Question for the Trout fisherman out there!!

[billy10103]

Have y'all been noticing an abnormal amount of the parasites that inhabit the Specks? I know there are very common and it's just a fact of life that comes with chasin the Trout. However the Trout I caught a couple days ago at S.L.P.P. (report to follow on different thread) were just totally riddled with them. Both sides WAY TO FULL to cut and or squeeze out.
I was just wondering if anyone else has been noticing this or is it just my dumb luck?? lol. Seriously this has happened three diferent times to me this year. If it is worse this year than most what's causing it? The Weeds?
Thanks in advance for any and all opinions!
Billy

[cfred]

Haven't caught enough trout this year to notice!!!! LOL. Interesting though, curious to hear if others have seen this also. My season is just getting ready to heat up so hopefully I'll be able to sample some of this.

[kenny]

.....not that many in the fish I've been catching in West Bay, one or two at the most.

[Palmetto]

Of the 3 trout we caught when I was @ slp 2 weeks ago, all 3 had them.

[wet dreams]

I have noticed MOST all specks I have caught in the past have had worms or parasites in them. I have asked other people about them and some have seen them and others havnt. The ones that havn't I dont think they have looked close enough. I have also talked with some from La that say they dont have m there but I dont know. After I fillet them I will hold fillet up and if not noticed before they will show then and if I cant get all of them out they become chum for offshore. I do know that if my wife sees any before or after cleaning there wont be anymore trout cooked in my house. BTW she knows absolutly nothing about them and I plan on keeping it that way. I have benn told by a TPW biologist when cooked they won't hurt anything BUT thats not for me. WW

[bullred123]

just fry em up you can't tell there even there

[Fresh2Salt]

most of them were caught over mud/shell. The ones I've been catching in grass/sand haven't had any. With the ones that do, I just take a tooth pick and poke it into the meat and it pulls them right out. My wife doesn't know they exist either and I aim to keep it that way.

James

[billy10103]

Thanks for everyones opinions. I usually just cut and squeeze them out myself but if there are too many I always just throw them down to my kitty and he has a blast with them! lol
I also know that cooking completely destroys them it's just the thought that gets me. Don't worry guys my lips are sealed around the ladies about them. I learned that the hard way with my first ex. She did not take that news well at all. LOL
Billy

[Fishaholic]

I heard there isnt anything the matter with them. They say when you cook them they go away.

[cacciato71]

Man I can't eat the fish when I pull them out. I mean you fillet, don't think, Fry and eat. If I take the time to pull them out I get the picture of lick'in a worm can. Yuck! Like I said fillet'em, don't think, fry and eat. Never know they are there. Outa sight oughta mind and in my belly!

[FlatoutFishin]

Protein suppliments! They won't hurt you, like mentioned before just fry'em up and enjoy. Pretend your on Fear Factor. LOL

[texacajun]

Of the seven Trout I've caught outta Chocolate Bay 5 of them had some worms in them. I've never really noticed them before fishing outta Eagle point but maybe I just wasn't paying much attention. Seems like there have been more lately, maybe I'm wrong. I've talked to several people and they say the worm issue is about the same to them. Me personaly, I try to pick out as much as possible. I don't care to eat them even if they do go away or whatever they do when you cook the filet.

[Calcasieu Cracker]

Yum Yum! There have always been worms in trout, always will be. If you don't want to eat them, better to become a C&R kinda guy. In fact I find it rare to fillet a trout w/o finding at least a couple of worms in them and even when you don't see them they are probably there.

[Bucksnort]

Its been my experience that the trout from the surf have more worms in them than the bay trout. I can't believe some of ya'll throw away good meat because of a few worms...like mentioned in this post they desinigrate when fried and don't hurt a thing.

[JohnHumbert]

The worms found in trout have an interesting life cycle that is dependant on the trout being eaten by blacktip sharks....

It is my understanding that virtually ALL trout have worms - to some degree. The smaller trout tend to have more worms and the all trout tend to have more worms when blacktip shark populations are up - and shark populations (especially in the bays) are VERY high right now.

Also, I once heard that trout schools that are found in open water (where there are greater number of sharks) tend to get heavily loaded with worms - and if you catch trout with a lot of worms - there are sure to be blacktips nearby.....

[swifty]

I'm sure y'all have seen this before on TPWD...like someone said here and my grandfather used to say - more protein!!

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/fish/specinfo/strout/strout.htm

From TPWD---
"Some trout caught may have worms embedded in the flesh along the backbone. These "spaghetti" worms are larval stages of a tapeworm that can only reach maturity in sharks. It cannot survive in man even if it is eaten raw. The worms can easily be removed during filleting to make the meat more appealing."

[Havens]

Every year this same subject comes up. Here is some info I got from TPW back in 2000. Hope this may help.

