# Worms in Fish



## CrappieKiller (Mar 14, 2008)

We cleaned some fish from my buddy's pond and they had small yellow worms in the fillets. I have seen this before but was wondering if anyone would know how to get rid of them or what exactly causes this.


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## [email protected] (Dec 22, 2006)

It sounds like yellow grub. There's really nothing that can be done to cure the problem quickly. You can reduce the chances of getting them by disrupting the life cycle of the parasite. Initially they come from the throat of herons and get dispursed into the water where they find a snail to grow to the next stage then dispurse into the water to find a fish to infect. Keeping the birds out and snails eliminated will highly reduce the number of grubs. Pumpkinseeds and shellcrackers eat snails and can also help disrupt the cycle. I do not know of any practical chemical controls for ponds. 

The grubs taste fine when breaded and fried.


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## bopperattacker (Sep 12, 2008)

[email protected] said:


> The grubs taste fine when breaded and fried.


are you serious? I fish a lot of private ponds that allow me to take panfish from them. I've never seen this in person. I couldn't imagine those fillets would still be good to eat..


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## CrappieKiller (Mar 14, 2008)

Thanks for your help. You echoed exactly what Fish and Game told my friend on the phone today about how the grubs get into the fish. I know plenty of people who have eaten those worms too. After I filleted the fish I could poke the worms with the knife and they would wiggle around. We decided not to eat them by the way.


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## [email protected] (Dec 22, 2006)

It was just a joke but they won't harm you or affect the flavor of the fish if cooked...or so I've read. I've found them a couple of times and just cut out the portion of fillet they were imbedded in. I've seen similar grubs in saltwater fish too. 

Yellow grub is probably the most common in freshwater fish and the most often observed. You've probably eaten a bunch of other critters but they were either small or the same color as the flesh so you didn't notice.


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## beemoth (Aug 3, 2008)

next time if you can take a pic of those yellow grubs and post it. I've seen sores on a fish but not any worms.


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## CrappieKiller (Mar 14, 2008)

I will do that


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## bopperattacker (Sep 12, 2008)

if worms are in my meat, I'll pass. ditto on getting some pictures next time.


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## bkr43050 (Apr 5, 2004)

beemoth said:


> next time if you can take a pic of those yellow grubs and post it. I've seen sores on a fish but not any worms.


If you clean many fish you will most likely find them one of these days unless you are extremely lucky.

I have found them several times over the years. There are certain bodies of water that I have learned to not keep the fish as often especially in the mid-summer time because it seems that the chance of finding grubs is higher. At times you can see them in the fish before cleaning them which, if I do see them, I always toss them back. If you see bumps in the flesh up just under the dorsal fin and back a bit there is a good chance that is what is there. I have found them in farm ponds like this often. I know they say they are harmless to humans and the meat is still fine but it is a tough sell for me to convince me to still eat them.


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## Fishman (Apr 5, 2004)

If you eat "wild" fish, there's a really good likley you've ate these buggers... whether ya know it or not  These grubs die the second they hit the hot oil and won't hurt ya bit. I agree they're unappetizing to say the least. Cut the ones out you see, eat the rest!


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## ahmadi6490 (Jul 20, 2009)

They'll die if cooked above 212 degrees...that's boiling temp


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## bopperattacker (Sep 12, 2008)

bkr43050 said:


> If you clean many fish you will most likely find them one of these days unless you are extremely lucky


I must be extremely lucky then. I've cleaned 1000's of fish, and have yet to see any grubs/worms in any meat. I did clean some panfish with some black specks in the meat from a local pond. are these some type of worm???


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## Lewzer (Apr 5, 2004)

> The grubs taste fine when breaded and fried.


Watch _Monsters Inside Me_ Wednesday night on History/Discovery...one of those channels. 
They pulled a 4" parasitic worm out of a LMB last night. Yum Yum!!!!

I see the small black ones in panfish taken from ponds where cows or horses excrement run off into the water.

No parasites for me thank you!


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## bopperattacker (Sep 12, 2008)

Lewzer said:


> Watch _Monsters Inside Me_ Wednesday night on History/Discovery...one of those channels.
> They pulled a 4" parasitic worm out of a LMB last night. Yum Yum!!!!
> 
> I see the small black ones in panfish taken from ponds where cows or horses excrement run off into the water.
> ...


that's a good show, I saw that about the LMB bass... BTW, pond I was fishing is in 20 acres of woods. No horses, or cows..... I wonder how they got the parasite?????


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## ohiojmj (Apr 16, 2004)

A fish camp owner once told me "we grind up the ones with grubs for chowder". I helped his cause.


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