Speckled Meat

[GoneCrappieFishing]

I seen this on one of the forums I read today, and thought it interesting to say the least.Would you eat this? Some said its ok, just cook in hot grease, and others said just throw it away and catch some more.Have you ever seen this before? Whats your take on what its caused by.

[skeetbum]

New to me.

[Tenntodd]

In all of my years of cleaning crappie, I've never seen that.
Could be ok, could be cancer! It's above me......

[DrJohn]

I've never seen it...wouldn't eat it!

[Black Crow]

Mmm, yummy!

Posted this in a thread a week or so ago in the main TN board so some of yall might not have seen it. This is a link to the TWRA website and you will find a list of common diseases, infections, and other appetizing conditions found in fish in Tennessee waters.

Looks like either a serious case of red sore or tapeworms in the picture you posted. Hate to waste fish, but I'll be honest and say I would prolly pass that one on to the coons in my backyard.

I don't know if any of yall fish Nashville lakes or if you keep your fishin to Manchester area lakes, but I've noticed a particularly high occurrence of Red Sore in crappie caught on Old Hickory Lake this year. Although it is pretty bad looking, Red Sore is actually safe to eat if properly cooked and if the infected area is removed (per link below), but if I am able to identify that the fish has Red Sore before I get home I toss them back. I cleaned a fish last weekend that had tapeworms. It is nearly impossible IMO to determine if a fish has tapeworms prior to cleaning the fish. Then you'll see them coiled up under the skin and embedded in the meat and gut of the fish. I have also seen that a high percentage of frogs I have gigged out on Old Hickory have worms. So many that I have stopped gigging there all together to keep from further waste as I will not knowingly eat meat with worms. Strangely, I have never caught a fish on Percy Priest Lake with any of the conditions I have seen on Old Hickory.

TWRA - Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency - Fish Diseases and Parasites

Good fishin everybody. Looks like yall have a good group here.

[GoneCrappieFishing]

Hey Black Crow.Thanks for that post.Yea, we do have a great group of guys that hang here. I apreciate the information you shared with us.

[gabowman]

Nope..couldnt eat it. Kinda like killing squirrels with wolves. They say theyre alright to eat...but not for me.:o