Wormy Blue Gills

[Crappiehunter1981]

I have been cleaning blue gills for the past 25 years of my life and I only found white parasitic worms in the meat if the gills that I harvested out of rivers and creeks.  This year I have found these same white parasitic worms in the gills that I harvested out of Black Moshannon and in a couple of the gills I harvested out of highpoint.  Has anyone else seen an increase?

[Crappiehunter1981]

I have been holding them up to the light above where I clean my fish as well.  I cleaned a pumpkin seed this year that's belly meat was basically black with them and had more worms that I could count.  I was only able to salvage about half of the loin meat.

[Crappiehunter1981]

Do you think that the spread of this parasites could be linked to the PA fish commissions fish relocation program when they drain a lake for repair?

[Fishbones']

Yup I quit keeping gills from black mo a couple of years ago.  All of the big ones had worms in em.  Haven't found worms in the perch out there though.  But I did find worms in a few perch from Hills Creek this year, so unfortunately the perch do get em too.

The bright side is that you can still eat the fish.  Just cut the worm out and cook thoroughly.  No big deal.  I'm sure we all eat worse things in processed foods.

[Catchnmore1]

I also found white worms in Blue Gills but also in LM Bass I caught in a farm pond in Schuylkill County about 4 or 5 years ago. I have not taken any fish from there since. Worms are located in the fillet.

[zcm_82]

It's just complete speculation on my part, but it seems like years when the weather/water trends warmer, you see a lot more of those grubs in fish.

[Rebelss]

It's just complete speculation on my part, but it seems like years when the weather/water trends warmer, you see a lot more of those grubs in fish.

I'd have to agree with that. Notice that in Fall after a long hot Summer.

[zcm_82]

I'd have to agree with that. Notice that in Fall after a long hot Summer.

Just seems like years where the river runs low and hot in the summer, the fish are just loaded with parasites and those little sluggy leech things on the gills.

[Spider1]

Both the black and white parasites come from birds. Kingfishers and herons. Low water levels might bring more birds. I notice more parasites in gills and pumpkinseeds. I don't even keep seeds anymore. Turns out the parasites go from the bird poop to the sediment and attach to snails, the small fish and gills feed heavily on the snails, the birds feed on the small fish and gills and poop in the water where they attach to the snails. The circle of life.

[bigfoot86]

Its funny because I kept some gills and pumpkinseeds a year ago.  Most the gills were ok, but the pumpkinseeds were loaded with worms.

[Rebelss]

Extra protein. 

[Crappiehunter1981]

Both the black and white parasites come from birds. Kingfishers and herons. Low water levels might bring more birds. I notice more parasites in gills and pumpkinseeds. I don't even keep seeds anymore. Turns out the parasites go from the bird poop to the sediment and attach to snails, the small fish and gills feed heavily on the snails, the birds feed on the small fish and gills and poop in the water where they attach to the snails. The circle of life.

Great post.  Thanks for the info.

[Fishingjg]

Interesting information.
Thanks
JG

[clayboy]

birds birds birds. just pick them out with tip of knife. I found them in perch too from smaller impoundment. strange never in crappies

[Rebelss]

I've found black spot and worms in plenty of crappies...and a lot of others. I always thought it was because of our warmer waters down here in southern Minny, but northern Minnesota fish have them too, so I've found. 

https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/fish_diseases/neascus.html

[jaeger80]

I hate frekkin kingfishers.  Most annoying bird out there to fishermen. 

[Spider1]

I find the white ones from time to time in crappies, but hardly ever the black ones. My wife looks at the black squiggly nerves and thinks they are parasites, I explain to her it isn't the squiggly ones but the ones that look like pepper.