# white worms in meat of fish



## ccart58 (Mar 5, 2010)

went to a farm pond yesterday caught lots of big bluegill I kept 5 nice slabs took them home and started cleaning them and found small white worms in all of them they was under the skin and imbeded down in the meat? never saw this before has anyone else? I sure wouldnt eat them, and I let the owners of the pond know about it, now the question is what they are and what to do about it?


----------



## partlyable (Mar 2, 2005)

i have seen this before it is not that completely uncommon but i am sure some other people on here can help you with that exactly they are.


----------



## Intracoastal (Sep 12, 2009)

I can't respond directly to you question as I have never seen this with fish before. However, if you pour vinegar on pork they will come wiggling out. It could be the freshest pork and they're still there. They die when you cook the meat, but it doesn't make it any less creepy to think about when you're eating.


----------



## homebrew (Apr 13, 2009)

They are a parasite of the fish and don't hurt people. I clean fish with my glasses off so I don't know they are there. Makes it easier to eat them.

I think (this is from memory, which is as bad as my eyes) they live in snails at some part of their life cycle, so maybe stocking redear sunfish (shellcrackers) would help.

The perch we get in very clean water in Canada have them as well.


----------



## bopperattacker (Sep 12, 2008)

gives you chest hair.. Plus like IC said, it has no effect on the meat. It happens with a lot of meat, and it all dies off after cooking. There's probably parasites in a lot of fish caught in ponds and public waters, you just never see them. I know what you mean by not wanting the meat when you can physically see the parasite. It's kinda creepy, but in the end just adds extra protein.


----------



## Shaun69007 (Sep 2, 2009)

yeah i have seen them in bluegill before. I was told that they are normal but the kinda makes you want to vomit. but how many maggots are in a jar of peanut butter


----------



## Beernut (May 4, 2009)

i have seen this in pan fish before but it is usually when the water starts to get warm. i say clean them anyway when you have a fish fry make sure you give it to the person you like the least. thats what i do!


----------



## Muskarp (Feb 5, 2007)

http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/fish/health/clinostomum.html

Will not hurt you. But I try to dig them out where I find them. Just for the ell of it.


----------



## BMustang (Jul 27, 2004)

I had a friend once who was an avid fisherman and liked to catch and clean a few for dinner.
While cleaning a mess of rock bass at a lake near Ely, Minnesota he came upon one that had the "worms."
He not only threw away the mess of them, but stopped fishing for the remainder of the trip.

Seemed rather radical to me.


----------



## the falcon (Mar 13, 2010)

caught a mess years ago called my uncle he said cook them and eat them i did still here


----------



## jcotsmallie (Nov 1, 2009)

Iwas told they were warbles and not to eat them but after reading all this and that dnr article guess its fine....still dont know if i could shovel down some fillets after seeing all the worms


----------



## spidey (Mar 19, 2007)

Oh yeah, all those warnings not to eat undercooked meat and fish are rooted in the reality that...we are not alone. Parasites exist!!!


----------



## hazmat247 (Mar 1, 2006)

I've seen yellow/off-white worms in Pike and Perch up in Canada and I have heard the same thing, nothing to worry about. I try and pick them out with my fillet knife, but everyone else up at the camp have been eating them in the meat for years with no problems. I wouldnt worry about it unless it creeps you out!


----------



## Hole in the ice (Apr 23, 2010)

I think HOMEBREW has it right. I was told many years ago that those little grubs have a complicated life cycle. They are a larval stage of a fresh water mollusk that spends part of its life attached inside the throats of herons. I can never bring myself to eating fish infested with them even though I was always told these fish were safe to eat after cooking.


----------



## Eriesteamer (Mar 9, 2007)

Oh man I use to get lot fish out Pymatuning in fall with these that was back then was called parasite.only in fall after waters so and so warm and in most cases the green slime sets in.that covers that lake back then the slime was so think frogs can walk on it.one reason I do not fish that lake.not sure how it is today as never been there in 20 years as once I caught lot the fish thinking oh boy fish fry tomorrow was not the case.back then I had good eye sight thus can not take off glasses to clean so the guy say he does in here has a good point there LOL now to the other guy give a fish fry and give those ones to the guy comes he hates. LOL I plan bring my own fish to the West Branch thing as that be the ones they serve me way they hate me in here LOL


----------

