Your Fishing Pond - THE DIRTY TRUTH!

[@WesleyAPEX]

Having a pond is easy if you stock the right fish and create the proper ecosystem. It’ll sustain itself. Stock lots of variety of forage, minnows, bluegill and frogs, then put turtles in there to eat the vegetation and put bass in to maintain the baitfish population and the turtles will eat the dead fish and the frogs will eat the bugs. Birds can obviously come and go but they serve a purpose too. I would recommend putting turtles in there for the plants. Do NOT stock carp to eat plants because they’ll take over the pond and overpopulate. They also stir the pond bottom up so much that they make it muddy

[@Brian-lz1cc]

grass carp must be sterile to buy them, i have 50 of them in my 3 acre and they dont stir up the bottom at all.

[@elisutton5038]

Brian yeah I believe he's thinking of common carp because grass carp do the opposite

[@howdychick30]

Those "lillies" and "water grass" are a blessing. That is what will naturally filter and clarify your water. It also keeps algae in check because they are combating for those nutrients. Your pond is going through a stabilization process. The vegetation is over grown a bit, but like all things in nature, when there's an abundance of something, a natural predator will show up and bring the numbers back down. The fishing line getting caught is indeed a pain, but one way to combat this is on the side you most fish or gather around the water, spread 1" - 2" gravel a couple of inches thick to cover the nutrient rich soil a few feet back in the water. The vegetation won't be able to grow on that side, making realling your catch in, a whole lot less of a hassel, but leave the plants in the rest of the edges to continue to filter your water and create oxygen for your fish. Just don't go in and take it all out. Nature will send in your backup. Give it a chance. Cheers!

[@matthewronsson]

It also make reeling in the catch a whole lot less of a hassle.

[@bradfordpalmer2298]

Build a pier either by ramming posts into bottom or use some plastic barrels and make a floating deck. It will allow you to get farther out into pond. The plants also allow shade for the fish And allow small fish a place to hide.

[@bethkelley9867]

This makes sense. I will note this if we ever build our lake. Thank You!

[@brittanyperry6124]

Love your points! My ducks eat a good portion of Lilly pads as well but like ya said I want them there for water clarity

[@possumfarms]

I have a simple solution for you - a big long heavy steel cable! I grew up with a circular fishing pond and we owned a couple of other ponds on farming property. Every few years we would drag this big long cable out to the pond and uncoil it. Then we would pull it around the shoreline and connect the two ends together on the tractor so it is a big circle of cable laying in the pond with the two ends up on shore connected to the tractor. Then we pull the tractor away from the pond causing the cable to drag across the floor of the pond and uproot all the vegetation and drag it all up on shore in a big pile... It makes a real mess, it's stinky (especially if you have skunk weed!) but it culls a lot of the vegetation out of the pond in one big swoop. After it dries for a few days, you just come back with the front end loader, pick up all the vegetation and put it in your compost heap. With all the fish poop and rotting vegetation, the compost heap will love it! Your plants and garden will too! It's easy, cheap and doesn't require chemicals! You just have to do it every few years to keep things in check. It's just a big long heavy cable with loops on the end to connect to the tractor... Simple - just the way I like things. We have been doing this since 1962 - it works! Good luck! From Possum Farms - Chappell Hill, Texas.

[@garysouza2277]

Could you use a long length of chain with the same results?

[@Visigoth_]

This pond video really annoyed me... "You know what's the most maintenance intensive thing in nature... a pond, it's just like having a pool." That's just the dumbest thing ever... just look at ponds and lakes in nature; is someone doing "pool maintenance" on those? No, no they aren't. Just plant it like a natural water feature.

[@jpcampbell]

I see so many of these videos. Makes no sense. I actually grew up in the country and every property had a tank (what other people call ponds). That comment was totally ridiculous. They last for generations with basically no maintenance. The more you mess with them the more you ruin nature.

[@Visigoth_]

@@jpcampbell hear! hear! 👏

[@jenson1569]

Bit late to the convo but yeah I agree for the most part but if the pond is man made trees can damage the ponds structure over time like he explained and cause it to leak.

