Curled Pondweed + Curly Waterweed

[Philix]

So, that is the bottom of the lake where i live.

Its up-to four feet deep and its two to four feet of weeds on the bottom.

So how do you fish this?

Its weed everywhere theirs no silt, no gravel, no flat spots at all just weeds I've checked with a camera on a canoe.

 

[rich66]

Would it not be best to just rake a swim out ?

 

[john step]

This could be a bonus actually. Fish love weed. Get a couple of garden rake heads, wire them together prongs outward, attach to rope and drag a clear channel wide enough to fish and play fish in. Use strong enough tackle to land those fish that make it to the weed.
After dragging throw a handful of hemp and pellets in. You will be surprised how quickly fish will come to investigate the stirred up silt and debris from the bottom. Especially tench.

This is fairly common practice and a lot of the bods on here will do or will have done this when necessary.


Edited at 8pm. I have just been to do this at my club lake prior to fishing tomorrow.

 

[Philix]

No doubt ill have people complaining when i do this, the locals around the lake like to complain about everything.

But ill give it a go

 

[Another Dave]

Get up really early and rake the swim a few days in advance. And wear a disguise.

 

[peterjg]

I sometimes fish a lake with this weed. As already stated there is no alternative but to use a weed rake, do a thorough job and try not to leave any stalks which will spoil presentation. The biggest irritation is the bits of floating weed which remain in the cleared area and then float to and fro. In this situation I prefer to float-leger because casting and feeding is very accurate.

 

[Calum]

Re: Curled Pondweed + Curly Waterweed Neptune Rake

Have a look at Neptune Rake, it’s an aquatic weed cropper, easily floated out to anywhere on any size lake, easily deployed then hauled in using a winch. The rake is 2m wide and can haul out 10 ton of weed in a day. Also takes out a fair bit of sludge.
Neptune Rake | Aquatic Weed Cropper, Pond Rake and Lake Weed Cutter

 

[108831]

Re: Curled Pondweed + Curly Waterweed Neptune Rake

Welcome Calum.

 

[103841]

Re: Curled Pondweed + Curly Waterweed Neptune Rake

Interesting introduction, two posts both promoting a weed rake for just under £5k.

 

[Jeff Woodhouse]

Re: Curled Pondweed + Curly Waterweed Neptune Rake

I would do what the others have suggested, rake out a small swim, bait it up and fish that.

If you cut it and leave it in there to die you will surely reduce the dissolved oxygen levels and what with a likely hot and dry summer you could kill the fish in the lake. SO NOT AN OPTION!

If you completely rake it out and leave it on the bank it might just encourage more suspended algae and potentially cyanobacteria (blue/green) and that could prevent you fishing it. SO NOT AN OPTION!

Little bits, that's all.

EDIT BIT: there is a blue dye you can add to the water that stops a lot of weed growth, but you have to do it early on before the main growing season.