Eating Perch with worms and walleyes with black spots?

[ac777]

We caught a few perch that had worms in the mouth, and a walleye that had little black spots all over. Are these safe to eat?

[jwmiller33]

i probably wouldnt just to be safe... worms in the mouth sounds a little unhealthy right now.. not sure about the black spots

[FasterThanYou23]

doesnt sound too good..i wouldnt eat em

[grousehunter]

black spots are fine..im drawing a blank on what its called..nuceas something or another. It have no effect after you cook it. the wormy perch I would pass on. I doubt that would matter either after cooking though.

edit...from the dnr site...

Neascus (black spot) and yellow grub are common parasites that are native to the area. They cannot infect humans, are often removed by filleting fish, and are killed at temperatures used to cook fish

[ac777]

Thanks for the replies, I filleted the perch, and there was no worms inside, and they looked healthy.

[WalleyeChaser]

I usually hold the fillets up to light to check in the meat for the yellow grubs. If you see one just put a small slit near it and push it out like a zit. Wash them up good and cook 'em hot. I've never had a problem! Hate to waste a good fish or fillet for a few grubs that can be easily removed.

[Casey Sunsdahl]

The black spot I've found on local lakes around Vermilion doesn't even get in the meat.. its more like a skin wart. But like the DNR says its all safe for humans.. most ppl just pick out the grub like stated above.

[Johnny_Da_Der]

most parasites can only hop around to similar hosts, like from pigs to people or fish to fish. Fish parasites just aren't adapted to live in a warm blooded host. Also cooking stuff well will kill about anything.

Still though, I wouldn't eat it.

[NWBuck]

Watched an episode of House the other night where he ended up pulling a 2 foot tapeworm out of a woman. Pretty much eliminated any chance that I'd eat a fish I found even a hint of worms in

[Bigslugger]

I always pass on fish that have parasites or signs of grubs.

Hate thinking about it when you eat it

[ac777]

I always pass on fish that have parasites or signs of grubs.

Hate thinking about it when you eat it

Is that why your username is bigSLUGGER, JK, I had to say it

[traveler]

best just to have someone else clean your fish...then you'll never know:)

[hanso612]

I have seen a marked increase in white grubs on Vermillion over the past few years. There are more snails do to warm water and excess nutrients, and more herons than ever. The white grubs are now in most of the walleyes too. The grubs are not just under the skin, but in the flesh. When you hold a fillet up to the light you can see them in the fillet. If you pick them out with the tip of your knife the grubs squirm on the fillet table.

I have a hard time eating a fillet with lots of grubs even if it is thoroughly cooked. I just don't trust that I have cooked the meat all the way through, and it creeps me out.

80 percent of Vermillion smallmouth have tapeworms. If you cut their stomach open and spray the contents with clear cold water the tapeworms turn from clear to white and you can seew them squirm too. Most tapeworms in Minnesota's fish don't infect humans, but some do-so be carefull when using an electric fillet knife to cut through the entrails and fillet off the ribs and them skin them. The knife is contaminated after the first fish. The standard fillet technique shouldn't open the body cavity, but tapeworms can still be spread if you push too hard on a fish with a large parasite load. They either throw them up or pass them. Either way worms get on the table, so keep the table clean.

The columnest Dennis Andersen got a tapeworm from undercooked fish on a remote trip so it does happen- and it's not pleasant.

I would love to fillet a gruby fish in front of a legislator and challenge them to eat it there and then- Then suggest that I liked my fish clean and I liked to see herons only ocassionally.

Remember as a kid when herons were a rare and special sighting. I miss that. Hans

[CrookedLake]

What kind of worms were they? Were they embedded in the fishes mouth or were they eating them. Perch love bloodworms...... Just curious.

[ac777]

I'm thinking they were blood worms, they werent embedded and I didn't find any in the fillets.

[Scott M]

Neascus

Yellow Grub

Not good to hear of more yellow grub and neascus in Vermillion. Those parasites have similar life cycles and shouldn't be found with any abundance in a lake like Vermillion