[@MrSnapy1]

That's actually really helpful for the fish and it means its a thriving eco system. Removing all the weeds may make it look better or easier to enjoy but not for the fish. My uncle has catfish ponds in S Ga I will tell you what he does. Just burn an old mattress they will be a bunch of springs left after the fire. Cut out a section with wire cutters then tie it to a rope. Throw it in and simply remove a section of weeds to allow fishing access. Leaving the rest to help maintain a healthy food chain in the pond. Cover like this give many bonuses like cleaning the water naturally and giving small fish refuge from bigger fish. I have seen many people wanting a crystal clear pond like I said it may look nice but the fish will not thrive. Its algae and the very bottom of a healthy food chain. It also gives them cover for the sun. In other words I would pick a dingy weed filled pond to fish any day over a clear one. This looks like a perfectly healthy pond to me just needs a section cleared out to allow access.

[@jkhenderson1]

MrSnapy1 Great idea!

[@MrLaftis]

I can't believe the extension people gave him those advised. Just like they want to kill his pond, kill the fish and turn it into a swimming pool. It is just like taking grass out of your land.

[@firewhenready1970]

Wrong evasive weeds In the pond deplete the oxygen and kill fish over time been there

[@MrSnapy1]

@@firewhenready1970 You ever fished the everglades ? Nothing but weeds and evasive weeds but huge fish....

[@firewhenready1970]

MrSnapy1 no I haven’t fished there but the body of water is different the ponds are a small concentrated areas the Everglades are large open areas.

[@BeautifuLakesStreamsBiologists]

Actually only poorly designed ponds require a lot of maintenance. Our goal is always zero maintenance. If you haven't learned the plant choking your pond yet, it is called watershield. Cheers!

[@AusJackal]

The clay to fix leaks is bentonite.. you don't need to break the dam/walls to drain it.. you can install a syphon...

[@ori8218]

I use a pond dye twice a year to keep the sun light from reaching so deep. Works like a charm. Grass carp are fantastic also.

[@OFFGRIDwithDOUGSTACY]

we have been here 6 years and never have done a thing and it is rocking =) But I will not let any trees grow on the banks like anything, every homestead is different

[@KindCountsDeb3773]

WHERE do you live?

[@DeeMoback]

OFF GRID with DOUG & STACY allow some trees on the west side

[@teel6060]

Not all ponds are high maintenance. For those pond lilies take either an old mattress spring or fence panel, fish a rope (by boat) from one end of the pond to the other, hook it to a tractor and drag a swath from one end of the pond to the other.

[@jennystancliff8096]

Get canoe, get garden rake, paddle and get busy brother. Or swim and pull. ROUNDUP IS NEVER OPTION PEOPLE. God bless you all. Love you guys

[@YSLRD]

Yes, He is.

[@adammitchell3462]

Not all ponds require any maintenance, mine has a fresh water supply and I don't have to do anything in it except trim overhanging limbs, I think having fresh water pouring in at all times keeps it clean

[@waynetadlock9719]

Lesson from lagoons...(2:55). Too many trees, {even tall weeds}, too close- make it really hard for natural winds to whip up and aerate the water. The shade is great for fishing in the heat, but please allow the air to flow. Creeks are often heavily forested, but there's moving water there. Still water needs air incorporated into it. Thanks.

[@caz888]

First: i didn't read all the comments before posting this. I breed snails for commercial aquariums and have often watched them devastate the flora of an aquarium. It's possible your lily-pad explosion is a direct result of the red-eared sunfish's impact on the snail population. It may not seem possible that the snails could consume that much bio-mass but normally they eat the base of plants, severing the photosynthesizing leafy parts from the roots. Resulting in plant death and overgrowth control. These processes normally ebb and flow between states such as- lots of snails (and the accompanying larva) to a state of lily-pad bloom, which in turn provides the food for the cycle to repeat. I'm not saying the introduction of the fish was the cause, simply suggesting it's possible. With the decline of the snail population the red-ears will most likely seek out a new food source and the snails will rebound to an extent. Eventually a state of snail to pad equilibrium might be reached. My suggestion at this point would be slow manual removal of pads. My reasoning: the pads may provide food and protection to the snails. Allowing them to rebound slowly and reach a happy medium sooner than the natural process would allow. Hope this helps.