Those are worms you see in the muscle tissue of trout. They are the intermediate stage of a shark tapeworm and when seen in trout are sometimes referred to as "spaghetti worms". These worms are common to fish in the drum family (e.g. red drum, black drum and spotted seatrout). A study done in Louisiana estimated that approximately 40 percent of the spotted seatrout in Louisiana and Mississippi are infested with these parasites. It would be a safe assumption to make that Texas is no different.

The life cycle of this tapeworm begins with the production of eggs by the 6-8 inch adult worm in the sharks intestine. Eggs passing into the water hatch into free-swimming larvae. These larvae are eating by small crustaceans (e.g. copepods) where they change into another stage called a procercoid. When the crustaceans are eaten by small fish the procercoid is passed on. This continues until a trout eats a fish containing the parasite. The parasite changes shape again and migrates from the fish's digestive system to the muscle where it becomes the "spaghetti worm". When the trout is eaten by a shark the tapeworm completes it's life cycle and it start all over.

Interestingly the study in Louisiana found that infected trout carried an average infection load of only 1-2 worms. Sometimes it appears there are more worms when fish are cleaned because the actual worm may be cut several times. Another interesting discovery of the study was that once infected, the fish develops an immunity to further infestation. That's why we don't see more worms in larger, older fish.

As has been mentioned in some of the posts these worms are not harmful to humans, just not very appetizing. Cooking the meat will kill the worm and you probably won't be able to even find it in the piece of fish. Actually, all fish have parasites; some are just easier to see than others.

Hope this helps. If you have other questions, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Lance Robinson TPW-Coastal Fisheries Seabrook Marine Laboratory

[bill]

the chances are very high that you eat worse things everyday, now if you eat out (fast food ect) you can get into some scary things.
How much rat hair is OK by the FDA in a can of tuna? More than you might think. Roaches, just don't even try and think about them.

[seapro]

I have never given the worms in the trout a second thought. I just fillet the fish and cook them. The parasites are just extra protein.

[Sage8862]

I posted this on a different thread earlier today.....thought I'd share whould copy it to here as it is applicable.

Along with being a fisherman, I have a long background in the seafood industry and seafood quality. One fact that everyone should know is that a majority of fish (from salt water or fresh water) contain parasites, some you can see, some you can not. everyone is correct, fully cooking the fish will kill the parasites (flukes / worms / whatever you want to call them). For those of us that like to eat fish rare or uncooked, it is important to freeze the fish first to deactivate the parasites. 7 days at -10 F is recommended. Cook em or freeze em......it'll kill em all!

Keep this in mind next time you want to cook a nice tuna steak on the grill.....you should hard freeze it first to be safe.

[billy10103]

Of the seven Trout I've caught outta Chocolate Bay 5 of them had some worms in them. I've never really noticed them before fishing outta Eagle point but maybe I just wasn't paying much attention. Seems like there have been more lately, maybe I'm wrong. I've talked to several people and they say the worm issue is about the same to them. Me personaly, I try to pick out as much as possible. I don't care to eat them even if they do go away or whatever they do when you cook the filet.
Amen I'm with you TC!! I know they were there and that's enough for me to give it my kitty. During the Drum run he(my cat) seems to get the fattest! lol
Seriously they don't bother me that much and I've known about them all of my life. My dad used to take me to Bo's over on Bolivar (before Alicia had her way with it) starting at the age of 5. I had my first baitcaster (daiwa millionaire 6H) by the time I turned 7. I learned how to clean, filet, package, and cook Trout before I even started caring about girls! lol
So beleive me I know they are always there and I usually just squeeze them out like you would a zit if they are close enough to the surface of the filet and if they are not close enough then I just cut them out. The fish does not go to waste my cat sees to that.
Thanks to everyone for their input on this!!
Billy

[billy10103]

Its been my experience that the trout from the surf have more worms in them than the bay trout. I can't believe some of ya'll throw away good meat because of a few worms...like mentioned in this post they desinigrate when fried and don't hurt a thing.
I don't throw them away I never waste any fish that I keep. When I say if they are too many in there I give them to my cat I mean there has to be ALOT!
Billy

[Bucksnort]

Thats very interesting about the life cycle of these worms, I never knew that. Good info.

[Redfishr]

just fry em up you can't tell there even thereDitto , but mine havent had too many..............

[Redfishr]

I posted this on a different thread earlier today.....thought I'd share whould copy it to here as it is applicable.

Along with being a fisherman, I have a long background in the seafood industry and seafood quality. One fact that everyone should know is that a majority of fish (from salt water or fresh water) contain parasites, some you can see, some you can not. everyone is correct, fully cooking the fish will kill the parasites (flukes / worms / whatever you want to call them). For those of us that like to eat fish rare or uncooked, it is important to freeze the fish first to deactivate the parasites. 7 days at -10 F is recommended. Cook em or freeze em......it'll kill em all!

Keep this in mind next time you want to cook a nice tuna steak on the grill.....you should hard freeze it first to be safe.Tuna steak or mullet steak, I dont eat rare or raw fish