We've built a 7 acre bass lake with depths to 22 feet with many, many lay downs. brush piles, rocks and an old road bed that is submerged in about 5 feet of water and falls off to either side as it cuts across the lake.

Last winter/spring we planted tubers for Texas Water Lily's with the intent to get a good lily pad area in a couple different places. Their growth has been very slow.

The main plant growth we've had is the mult-cellular algae called Chara or Skunk/Musgrass. It looks good in the water and grows in depths less than 5 feet typically off the shore and on the road bed. It almost looks like hydrilla.

My question is how good is this Skunk/Muskgrass for the food chain and is it OK for trophy bass production?

Thanks.

Great question and one I might suggest you also ask on the following web-site.

www.pondboss.com

from my experience Chara is ok, Better than nothing. It is an excellent water filter and will produce crystal clear water(not necessarily good), it does hold a good number of aquatic bugs and things that help supplement the food chain. Some of these bugs can have free swimming larva stages that act as parasites on your fish though, to help prevent this I would stock some Redear sunfish, they will help feed on the adult pests and help break the chain, plus they are good for your bass to eat too.
The good thing about Chara is that it is relatively easy to kill, and highly preferred by grass carp so controlling it shouldn't be too difficult. Chara seldom becomes problematic, though I have seen cases where it has, but it's not often.
As far as raising Trophy Bass, I don't know that it's going to help you. If the Chara becomes too thick then too many of your bluegill will survive and their growth will become suppressed and big bass need big food items. But again it's easy to control, so "cutting" holes and lanes into the vegetation could be of benefit to both bass and fisherman.
If it were my lake I wouldn't kill it until it looks like it's getting out of hand and then I would make holes and lanes that provide bass access to those areas. Water Lily can be good but they too pose some risk of over population, though in 20' of water they will be limited to growth in the shallower regions. Sounds like you are off to a good start!

Thanks for your informative reply!!

A lot of people, IMO, make a big mistake by striving for a weed free pond while at the same time trying to have a LMB fishery.

Bass ponds benefit from weeds. The trick in pond management is finding the right balance between weeds and fishing.

I don't mind some Chara in my ponds...and in fact like to have some....but you have to control it. To do that I use grass carp. I stock them in my ponds BEFORE the weeds e.g. Chara get out of control. I stock at a rate of 1 to 2 grass carp per acre. Remember this...it is far easier to add more grass carp than it is to remove grass carp. Don't make the common mistake of stocking at rates many fish sellers recommend e.g. 10 to 15 or even higher per acre. That will result in a completely weed free pond initially and later in a muddy weed free pond.

Ask anyone who knows Lake Conroe what grass carp can do when overstocked. It isn't the carps fault, they simply do what comes natural to them...eat weeds. If you wait until the weeds take over, then you are faced with forced high stocking rates of grass carp and/or use of chemicals to control...and chemicals in my ponds are only an absolute last resort, dead last. An ounce of prevention is worth...well you know.

One of the plus of chara is that you may have grass shrimp set up residence in the pond....a tremendous source of protein for your smaller fish which are eaten by larger fish which...etc. Also Gambusia will readily take up residence in the presence of weeds.

Be careful with the water lillies...they can easily get out of control and are difficult to reign in once they get going.