today hit a local lake. did really good on some hand size sunnys. anyway i went to clean them and they had worms. wondering if anyone knows why they get the worms. is it ok to keep them or does it hurt the other fish if i throw them back.
I have heard that lakes with a high population of herons tend to have a higher probability of having fish with worms. The lake that I am currently fishing will have worms in maybe 3-4 fish out of every 20 I keep. While not very appetizing (don’t mention it to your spouse!!!), I don’t think they hurt anything. I simply inspect the filets as I clean them and remove any worms I find. I can’t imagine there’s any reason not to release any fish you’re not going to keep back into the water you caught them from.
Were they black spots or small round worms that almost look like a cyst. The black spots are called tricoplora actually a snail larva . they dont effect the taste just add extra protein. the yellow grub, I will have to check my Bio notes its been a while, I just pop these out . Try a experiment this summer take the guts out make a cut across the esophage and the colon place in salt water and watch the fish tapeworms come out. Really cool
Are you seeing larva in the flesh or the round worms in the gut?
Either way, properly cooked they won’t hurt you. Just not too appetizing. 
like a yellow grub
For the snail larva if its a private lake stock some Red Ear Sunfish.If public talk to fishery folks.We stocked them in a private lake with snail larva problem and it cleared up in a few years.Snails are red ear main diet where avaliable.Also makes for some nice fat red ears.
Quote:
Try a experiment this summer take the guts out make a cut across the esophage and the colon place in salt water and watch the fish tapeworms come out. Really cool
I hope I don’t forget this. I bet the kids would find it pretty cool.
More than you ever wanted to know about fish parasites.
Quote:
Try a experiment this summer take the guts out make a cut across the esophage and the colon place in salt water and watch the fish tapeworms come out. Really cool
Mmmmm. That gets my appetite going.
As long as you cook the fish the parisite are fine. They don’t look good but they will not hurt you to eat them. Any lake that has fish, snails and fish eating birds will have this problem.(some more than others). Blue gills and sun fish seem to have them the most. Probly because the will hang in shallower water than other fish.
Most lakes I fish here in Iowa have either the black pepper flakes or the grubs in sunfish. I don’t spend much time takeing them out once you drop them in 360 degree oil it kills any parisites. Ive eaten plenty of them and anyt one whos ate gills at my house has eaten them. You never know they are there after they are cooked.
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
seems I may have cooked a few of them up with no ill effects