Perch Meat Question, looks strange...

[Chad711]

I did great today I ran into a nice school of perch and caught 10 in about 10 minutes! It doesnt get much better than that, loved it.
But I just cleaned them, and 3 of them had strange little whitish/yellow "seed" looking spots in the meat. You could pop them through the meat kinda like a pimple. I had never noticed this before. The fish looked healthy, but is the safe to eat? I did take digital closeups and will try top post a picture here, if I can figure it out.
it says HTML is off, does that mean I cannot post a picture?
Thanks and Merry Christmas, Chad!

[Steve Foss]

Chad:

I ran into that last year, and the Wisconsin DNR told me what they were, but darn it, I can't remember what kind of critter they're from. Anyway, I remember they said it was OK to eat them. I took a knife and popped them out of the fillet anyway before I cooked the fish. Fish tasted fine, and felt no ill effects, like Mad Fish Disease or anything (yeah, MFD was a joke; there's no such thing)

[Chad711]

Ok thanks! I fried them up and Ill give them to my dogs heh, they eat deer carcass for weeks so Im sure these will be fine for them..
Still trying to figure out how to post a picture,I guess I will link it...

[This message has been edited by Chad711 (edited 12-25-2002).]

[This message has been edited by Chad711 (edited 12-25-2002).]

[Guest]

Chad those are worms that panfish get.usually up to the north when i have seen them.The DNR says that they usually fall out when fried,Goodluck I wont eat them I know it might be a waste, but when I find a lake with them I dont go back.I have fished alot of lakes and only found them in two so I just fish somewhere else If all the lakes had them I might feel better about eating but with just a couple noway

[Chad711]

Dang, that stinks...
This was from Big Rice Lake.....

[Pig_sticka]

that is really gross, i wont be eatin fish for a few months lol

[Chad711]

Heh Yeah I know what ya mean, figures I have a good day fishing and they are full of junk, arg!!!!!!!

Awww Well, it was still fun........

[Guest]

Mille Lacs Perch have them as well. Totally harmless. Just pop them out with a knife like you said.

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651-271-5459 http://fishingminnesota.com/millelacsguide/
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[shefland]

They are harmless, but unsightly. Now I am not sure which is which, but those spots are spread to the water by blue herons or kingfishers, one is the yellow grubs that yours had, and the other, black specks are by the other, also harmless. There are some lakes here in northern Minnesota where I have seen literally 50 or more yellow grubs per fillet! Round Lake, just north of Winnie is the absolute worst ever, Kabekona Lake, almost as bad, also winter or summer makes no difference. As long as there are just a few, I flick them out with the tip of my fillet knife, otherwise, no way.

[Chad711]

[Guest]

Oh Joy Extra protein!

NUMM...what else could ya ask for?

[cluelessfisherman]

I have seen those yellow grubs in quite a few lakes. Found them in Cass lake, Beltrami, Blackduck and Bemidji. Actually, I can't think of many lakes where I haven't found them. Like everyone else said, just pop them out with a knife tip - no problem. Some filets are so bad that you have to throw them out because they are just yellow with them and would take forever to poke out. As for the black specks, just fry those up and don't worry about them - see them a lot in rock bass.

Has anyone else seen those bruise looking spots in the perch? The ones then DNR has posters up aboout - have found them in Cass and Beltrami. Be sure to notify the DNR about those and turn them in, as they are studying them.

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Clueless - -

[Crawlerman]

I have never seen yellow parasitic worms; however Nercaus (sp?) or "black spot" is another interna;/external parasite. Not nearly as big, they are also more common and affect multiple species. I've found them primairly on Bluegills and Northerns. Most of the fish only have them on the outside; altough I clean a few that have them inside the meat as well. Because of their small size (more like poppyseeds) they are impossible to clean out of a fillet; but I have heard the same thing-- that they are not harmful if cooked throughly. I run into Nercaus on a fairly regular basis, and have not so far gotten sick from eating fish that had them

[Cyberfish]

Another appetizing feature of the yellow grubs is that if you pop one out carfully so you dont cut it, and put it on a dark surface, you can see them move. they look like a tiny yellow leech yummmmmmm

Eat up!

