Weed growth

[associatedmatt]

Anyone know any ways of combating weed growth or to slow it down in a gravel pit ?

A few member in a local club ate going to sort out a lake which is under fished and looking at ways to remove or help slow down the growth.

Thanks

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[greenie62]

Depends on a lot of factors:
- type of weed
- depth of water
- composition of water (inc pH)
- oxygenation
- current / intended aquatic life
- waterfowl
- clarity of water
- light/shade around lake
- etc.
There's no 1 simple solution - each lake is unique and may require quite different treatments. There are specialist firms who can advise - including the EA!

Some of our lakes have been treated with Dyofix - turning them a photogenic bluish colour - which cuts down on the light penetration stimulating weed-growth. Others have been 'treated' with Carp stocking - they grub about in true 'mud-pig' style - muddy the water - and cut down on light penetration that way.

Nothing works overnight! You'll need to decide how long you plan to give it and get the 'club' to sign-up to the timescales.

Good luck:thumbs:

 

[associatedmatt]

Depends on a lot of factors:
- type of weed
- depth of water
- composition of water (inc pH)
- oxygenation
- current / intended aquatic life
- waterfowl
- clarity of water
- light/shade around lake
- etc.
There's no 1 simple solution - each lake is unique and may require quite different treatments. There are specialist firms who can advise - including the EA!

Some of our lakes have been treated with Dyofix - turning them a photogenic bluish colour - which cuts down on the light penetration stimulating weed-growth. Others have been 'treated' with Carp stocking - they grub about in true 'mud-pig' style - muddy the water - and cut down on light penetration that way.

Nothing works overnight! You'll need to decide how long you plan to give it and get the 'club' to sign-up to the timescales.

Good luck:thumbs:

Thanks think best to go through to the ea and go from there. She's has been tried but in summer gets really thick in weed and raking seems to make it worse

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[thecrow]

raking seems to make it worse

It will if you are disturbing silt that has locked in nutrients, its akin to fertilising the weed.

 

[associatedmatt]

So is it down to treating the weed with right chemicals ?

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[greenie62]

So is it down to treating the weed with right chemicals ? .......

mg: NO! mg:
Sorry Matt - perhaps I didn't make myself clear on the previous post - just re-read it - I think maybe you should too!!

We have effectively lost one water this year by the helpful Local Authority's misappropriate use of chemical weedkiller - "only trying to help! - it worked OK on the Park Boating Lake!" mg:

Chemical solutions/treatments should be one of the last resorts - and then only if checked with the EA and all else has failed.

 

[associatedmatt]

mg: NO! mg:
Sorry Matt - perhaps I didn't make myself clear on the previous post - just re-read it - I think maybe you should too!!

We have effectively lost one water this year by the helpful Local Authority's misappropriate use of chemical weedkiller - "only trying to help! - it worked OK on the Park Boating Lake!" mg:

Chemical solutions/treatments should be one of the last resorts - and then only if checked with the EA and all else has failed.

Sorry I miss read it . What are the other options before chemicals ?

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[keora]

Anyone know any ways of combating weed growth or to slow it down in a gravel pit ?

A few member in a local club ate going to sort out a lake which is under fished and looking at ways to remove or help slow down the growth.

Thanks

Sent from my SM-G935F using Tapatalk

You could try removing the weeds with a large metal drag on a long cord. This takes ages, and especially in fertile gravel pits the weed (elodea, hornwort, water milfoil etc) grows back in a couple of weeks.

Another solution is to pour a special dye into the water. It reduces the transmission of sunlight through water and is supposed to slow down weed growth - less sunlight, less weed growth.

I've fished a 2 acre club pond (ex clay pit) where the dye has been used. It gives an odd metallic sheen to the surface (there's different colours available). It seems to work to some extent, although some dedicated members still spend a lot of time removing weeds manually.

If I were you I'd ask the Fisheries Section of the EA for advice.

Or you could pay a consultant - see this:

Herbicides for pond weed removal in lakes, rivers and ponds

 

[seth49]

I used to fish a pond of about an acre, which was full of weed, then some Canada geese moved in, they got rid of most of it, the only drawback was goose poo every where.

 

[tigger]

I wouldn'rt use chemicals, there will always be ramifications which will be detremental to the water and inhabitants. If it where my lake i'd opt for regular cutting in places that need it. At the end of the day weeds harbour insect life etc and dilute nitrites. Weeds help to keep good head of fish.....jmo.

