I have been kayak fishing there since last summer, and started again this month an I have a question for any regulars to that pond.
I noticed that the back part of the pond, where it connects with the Sudbury River, is growing back and filling in again. Before this, I was fishing there last week and had a couple of good fish hit my rubber shad and frog lures. I also noticed quite a few (dozens) of carp rooting around the same area.
My question is this: Are the carp a regular part of this pond, or were they recent immigrants from the Sudbury as a reslut of the spring floods? I ask because they are so numerous in this back water section of Heards Pond that they are interferring with my chances to attract bass or pikerel to my lure presentations.
Picture paddling up to a nice quite, flat piece of water only to have a half dozen carp freak out and rocket away like a torpedo! It churns up the water and spooks any other fish that might have been in the area.

If the carp are not a normal part of this waterway, and decide not to leave, then this pond may be doomed. The carp will do a number on the pond bottom, and may interfer with regular angling habitat.

Doomed??? Fish for the Carp...they are awesome to catch on light tackle. Fight like a bastard.

I've been carp fishing the past couple of days and am having a ball with it....

I saw a 3' carp in there once that was 5' away from me just lazily swimming. huuuuge fish in there.

Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against the carp.
The problem is that if they are not part of the normal ecosystem, and only there because of the flooding this spring, it may have adverse effects on the other fishes that already have established themselves (bass, pikerel, crappie, and pike).
As for light tackle, since I'm targeting lunker bass in weed beds, light tackle would be a exercise in futility. The carp are literally embedding themselves in the weed beds and root systems. You would need heavy tackle just to have a chance with these bohemoths.
The average size of these carp are 3-4' and they are everywhere in the backwater section.

You know the carp is big when they start "tailing" like a redfish as they root on the pond bottom. I may attempt to get one of these monsters on my next trip.

But in the meantime, my original question is still whether they are native to this pond, or are they just victims of circunstance?
And if they are native, do they retreat back to the Sudbury as the season progresses?

Bowfishing for carp is also a lot of fun! :D Not as easy as you think - you need to sneak up on them to get off a shot and if you miss they take off.

We use to see HUGE carp swimming under the foot bridges in the Charles River near the Esplanade !! We used canned corn or white bread dough balls for them. Carp fight great on any tackle! :)

Carp can live in water that would kill other fish. IMHO, they do more damage than good to the ponds. :( Get rid of them !! Make fish & chips or use them as fertilizer.