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[Guest]

shefland is right on where those worms come from. They are harmless if you cook your fish thouroughly or totaly remove the bugs. NOT the most apetizing sight but the fish taste just fine.

[tdk]

Like evrybody else has said just pop them out and you'll be ok. I was watching a pbs tv show a couple of years ago with a guy on from the Minnesota Sea Grant organiaztion(if I remember right) and he said that there was no parasite in fish that will hurt humans. I had always thrown fillets away that had them before. I have even found those little yellow grubs in walleyes. Perch seem to get them more than other fish, I was told because they're bottom feeders. You can tell how bad or even if perch have them by looking at the tail. If you see a lot of them just under the skin at the tail and you don't want to pick a lot of them out of the fillet, you might as well throw the fish back. I have had perch with no spots at the tail and might have one grub in the meat. Not to hard pick one out, just like popping a pimple.

[Jim W]

All,
Instead of creating "wanton" waiste and struggling to remove the spots, leave them in.
If cooked at a high enough heat they will do no harm!
I have removed and have left them in. No side effects yet.

Jim W

[sorenson]

The 'yellow spots' in question are most likely the cysts of a trematode parasite called Clinostomum complanatum, more commonly known as yellow grub. Aquatic snails act as the first host of the parasite. Many species of fish or amphibians act as the secondary host. Aquatic birds such as herons, bitterns and gulls act as the final host for the parasite. The parasite can cause localized tissue damage to the muscle or internal organs of the fish, but are not life threatening to the fish if present in low to moderate numbers. They certainly are not appetizing, but can be removed (if you are a patient person) if they really bother you. Just cooked normally when left in the flesh, they pose no human health hazard (just use more batter to hide them!).

[huskminn]

JimW,

We've been reluctant to tell you this, but you really have been exhibiting a few side effects from all those yellow grubs that you've eaten. I think it's called Mad Perch Disease.

I've heard that someone makes a pill to cure it, though, so not to worry!

By the way, a big thanks to Chad711 for posting the photo so I can recognize these things if/when I see them.

[Chad711]

Scott Steil I might be shooting in the dark here but do you know a Dee and Manny

Just wondering!
Chad

Thanks for all the great info, this site is full of great info!

Ps caught 7 more tonight after work right before dark, in about 15 minutes!

[Cliff Wagenbach]

Sorenson is right as to what the grubs are and as to where the fish pick them up at.
I have found them in perch and also a few times in walleyes.
I find them much more prevelent in fish that are caught in shallow weedy areas. Deep water perch and walleyes have very few of them on Vermilion.
I have found that if you look at the skin on the gill plates (throat area) you can spot the cysts easily. If I see any there I throw the fish back to spawn as there are usually a lot more in the meat.
If I only find a couple in the fillets I just pop them out with the point of my fillet knife.
Cliff

------------------
Cliff's Guide Service
CliffsGuideService-LakeVermilion.com
Lake Vermilion
Phone: (218) 753-2005

[Dano2]

I've only seen very few of these white and yellow spots, and just pop them out,
When catching gills in the summer I would get ones with mostly the black spots(grub parasite).
If the fish had alot on the outside, I would just throw them back and keep the cleaner ones, but then when I would fish with my buddy, he would keep the ones even if they were covered with these spots, must be too much beer, heh, heh.
Once we get cleaning them and divy the fillets up, I make sure he gets the ones with all the spots, heh, heh.

[Guest]

there a type of worm but according to the mn dnr they will not hurt you so if you can get by the thought they are safe to eat me i usually cut them out and eat away. yum yum perch fillets.

[Guest]

These are very common in Perch in many lakes. Occasionally you will find them in the Bluegill of lakes that have infected perch. My good fried Flyingfish has a pretty good method to detecting the presence of these parasites. If you look at the fish's tail and you see a lot of them in the skin most likely the body will have a lot of them in. If you don't see any on the tail or just one of two. There are pretty good odds that the rest of the meat won't have to many. This can save a lot of time if you are the type that likes to pick them out. You will know which ones to keep and which ones not to.

I have found them in Winni, Leech, Cass, Mille Lacs and occasionally in Vermillion. Scott Steil

[MuleSkinner]

Hey, I've seen this picture before. In High School Health class. It's called "Venereal Disease". I wouldn't fish too close to Chad711 from now on.