[@jameslumley2463]

My pond has never had these problems. The builder said the secret to not have weed problems is too have fairly steep sides and deepness. I have good clay bottom and am planting trees around the pond for natural effect. I have worms too because of lots of birds. Thanks for the tips on redear sunfish. I wish I could get some lily pads. Not all ponds are a lot of maintenance. Mine is practically none. The secret is how it is constructed in the first place.

[@Countryprepper]

I know some people put grass carp fish in their ponds to keep the vegetation down. Don't know if that would work for your situation or not, but worth looking into.

[@williamturpin1596]

Carp will take over your pond bad idea

[@hassansalvo7507]

Thanks for all the extra knowledge. This will come in handy. Greetings from Mexico 🇲🇽

[@oldhippyhomesteaders]

We just started turning out huge built in pool into a pond letting it go all natural good info thanks prepper pam

[@theoldguy9329]

I don't have a pond. I asked a friend who's dad used to. His suggestion was grass carp and turtles will eat out the grass and lily pads. It might give you a better eco system. And yes, cut the trees back. Interesting about the grubs and the tribulations....makes one appreciate the multitude of issues.

[@weslow80]

I've done research to fix one of my old ponds as well, the cheapest and easiest way. (Not digging it out) It's hard to get good information. From what I've read: Start by adding a beneficial bacteria that will decompose the muck on the bottom. You also need to aerate, so the bacteria can perform properly. Also get some grass carp and maybe dye the water to keep plant growth down. Not only will the tree roots break the side walls, but the dead leaves will add nutrients that are unwanted, also why the plants are growing, the nitrogen. (Livestock is the worst for this contamination). Get the trees back to keep out extra nutrients, also keep in mind that plants are important to use up extra nutrients that will pollute the water and fill up pond. Caused from plants, dead animals, animal manure, and also fish excretions. You also might have a problem with too many fish in that small of a pond. There is a certain number of fish you should have per square foot or acre that is acceptable. Anything over that will cause the pond to fill with nutrients, and then not support animal life and only plant life, then fill in.

[@swanyut]

would cutting back those trees allow a lot more sunlight into the pond...just wondering if you will end up with an algae bloom then... are you allowed to use floating hyacinth plants there...they will float on top of water and not root anchor to the bottom

[@John4.23-24]

Lilies help to clean the ammonia from the fish waist. A certain amount is a good sign.

[@davidschmidt270]

Thank you sir.....yeah definitely help keep things into perspective....it's just fill it up and put fish in!

[@AlexRides808]

My uncle had a pond when I was growing up. I remember him spending Sundays after church (if football wasn't on) out in his pond in waders pulling lilies and other weeds by the roots to keep it cleaned out.

[@martybertrand5119]

Some good information. I’m trying to deal with a neglected pond that doesn’t hold water. I have a ton Of trees to clear first. Trees all the way around and in the middle. PIA

[@silenttitan7636]

Have you tried putting hydrangea in the pond it will crowd out and kill lily pads but it won't grow all the way to the surface it usually only grows two and a half to 3 ft tall all along the bottom of the pond if you get the right breed of hydrangea it also aerates the pond a lot hydrangea produces a lot of oxygen in the water so your fish especially high energy fish like Bass we'll have a good fight to them and can grow extra large

[@TheTitian69]

2 things Zack.. first I use a landscape with barb wire wrapped around two times just to snag more and then rake from a john boat. I drag the rake along the bottom and put the foliage in the boat till it fills up dump on bank and repeat. second I would dig a center deeper section where the weeds wont grow and the bigger fish will live on the edges of the weeds and smaller ones will use the weeds as cover with raked spots to fish for the blue gills

[@jamesdennis8186]

loved growing up on a property with a pond...didnt realize how lucky i was as a child until now.

[@PrattFamilyHomestead]

EXCELLENT!! I have been wanting a pond and you have given me a ton to think about. Thank you! - Mike

[@jonathanflud492]

Once the shell cracker take care of the problem u can't eat them after they would be full of worm's right?

[@eddeetz493]

Do the birds eat the raked vegetation? Your due diligence is always spot on.

[@AutumnOaksFarm]

If you have seen my ponds in our videos I do not have this problem. We use Grass Carp, one in the small pond, and the larger pond has two. The carp are non breeding but check your extension office if you can use them in your area. In Missouri that is the recommendation from MDC. We also use the Red Ears and have no problems with grubs. Great video as always.

