Does anyone know what this is?

[Coldfeet]

I fish a lot of smaller lakes in my area. I basicly have a favorite lake for every species and every season. There is one particular lake that I target for perch and it produces well in both the summer and winter. There is something that I've been seeing over the last 2 or 3 years that has me scratching my head and even a little worried. Some of the larger perch that I catch that are 9+ inches have a funny discoloration in the flesh. When you fillet the fish, half of the fillet will look normal while the other half is an opaque white, almost as if it was already cooked. I typically cut off the entire portion that looks like this and throw it away, but that usually leaves a very little fillet left. Does anyone know what this is? Is it going to harm the perch population in the lake? I sent an e-mail a while ago to the DNR telling them what lake it was in and asked for information on it but the reply I got didn't give me much for info. They basicly told me that they were aware that this was happening but they hadn't quite figured out what it is yet. They also said that it seemed to be perfectly safe to eat. That was about it as far as what information I got out of them. I thought I'd throw this out on the forum and see if someone out there knew more about it.

[g man46]

You shold let the DNR know right away when you catch one. I remember seeing a poster in Bemidji asking you to report it when you found it on area lakes up there. I thought it said something about a bacteria.

[Bobb-o]

the discoloration in the meat is caused by a fungus. The BSU aquatics department is doing a study right now on Leech Lake about this.

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Diplomacy - The art of saying "nice doggie" while you find a rock.

[Paul Rohweller]

Is the flesh kinda sandy or grainy in texture? Paul

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Paul Rohweller
Pine to Prairie Guide Service
218-962-3387 home
701-261-9525 cell
[email protected]
N.P.A.A. 425
Quality Bait and Tackle, Detroit Lakes Mn
www.scenictackle.com
North Country Outdoors Radio 99.3 fm
http://fishingminnesota.com/pinetoprairie

[Coldfeet]

I have not noticed the flesh being sandy or grainy in texture. It looks as though it is cooked or freeze dried, solid white, maybe a little yellowish. I was talking about this to someone I work with yesterday and he told me it sounded like a fungus called Heterosporis. I did a search on the internet and that definitely looks like what it is.

[Paul Rohweller]

Keep us updated on this one would ya please?? sounds interesting.. Paul

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Paul Rohweller
Pine to Prairie Guide Service
218-962-3387 home
701-261-9525 cell
[email protected]
N.P.A.A. 425
Quality Bait and Tackle, Detroit Lakes Mn
www.scenictackle.com
North Country Outdoors Radio 99.3 fm
http://fishingminnesota.com/pinetoprairie

[Cliff Wagenbach]

Cold feet,
The Mn. DNR was doing a study on that fish disease. I would suggest that you contact them with the info. you have and the lake where you have found the fish that have it.
As far as I can remember they are saying it poses no known harm to humans as long as the fish are cooked well done.
Cliff

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

[CANOPY SAM]

The vast majority of diseases and infections that effect animals and fish cause no harm to humans. As long as the meat is well cooked, and you don't eat it too often (as is outlined in the 2004 fishing regulations), you shouldn't have much to worry about.

The only real concern that you have with fish consumption, as far as modern science is aware of, is parasitic infections, which can be resolved by thorough cooking, and toxicity, which can be reduced by trimming fatty portions of meat from your fillets.

[Sko]

I think this is what the problem is...Heterosporis (Yellow Perch Parasite)

Follow this link to the WI DNR site:

http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/water/fhp/fish/health/disease.htm

[2dalake]

That's a great link. We caught a few like this in Leech last summer. We didn't know what it was and I threw them away, felt bad about it, but eat parasite spores? Yuck.

[muchowja]

You would be suprised what you eat that you don't know about. All grain products have a threshhold of certain contaminants(i.e. rodent wastes, bugs...) that can be in them and still sold to the public.

[ackotz]

Yeah...you wouldn't want to know what goes into your basic "hot dogs" (the plain weiner kind). I found out once and have since switched to all-beef kosher dogs...less rat feces, less animal brains, eyeballs and intestines, less animal bi-products in those!

[This message has been edited by ackotz (edited 02-27-2004).]

[2dalake]

Gee thanks guys, we all wanted to know that...

[the olde man]

wasn`t there a thread in this forum "I need fish for a sience study" about 2 weeks ago?

[jonny_redhorse]

Protein's....protein...lol!once it get's past the mouth...the stomach doesn't really care......lol!...ever watch the tv show.."fear factor"?

[Uff-Da]

Brings a whole new meaning to "I wish I were an Oscar Meyer weiner..."