 

[Philip]

Well if your looking for a natural solution you could stick some Grass carp in there. However they are not a magic solution. They dont eat all types of weed but can help to control certain types.

As an aside ...if the club control the weed this year I would get on there the following year. Fish weights often spiral up the year after weed is treated

 

[tigger]

Grass carp only eat weed when small/juvanile so it's an old wives tale that they clear a pool of weed.

 

[Philip]

They wont clear a pond of weed. They will help control certain weed.

Yes the smaller ones do eat it more often than the larger ones but its certainly not exclusive.

The very adult and large Grass Carp in the ponds on the Bois de Bologne that go round munching the weed day after day. I guess they havent heard the old wives tale

 

[associatedmatt]

Well if your looking for a natural solution you could stick some Grass carp in there. However they are not a magic solution. They dont eat all types of weed but can help to control certain types.

As an aside ...if the club control the weed this year I would get on there the following year. Fish weights often spiral up the year after weed is treated

Was brought up a few years ago and the club voted against the crass carp idea . They need to understand that if the weed reduced will improve fishing

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[tigger]

They wont clear a pond of weed. They will help control certain weed.

Yes the smaller ones do eat it more often than the larger ones but its certainly not exclusive.

The very adult and large Grass Carp in the ponds on the Bois de Bologne that go round munching the weed day after day. I guess they havent heard the old wives tale

Yàaaaaaaaaaaaawn

 

[sam vimes]

They need to understand that if the weed reduced will improve fishing

That's not necessarily true. Less weed might make it easier for anglers to present a bait, but it can actually make the fishing worse. I used to rally hate weedy venues, and I'm still not that keen now. However, once you get your head wrapped around the issues, they can make for the best venues. The snag is that they usually require a lot of effort. One of the biggest benefits is that they put off an awful lot of anglers and many fish species thrive on neglect. Too much neglect, coupled with not much bait, can make the fish in them very hard to tempt.

 

[associatedmatt]

That's not necessarily true. Less weed might make it easier for anglers to present a bait, but it can actually make the fishing worse. I used to rally hate weedy venues, and I'm still not that keen now. However, once you get your head wrapped around the issues, they can make for the best venues. The snag is that they usually require a lot of effort. One of the biggest benefits is that they put off an awful lot of anglers and many fish species thrive on neglect. Too much neglect, coupled with not much bait, can make the fish in them very hard to tempt.

Sam have you been to this venue I'm talking about

Species are mainly pike , carp , tench and bream and the odd silvers with some clocking crucians .

What do you think best method to have a go for the tench in this situation , in margins with a waggler or distance with a feeder with corn , warms , maggots etc

Cheers

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[tigger]

Clubs eliminate weed then put in fish refuges because the cormorants etc are able to catch them much easier. Then they wonder why there's no fish recruitment and they start catching blades with large eyes because there's no food for the fish to eat.
This is something tyipical of anglers and that's why it always makes me laugh when I hear them spouting how they're conservationists .....yeah of course they are, the biggest part have no clue how nature works that's why they destroy so many waters!

 

[sam vimes]

Sam have you been to this venue I'm talking about

There's a chance, but it doesn't matter whether I have or not. Many anglers think that large scale weed removal will be a silver bullet to improve fishing. My experience has been that it is not. I'd actually go further and suggest that you be careful what you wish for. I've seen a few waters totally ruined by efforts to remove significant weed growth.

What do you think best method to have a go for the tench in this situation , in margins with a waggler or distance with a feeder with corn , warms , maggots etc

It's nigh on impossible to say. However, having fished a few gravel pits in your neck of the woods (I was at Brize Norton for a few years), and knowing what gravel pit tench tend to be like, I'd initially be concentrating my efforts on the marginal shelf.

 

[associatedmatt]

There's a chance, but it doesn't matter whether I have or not. Many anglers think that large scale weed removal will be a silver bullet to improve fishing. My experience has been that it is not. I'd actually go further and suggest that you be careful what you wish for. I've seen a few waters totally ruined by efforts to remove significant weed growth.



It's nigh on impossible to say. However, having fished a few gravel pits in your neck of the woods (I was at Brize Norton for a few years), and knowing what gravel pit tench tend to be like, I'd initially be concentrating my efforts on the marginal shelf.

Not wanting to get rid of all the weed just more to clear some areas . There used to be some clonking tench in there. Seen plenty of carp in the clear spots in the summer and a shoal of large bream

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