[@toddschrocatart]

Autumn Oaks Farm We also added the Hybrid white amour carp they have had amazing impact on algae (nonexistent now) water clarity is so much better without dye, hate that stuff. The carp will live 12-14 years and grow to about 40lbs or so.

[@colsoncustoms8994]

mosquito fish and golden shiners are a great addition to any fishing pond. Not sure that they will have any impact on the grass and weeds, but they will give a solid food source for the bass and bluegill. If you could get them to grow, creek chub would be a great way to get bass fat in time to harvest as well. Building the food chain is important.

[@freedomwoodgasandoffgridin8925]

We used two old box springs and used a winch to drag them back and for to cut the weeds down. Was a lot of work but was free and it worked

[@libertylion6088]

Like others have said, get an aerator and keep the amount of vegetation from falling into at a minimum (ie cut trees back). Also, some grass carp can help to keep your pond weeds down.

[@williamturpin1596]

Carp will take over your pond and kill off your fish.no.good

[@mattfarus1]

@@williamturpin1596 grass carp are sterile

[@willieboy8798]

does the pond have running source or is it all drainage from land... thanks for posting and the review... when I was a kid neighbors had a beautiful lake clear water great fishing ...when there business toke off they hired a crew to maintain it. it produced two state record bass about fifty years ago. they introduced controlled fishing made it into a partial pay lake. then canoeing and light boating...it had a very good source. the vegitation was planted. just like anything else when they bought the property they factored in all of that. the place is massive today...the construction company has made billionaires, they bought the property in the fifties. a pond is also a business as well!

[@CiaofCleburne]

We used to fish a pond where we often saw the yellow-ish “worms” embedded in the meat of our catch. This pond was severely overcrowded tho I dont know if that was of any consequence. We used to have a rule that of we caught it, we kept it.

[@Southern195]

I came to KZbin and typed in “building a fish pond” and here I landed!! Looking to build a pond in our pasture and needing tips and what “not” to do.

[@Southern195]

Never mind!!! Think I will get chickens instead! 😂 Sounds like a lot of maintenance ~ more than a pool

[@j.walker3498]

find some garden rakes weld them up together, the panels and wire works well but cant get the roots as well. dont break the dam if you decide to redo it use pvc pipe as a syphon. bentonite is they clay that will seal a leak. not sure if you have a tractor supply but they have meds for fish.

[@saltylandscaper7193]

Some native grasses along the bank will build up a stong root system and secure the walls of the pond. The tree roots may or may not cause more harm depending on the type of tree and root system and the trees proximity to the ponds edge.

[@stevencorley3296]

Can't you use the lily pads for compost, mulch or fodder?

[@YSLRD]

20 years ago an extension agent told me to cut down all my backyard trees. He said they had borers and would die anyway. No treatment possible. Here we are- 2 decades later ( I didn't) . A young one blew over in a bad storm. All the rest are still here and a couple of them are about two ft diameter. Anyway. Extension agents.

[@yankey4]

Brother have you looked into getting sterile grass carp? We did this a few years back and now are grass has been cut down to less than 1/2 of what it was. God Bless brother.

[@sfetterly6200]

nicely done Zach, adding fish or other species is nearly always preferred if you want to keep it a real life cycle pond. Water snails are a problem all around the world, be thankful you don't live in West Africa, Ginea worms get in the people from snails and the worms (feet long) grow out of every area of people you can imagine, I dealt with that problem for 8 years from the Volta River project. There people were part of the life cycle. Please check if there is a fish, crayfish, freshwater crab that feeds of the plants, they will keep each other in check.

[@eliinthewolverinestate6729]

Get you a long pvc pipe put one end in deepest spot the other just high enough to let water out. This will let heavier dirty water at bottom out first. That will clear up pond and cut down on lily pads. I could never get bottom layer of water to clear up on frog pond until I put overflow deeper.

[@KindCountsDeb3773]

would it make a difference what STATE/area you live in as far as it staying natural and LESS maintenance??? I hope to have one in N.C. THANKS. great info

[@WinsomeWinslet]

Glad I saw this before building a pond. Definitely need to rethink the strategy.

[@eaglecamphomesteadswfl9006]

Great Info video, thanks I'm planning on digging a pond on the camp where I have a low damp area.

