thanks for the help everyone!

Friend caught the bass, but I did need to wade out and detangle from lily pad stem on near shore to help him get her in.