Caught a nice mess of fish on a small pothole lake in northern WI the past weekend and when cleaning them noticed those tiny black specs on some of the fillets. The local old boy we fish with said no worries they are fine. Just curious what others think.
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Nature’s pepper- fry away.
Very common and fine to eat
Nothing wrong with the rib/belly meat either 
Thanks for the replies guys. I figured as much but my wife was all jiggy about it when she saw me drying and packaging them up.
I’d be more concerned about why the meat is so dark/weird colored. What are those? Bass?
I’d be more concerned about why the meat is so weird colored. What are those? Bass?
It does seem a little dark?
I’m not sure I would eat them. The specs ok but the color of the meat…something doesn’t look right to me.
Just because you can eat them don’t mean you should…. 
-J.
I ate about a hundred of those specs last night. I f7el fin, noo prublwms at ell.
Seriously, I did and I do and I have forever. Its just part of the meal.
I did find out long ago to say nothing to my wife about them.
I just wont eat the larger white grubs.
If you fish at all, you’ve probably encountered one of these speckled specimens, their scaly skin rough with tiny black dots. Called Neascus or black grub, this tiny parasite is released into the water, in egg form, by fish-eating birds. Those eggs hatch and the parasite grows inside of snails.
I prefer the dark meat on my fowl but fish…..maybe its teriyaki marinade?
Fillets were soaked over night milk. I think it is more of a poor light issue as I took the picture in my kitchen a little under the cabinets. Fillets look fine to me.
Just because you can eat them don’t mean you should….
-J.
X100000000000000000000000000000.
If something don’t look good to me I aint eatin it and all them there black spots dont look good so i aint eatin it.
Not trying to start a ruckus hear. But the lake the cabin is on the fish have them. Been eating them fish for 50 plus years, and I’m still somewhat normal 
If there is every any doubt about quality- it goes in the in-laws pile along with the delicious rock bass.
If something don’t look good to me I aint eatin it and all them there black spots dont look good so i aint eatin it.
That’s right. I would go even further and say that if you encounter a fish with these black specks, better to just release it because its quite likely the filets will have them too.
Geez, doesn’t almost every bluegill over about 7.5 have those black spots? Some of yours look slightly bigger than I’m used to but I think I’d eat them.
If the specs look about like round pepper flakes that’s very common and if cooked well should pose no problem. If they are bigger or look like a grub or something unusual to you maybe do some more research.
I do remove the white/cream colored grubs from perch, and if I catch a perch that’s really loaded with them on the skin and fins I’ll let it go because you can bet the meat will be loaded with them.
Little black pepper specs in bluegills though? Very common and I don’t give it a 2nd thought.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Eelpoutguy wrote:</div>
If something don’t look good to me I aint eatin it and all them there black spots dont look good so i aint eatin it.That’s right. I would go even further and say that if you encounter a fish with these black specks, better to just release it because its quite likely the filets will have them too.
well all you fellers let them go, more for da rest of us!!!!! 
besides i’d bet a pile you’ve all ate a whole lot worse in your hormel hot dog or lunchmeat.or other things!!!!
Geez, doesn’t almost every bluegill over about 7.5 have those black spots?
No.
-J.
The issue, for me, at least, is the sight of it. I’m sure I’ve probably had a filet or two with these black specks before. But the simple sight of it on the fish, or worse, in the filet, turns me off big time.
besides i’d bet a pile you’ve all ate a whole lot worse in your hormel hot dog or lunchmeat.or other things!!!!
[/quote]
Well———I guess I have ate spam. 
The metro area sunnies i keep almost always have them black spec. Ive heard it has something to do with cormorants. We eat them. Now when the fillets have what looks to be wax worms trying to get out thats where i draw the line.
besides i’d bet a pile you’ve all ate a whole lot worse in your hormel hot dog or lunchmeat.or other things!!!!
Well———I guess I have ate spam. 
[/quote] gawd i didnt even think of that!!!!!
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>curleytail wrote:</div>
Geez, doesn’t almost every <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>bluegill over about 7.5 have those black spots?No.
-J.
We must be fishing different lakes. In my 31 years of fishing I’d say well over half the bluegills I’ve cleaned have had at least some of these. Crappies never have it.
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Jon Jordan wrote:</div>
<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>curleytail wrote:</div>
Geez, doesn’t almost every <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>bluegill over about 7.5 have those black spots?No.
-J.
We must be fishing different lakes. In my 31 years of fishing I’d say well over half the <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>bluegills I’ve cleaned have had at least some of these. Crappies never have it.
I have encountered the black specs also and when cleaning it doesn’t worry me to much but usually don’t end up with that many of them. As far as all of them or most no way. Also agree I have not seen it in any Crappies.
Crappies dont eat crap off the bottom and that’s why no black spots. Gills and perch are almost always feeding on the bottom.
Ive never cleaned roughfish but they must be susceptible to it being bottom feeders.
Crappies dont eat crap off the bottom and that’s why no black spots. Gills and <strong class=”ido-tag-strong”>perch are almost always feeding on the bottom.
Ive never cleaned roughfish but they must be susceptible to it being bottom feeders.
I’ve seen pike with them too. They’re not bottom feeders.
Almost all sunnies in my area have those spots. Been eating them all my life
I don’t mind them much. If I keep fish from a lake that has a lot of them, then I might not keep fish from that lake as often.
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