[@DTBAXLEY]

You can put in 3 or 4 grass carp and in maybe a year all your weeds will be gone. You can usually buy them off of fish trucks or check where you purchased the red ears

[@cycletivity3584]

A couple of thoughts - Here in south Florida we had a massive problem with water vegetation that was addressed with carp. Did ever consider raking and composting the water vegetation, turning your problem into a resource. I use a skippy filter on everything from my aquariums to my ponds and have found them to be no maintenance and really enhance the ponds productivity. I think a pond is like organic gardening or permaculture you have to work it but you can achieve a low to no maintenance condition by achieving balance.

[@wayofthewordwow7574]

How is the pond doing now?

[@joshhigdon4951]

Great video. Ponds are no where even close to maintaining a pool though. They certainly are work if you want a healthy pond, but an in ground pool here in NW Georgia takes about 10-15 hours a week.

[@joshblick]

So did the red eared sunfish work?????

[@DgChieu]

Thank you so much for very helpful video. God bless your family .

[@TheWinnipegstorm]

mayhaps... black out plastic over a section to cut off the sunlight???? like you would to rid an area of grass or weeds..use rafts or pontoons to keep plastic just above the water??

[@propagating-radio]

I had no idea there was that much maintenance involved in keeping a pond. Good video!

[@robertm4050]

Try setting up a "Texas Rig" on a fake worm to deal with weeds. We have to use them up north for fishing a lot.

[@mellender0]

we used a cable that when thru the pond and attached it to a truck and yanked bunch out and kept going until it cleared enough. trees are very bad for sidewalls. should be kept at least 20 feet from the sides that I have been told.

[@chazhinkeldey1465]

You could try using an old chain link fence too... I have seen some folks doing that too.

[@andiamador7156]

If you have any runoff from your livestock it will cause excessive plant growth and throw the pond out of balance. Eutrophication. The plants are there to eat the excessive nutrients and clean the pond water. Leaves from too many trees may act in a similar manner of fertilizer, so keep the edges of the pond clear and some taller trees farther away to cast some afternoon shade onto the pond, I would think. You can manually clear patches for fishing. You should be compost the pulled plants for gardening. If you collect rain water for gardening, you can pump water from the pond to water the garden and replace with the rain water, also. Your pond isn't huge, so it may make a dent in the water quality or help improve the overgrowth of plants situation. I used to stick large cuttings from my gardenias in the edge of the pond, where I lived, to quickly develop roots. I am working on an aquaponics set up, but for now, I just use the fish solids and water to fertilize my in ground garden and replace the water loss with collected rain water. Fish like to have some plants, so they can hide and experience shade and their fry can hide and grow, and the plants produce oxygen. But too many has a negative effect, and their die off removes oxygen instead, and you can get fish die off instead, and it all makes it all worse, maybe to the point of destruction. It is a matter of things getting out of balance and killing a little ecosystem that should be working. I would say plant eating fish like carp, but they also screw up native fish breeding nests, and they don't fully fix the problem that is causing the excessive plant growth. They just treat a symptom and any inputs from that symptom. This I just found may be helpful. It does say, however, to leave the trees and that they are beneficial against runoff problems. www.fairfaxcounty.gov/nvswcd/newsletter/pondproblems.htm

[@americaneden3090]

i saw a video wish i could link it but it was a few years ago anyway they had an aquaponic micro ecosystem in an IBC tote fish in the tote above the tote they removed a portion of the top and had a tray with holes over it they had plants whose roots went into the water, the roots cleaned the water fed the fish some and they harvested the lettuces and produce from above the tote seemed really interesting its difficult to get a tote that didnt house chemicals but they got ones not tainted and kept several in a pole barn lined up in a row with plants above all of them

[@spiritofgivings]

Wow Zach! Thank you very much for this! I really am looking forward to the update on the parasite!

[@patricialadd520]

Thank you for sharing your experience and what you learned. Are the ponds that you have spring fed or just stagnant? How does that play out with upkeep?

