worms in perch?

[DasRottweiler]

 I got no problem with someone catching and killing thier limit of perch. Just don`t leave em stuffed into holes or out on the ice for other fishermen and landowners to see. Makes us look wasteful, even if the yellow perch are stunted from overpopulation. Sure eagles and dump ducks benefit , but can only eat so much and may not be around your fishing spot that day. Pack up yer perch whether ya eat em or not and take em home. Throw em in yer trash if that`s what they are to you. Or toss em in the garden. Leaving them on the ice is lazy, wether it is necessary to cull the population or not. You pick up yer cigarette pack or coke can if it falls on the ice and take that home to the trashcan, do the same with the rest of yer "trash".

[Thumber]

http://wildnh.com/Wildlife/Wildlife_PDFs/Wildlife_Disease_Brochure_07.pdf

Hers a great article about wildlife diseases and worms found in fish in NH
Worms:

Worms found in the flesh or organs of fish are most
commonly either flat, white ribbon-shaped tapeworms or
small, round white- or red-colored nematodes. Again, they
are nothing new to New Hampshire waters. Worms are
seen throughout the year, but peak in the spring in coldwater
fish and during summer in warmwater fish. Unlike
grubs, on rare occasions these parasites can be problematic
to public health. Humans and other mammals can occasionally
become ill when these parasites are consumed in raw
or undercooked fish, however, worms will eventually be
excreted. Properly cooking fish will kill worms, so be sure to
thoroughly cook fish before eating.

[crawpie]

nice link Thumber - no bluegill sushi

In the interest of sharing more info than folks really want to know :

Both yellow and black worms/spots are parasitic flukes that need birds and snails to complete life cycle.

Here is good story detailing the critters:http://www.fish.state.pa.us/images/pages/qa/fish/worms.htm

According to the PA website,  the yellow grub lives in the throat of herons and other fish eating birds and the larvae are washed into the water when feeding. Nasty.

 I read an article several years ago that noted how important these parasites and others like them were to the ecology of an area. Apparently, parasites cause fish to act differently and thus increase the likelihood that the fish will be eaten by a bird (which makes sense because the parasites need to be eaten by a bird).  Parasites can infect eyes and reduce vision and can also make fish itchy. When they flip to scratch on the bottom, they flash the white side of their bodies and make themselves showy targets for herons. The article calculated that a large percentage of aquatic birds would die if they did not have easy to catch parasitized  fish to eat.  Nature is cool.

BTW: Regarding the question of what to do with perch.  NH Audubon in Concord use to have a injured bald eagle at the Silk Farm Nature Center and they would often be happy to get extra fish from local fisherman to feed the bird. If you are close, you can give them a call.



 

[DyingBreed]

The black hard parasites that I sometimes see in yellow perch are some type of snail larva.  They are spread by birds and any fish with those larva should not be left on the ice because any birds that eat those fish will spread them through their feces.  Those fish should be released alive or disposed of where no birds will eat them.  They are safe to eat after cooking but not very appetizing.  Any white worms are also harmless when cooked and are very common in many fish.  I remove any that I find and don't worry about those that I miss.

Finaly! Good info. This is true. I fillet them out, seeing how we can only keep so few now. And I've got  friends/family enough around to share with to keep the freezer low on limits. When one is found to be OVERLY infested, into a small barrel/bucket with lid. It's COLD out. they keep fine. In the spring...into the garden/compost. Our barn cats LOVE UM and occasionaly the local fox. Fillet the first couple right up. Then a decision can be made to continue or try another waterbody is how we deal with it. Or we bring a little one with us and turn him loose w/jig stick and just remove for him...back down the hole!

[Snagged]

I love to eat perch. Worms are a problem early, I find later on they will be less wormy. Sometimes you can see them thru the skin and I'll put them back. Most fish has worms at one time in its life. Just dig them out and eat. Mant times in VT we jig for perch to pay for our licenses, its fun filling a 5 gallon bucket.

[deerme]

my favorite way to cook/eat yellow perch:  fillet them, then boil the fillets til cooked.  throw them on ice or in the fridge til cold, then eat them with cocktail sauce.  MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

but yeah they're also REALLY good when fried...

[rockhound57]

not to over state, but I've found the black'specks' are in the skin only, not the meat, so they're not an issue; nor are they indicative of the white ones, [ apparrently a different species from the helpful links posted  (Thanks Guys)].
   I just limit my processing filets by visual inspection, if they're so covered as to be unpalateable, they join the waste pile, but it's by the fish, not the location, date, or species. By the way, perch are one of my favorite table species!

[9huskies]

not to over state, but I've found the black'specks' are in the skin only, not the meat, so they're not an issue; nor are they indicative of the white ones,
   

I have seen the black specks in the skin that you mention.  They don't seem to be in the meat.  Other yellow perch I have caught had hard black nuggets in the meat.  Those are the snail larva that I mentioned earlier.  They won't cause harm after cooking but little crunchies in the meat does not appeal to me.

[rockhound57]

I have seen the black specks in the skin that you mention.  They don't seem to be in the meat.  Other yellow perch I have caught had hard black nuggets in the meat.  Those are the snail larva that I mentioned earlier.  They won't cause harm after cooking but little crunchies in the meat does not appeal to me.

K,  new to me! EEeewwwww

[thefinlessbrown2]

WHITE PINE  i appologize for falling into the trap of dragging your thread off topic
timberdoodle thanks for your input also the fish and game response is at best bizarre !!!
NHR3DNECK ..i was not looking for a dispute and  my oppinion on the issue stands the same ..i do think its unethical and offensive to others sharing the lakes especially those who don't fish and it also does reflect on all of us ..but you can do what you wan't with your fish ..
                                                            good luck out there all
                                                                               FINLESS

[White Pine]

Thanks for the apology finless brown. I knew I would get some helpful imput, I guess the jury is still out on proper disposal. Next trip will examine them b4 keeping a bunch, I guess even though they are basiclly harmless it still makes it a "little hard to swallow". Goodluck to all this winter! 

[KissMyBassNH]

i talked to another guy that just picks em out to im sure there not going to hurt you as long as you cook it good

[crawpie]

Other yellow perch I have caught had hard black nuggets in the meat.  Those are the snail larva that I mentioned earlier.  . . .

Just to be clear, the black ones are not snail larvae, but a parasitic worm(fluke) in a cyst form. During its life, the fluke is a parasite on a bird, snail, and fish.  And you thought your brother-in-law was a world-class mooch.