Perch Parasites

[flagfishon]

I was just wondering how people felt about eating perch with black spots or those nasty yellow grubs?  I know that neither is a threat to people and cooking will kill them anyway.  I cut out as many as I can find, but they still gross me out a little.

[booner1108]

It's a shame, but it seems where ever we catch perch now they have grubs. I pop them out with the tip of my knife, I'm not eating them.

[iceman55]

Same here I cut them out. I notice s. part of Champlain had more than Usual this year.

[jimbo3828]

I cook em and eatem.  A little bonus protein.

[dave bartlett]

   They are so gross.If my fish have to many in them i throw them out.Con. R. perch are loaded,a few in the blue gills and almost never in the Crappies.I just can't stomach to eat the fish when i see them in them.

[CrappieVermonter]

Glen lake is the worst all the perch in there are loaded to the point I never go there anymore

[dylan8351]

   They are so gross.If my fish have to many in them i throw them out.Con. R. perch are loaded,a few in the blue gills and almost never in the Crappies.I just can't stomach to eat the fish when i see them in them.

How about the rock bass... They're nasty in there!

[Dead Head on ice]

Save the ones with lots of worms for some late night when your good and wasted! Keep the semi-clean ones for the family!

[ifslob28]

Are they bad in the Ct River too?  Caught some perch the other day and have to clean them tonight, they are froze right now.

[CJiceaddict]

   They are so gross.If my fish have to many in them i throw them out.Con. R. perch are loaded,a few in the blue gills and almost never in the Crappies.I just can't stomach to eat the fish when i see them in them.

What part of the river do you fish? We catch many perch and I haven't cleaned a bad one yet (though maybe I haven't looked very well?). Ice only though, don't keep em in the summer. Just curious if it is location to location

[bradroy55]

Still better than cod and haddock! The ones we catch deep sea fishing are loaded with worms about an inch long that will crawl across the table if you pop them out! Makes you fry them a few extra minutes...

[CJiceaddict]

The worst cod used to be the mud cod in the spring but now it's closed. I think thats why pollack and haddock are my favorite. haddock have fewer worms and pollack are usually clean compared to cod

[fishysmell]

The worst cod used to be the mud cod in the spring but now it's closed. I think thats why pollack and haddock are my favorite. haddock have fewer worms and pollack are usually clean compared to cod

Whats is strange I think is the cusk I catch out there are as clean as can be and they are bottom dwellers like cod. Ive heard a bioligist say the parisites in perch are caused from duck crap, The more ducks the more parisites. I've noticed on Megog that the south bay perch are a little wormy but in the main lake there are very few.

[fishysmell]

Black Spot fact sheet
http://www.vtfishandwildlife.com/library/factsheets/fisheries/fish_health/Black_Spot.pdf

Yellow Grub fact sheet
http://www.vtfishandwildlife.com/library/factsheets/fisheries/fish_health/Yellow_grub.pdf

I guess the crap part was true just the wrong bird

[DasRottweiler]

Thank you, VTFishBio, very informative. This discussion comes up year after year on the website. I, myself, am a flicker. Just flick them out with my knife. Often the bait I catch , goldens, have the black spots, but they still catch fish.

[jimbo3828]

Black Spot fact sheet
http://www.vtfishandwildlife.com/library/factsheets/fisheries/fish_health/Black_Spot.pdf

Yellow Grub fact sheet
http://www.vtfishandwildlife.com/library/factsheets/fisheries/fish_health/Yellow_grub.pdf

[swamp puppy]

Lake Dunmore has very clean perch. one fish out of fifty will have one or two of the yellow worms in it. that's why i fish there so much! crappie wouldn't get them so much because they aren't in shallow water feeding on snails like sunfish and perch. the more snails they are feeding on the more worms they will have

[vtshantyman]

ok i have seen the black dots but **censored** is that nasty little gub yuck ok i just dont eat the ones with the black dots if that means that i go home empty handed then ok but i also always thought that they were worms so ya

[dave bartlett]

  Springfield area .Deep sea fishing we get them in the fish but the earlier in the spring you go (cold water) the fewer there are.In the summer they are loaded.That's why i don't go deep sea fishing in the summer.