[@Anamericanhomestead]

spring fed

[@ginj5375]

That's good, your pond will also, what we call "turn" at certain times of the year, the bottom comes up and it will get green...that's also a good thing, and normal...A good dredge should help but may have to be repeated, more sun light also. Cows or goats would also help, even a few. Keep trees only on the west side, would also help. Blessings and think Job when dealing with a pond, but make hast on the lily pads. P.S.We stick our bush hog in with the tractor for air when it turns, helps protect the fish and stirs the water. Sun fish are a good thing. and if you catch them and they aren't returnable, add to your garden.

[@WesleyAPEX]

Lilly pads will destroy any pond. They cover the surface and if the pond is 5’ deep or less they will grow across the entire surface

[@Billster1955]

Great info. I hope to have my own fish pond one day soon.

[@sueleigh1018]

So glad to have this info and I want to follow this process to see what you do, how it works, and what you learn. Is it only cranes that carry the worms or do herons and egrets carry them too? Is it feasible to shoot visiting cranes with rubber bullets so they survive to leave and hopefully never come again? I am clueless as a newborn about these things and I'm sure my question reflects that!!

[@nogoodcops6557]

You need 1 grass carp (make sure she's not fertilized) to help control the vegetation and some heavy tungsten jigs to punch through the thick grass and get to those big mama bass hiding in there. Also, you need an aerator (grass carp are oxygen suckers for sure).

[@jaegerthegreat7619]

I don't have my own personal pond but there's a private pond in my neighborhood and every year they collect money to get it treated for gunk in the water. I have noticed changes over the years as leaf matter clogs up the shallow areas and thorny bushes invade the shores. It's clearly no easy task

[@brentfranklin3557]

Thanks for snapping us back to reality! Lol A lot to research before we dig that dream pond. Love the videos, keep em' going! Karen & Brent

[@ianrhett]

Thanks for this. I have a pond that drains frequently and trying to decide what to do with it - repair or fill...

[@resilientfarmsanddesignstu1702]

Here is a tip for you. Pick up some free pallets (make sure that the wood is heat treated and contains no harmful chemicals). Get them to float. (Pack them with foam, kids noodles from the dollar store etc. or attach drums). Attach eye hooks to the top. Attach a rope to some eye hooks to make a handle so that they can be positioned and easily retrieved with ropes from the shore. (You need a couple of ropes to position them (otherwise they will float to the shore.) Anchor the ropes to stakes or to a heavy object and throw that over the edge of the dam. Attach a heavy duty sun screening fabric to the floating pallets. That will shade out the plants where they are attached. (In the mud in the shallow water near the shore). After all the plants are killed, cut a hole in the pallet, place a pot filled with coco husks, peat etc. and plant your water filtering and edible or marketable aquaculture plants in the pots. Now you have a filter, a cash crop and floating shelter structure for the fish which allows you to cast and to catch them with no snags as the roots of the plants are floating in the water and not attached to your pond bottom! Tip two: place a pipe from the pond to a manhole in a gazebo or enclosed structure located above or adjacent to the pond. Open the manhole and feed your fish there. Place a grill next to the manhole. Invite some guests. When it’s time to eat, open the manhole, throw in a little chum, drop your lines, haul out the fish, prep and fry! Enjoy! Winter set up. Add a small rocket stove, a TV set and an ice box with a case of beer. Fry up some fish, drink the beer and watch the Super Bowl! (This arrangement works best with an enclosed or semi-enclosed structure). That’s how I do it. Hope that helps!

[@resilientfarmsanddesignstu1702]

As to the dead plants. Don’t try to do the entire pond at once, otherwise you will need to add a bubbler or two to prevent the pond from going anaerobic on you (important if you have fish in the pond). I also throw some crayfish in to shred and eat the plant debris and provide food for the fish.

[@scrider8464]

Had no idea pond like a pool! I know that is a pain. No idea about trees either weakening the walls. Had no idea, thanks.

[@yelortiz]

Thank you for sharing. It’s very useful

[@MrBpayne513]

Those birds are territorial, you can use decoys to keep them out

[@RMKDobbins]

Thanks for the info; I didn't know about how cranes could infect the pond water like that.

[@KB82nd]

Thanks for the video, I’m sure it’s save someone a ton of money and headaches

[@psaltyasf7165]

M8 those pads r goofd for the pond and the fish. It makes them happy. You can fish the bass with topwater popping frogs. They are made to skip over grass and lili pads

[@jayjohnson7827]

Enjoying your series a lot, thx. Is your pond natural occurring?, semi-man made?, Is it fed by rain only or is there a creek? I just started watching your vids so I'll prob see the answer in 45 minutes. lol Thanks again.

