Question on Fileting Blue Gills

[robw20]

As a newbie to ice fishing this past year I've noticed that some bluegills that I have fileted have small dark spots contained in their meat. I have encountered this condition in fish I have taken from a variety of upstate ny waters (Oneida Lake, Lake Morraine, Lebanon Res. etc.) - Can anyone tell me what this condition is ? Are there any safety concerns of consumption with these fish ? Thanks !

[asphalt_kid]

I think that they are a type of worm that has invaded the body of water that you are fishing. To my understanding they are quite harmless when cooked. You might check with your local Conservation or Biologist for your area to find out exactly what your dealing with.Again if it is what I think thatit is, but you need to freeze a fish and take it for inspection.

[CHIPPER]

I THINK THE SPOTS YOU REFER TO ARE CAUSED BY THE LARVAE OF SMALL SNAILLIKE CREATURES WHICH BORE INTO THE LIVE FISH TO MATURE.  SOMETIMES HERE IN THE MIDWEST THEY MANIFEST THEMSELVES AS WHITE OR YELLOW WORMLIKE THINGEES IN THE FLESH OF THE FISH.  THEY ARE QUITE HARMLESS AFTER COOKING.  IF THIS IS WHAT YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT, WE TRY TO CONTROL THEM IN OUR LAKES AND PONDS BY INTRODUCING REDEAR SUNFISH (SHELLCRACKERS).  THEY SUPPOSEDLY EAT THE CRITTERS THAT PRODUCE THE LARVAE.  IT SEEMS TO WORK.

[Exudedude]

I believe both of the above posters are wrong.. no disrespect meant.  If you are seeing small black spots.. its a small parasite, HARMLESS! you can eat them with no ill effects.  Now if you are finding small white specks.. Them are worms, you can still eat them but I chose to pick them out with a knife!

[Lunafish]

And I quote,"the black spots are not the parasites, but fish pigment cells that surround the larval cysts.  The species of trematode that cause the spots vary depending on the species of fish they are infecting".   Yes , snail are part of the life cycle.

[trapdaddy21]

i've noticed this condition quite a bit in shallow or very weedy lakes. when i filet fish i always mark on the bag which lake they came out of. if the filets are peppered with dark spots i often choose to not keep them, since they seem to not taste as good as a clean filet. if i go fishing with a buddy in a lake where the gills look like that i simply give him the fish that day.

 you can eat these filets, but i would prefer not to

[fishingking]

Lunafish ,

you are correct i am a amateur fish biologist well 4 yrs in fisheries and aquaculture at a college might as well give me that title the parasites that cause this problem come from a certain cycle  to make it simple a fish eating bird (kingfisher. blue heron, commorant, pelican etc.)  eats an infected fish  and recieves the parasite when the bird poops or eats again the parasite is released in to the water and goes int oa snail it transforms and leaves the snail and finds a fish to infect    so simply its a cycle bird snail fish and if you can break one of these chains then you can illiminate the parasite hard to do when we love catching fish and  most birds are protected so killing the snails seems liek the only option that will work but chemicals are expensive expecially in big bodys of water  probably $100 per acre depending on depth but then these chemicals mess the natural biology of the water thus hurting the fish                 newyas black spots harmless, yellow/white grubs  only one case been reported where a human got the grub  if fully cooked it wont harm you their just a bit crunchy when eaten

[frostbite]

Has anyone noticed that these black dots are found mostly on the smaller immature fish, and less so on the adults? I have a local lake which, in my observation, shows this to be at least mostly true.

[fishingking]

upossially the spots can stay in the fish for up too 4 yrs  i am not possitive about this though only what i heard

[Cha-Chi]

These are harmless, My cousin up in new york takes me fishing in canandaigua lake up ther in ny and we pick through the perch to find the clean ones-free of the black dots. Some have a ton of these dots, and they don't taste as good as "clean" fillets.

[acsacmboy]

the white/ yellow grubs and the black dots i belive is what they ate and it has permeated through the organs and into the flesh. the black dots are fine to eat yet the white/ yellow ones you need to be cautios. pick as many off with the tip of your knife as you can and make sure to cook evenly to reduce the risk of obataining the grubs.

[Ice_Fly]

... I too have found them in perch a lot... i've seen them on gills but mostly perch... as far as affecting the taste of the fish, i've never noticed much difference.

[perchnfool]

here in western pa I have seen them only on gills and if I'm filleting and see one that fish goes to the cat I'm not that hard up for fillets ***perchn

[Part_Time_Fisher]

This an article that I found on the DNR's website about the spots.

http://http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-10364_10950-27376--,00.html