[@Flounder3000]

What happened to your aquaponics setup?

[@zorkabess]

Pond rakes and copper sufate does the trick....those plants have to come out with the roots.....Once that's done it will take years for the plants to re-establish.

[@Random_guy803]

Get a large net with heavy weights or 3 strands of bar wire with a poll on each end that will stretch bank to bank. Hook it to a winch and drag the weeds out.

[@jeremyc9641]

I appreciate informative videos like this.

[@commonconservative7551]

how about dragging black plastic over large areas till it dies out......I do that with large areas in my wild back yard to kill off and start over

[@DavidLipson-y7x]

how about shade cloth

[@waltlars3687]

The cattle panel drag sounds good I would use a ATV or a pair to drag it back and forth depending on where You could run the ATVs might need some pullies and rope one ATV pulls the panel drag one way and have a slack line hooked to other ATV or put a nylon Tree saver around a strong tree near pound and make the drags of panel cutter in a fan shape I would put some kind of floats on the panel drag so its not always dragging on the bottom distrubing that fertlie zone

[@waryr11711]

Maybe its your climate hmmmm curious to me? We had 2 ponds on farm we grew up on one 1 acre one 5 acre and i'm serious we never did anything to our ponds and they never got plant growth in them except on shallow ends were plant growth is suppose to be for our ducks ect and baby fish and wildlife including insects. We were stocked w/ the normal channel cat, bass and bluegill. So looking for difs we had no trees near ponds except 1 yellow weeping willow. Water had constant movement. Both ponds were deep one 18 ft and the other 25 ft. except shallow ends which was a gradual taper dwn the shallow end was about 50ish ft long before it dropped to deep end. We had wild birds visit and no parasites ??? Had blue heron, egrets, eagles, canadian geese and wild mallards.

[@daviddaigrepont9485]

We put an aerator in ours and we have no maintenance at all. Clear water and plenty of fish. We've had this pond since 1989.

[@jzwillows]

How deep is it?

[@daviddaigrepont9485]

john 5-6' at the deep end

[@jzwillows]

@@daviddaigrepont9485 Too bad not 15'. Do you get plants coming to the surface from that deep? Since I made my 4 foot by 18 foot swimming pond rather than inherit it, I inherited no weeds. Crayfish came from somewhere (maybe the kids) and frogs came to it & I stocked it with goldfish. I put in 3 largemouth to keep all these in control. I had bluegill but got rid of them since they think they are sharks and that there was not room enough for people & them.

[@collinvickers2345]

A natural solution to the vegetation issue is to introduce crayfish. They will also serve as a good forage item for the bass.

[@homesteader9]

Wondering of the plants showed up because the snails kept them trimmed but were eaten by the redear? Also I heard that, while kinda gross, those worm pose no threat to humans. You can eat fish with those without worry.

[@gregblanton9386]

Spread a few cups of Hardwood Ash on the pond surface, it will eradicate most if not all of the aquatic growth.

[@cbriangilbert1978]

We have had ponds for decades with no maintenance really. No trees near the pond.

[@backdoor5993]

Great info in video and in the comments, thanks to everyone!

[@josetterowan9001]

I've seen this thing called a weed shear for ponds on KZbin before and I'm wondering if it would be useful.

[@louissmith850]

Use a jon boat and a trimmer or a pole saw and cut them at the base. After that add dye to prevent sunlight reaching the bottom

[@teriguerin8371]

Stay away from "Round-up" or any chemicals.

[@joshlower1]

If you build you pond right in the right place with the right design it can be as easy filling it with water and then filling it with fish.

[@darshayfarmer1440]

Interesting thanks for sharing! we use some salt in our fresh water fish tank every water change. Bentonite is the product you use for repairing leaks in ponds.

[@PCLye]

Bentonite is a form of clay? How do you use it to repair the leaks?

[@pbotptpbotpt968]

Grass carp. We have worked on a few larger ponds

[@MS-lg3ie]

This is so interesting!!! Thanks for sharing!!

[@grantdavis6241]

Now I am going to be shy about Red Ears as they have to poop out the parasites back into the water?