Thread: Wormy crappie

Ty D10 for the info,

Originally Posted by D10

They are round worms that are in the body cavity. Some years they are worse than others. Grubs and flukes can also be found just under the skin or on the skin of fish. These parasites are more prevalent in streams and rivers than lakes. Completely normal. Nothing to worry about. Most parasites have secondary hosts such as birds or snails. If there is an increase in one of these secondary hosts, often the parasites increase as well. I have always been told to cook the flesh good and don't worry about it. I still cut the obvious ones out. If it's cooked well, it can not be transfered to you.

I've read where they are spread through Crayfish too .

The one that was so bad we had to discard was marked on the outside as well. I had heard that bird waste contributed to this. There are plenty of birds here to cause it. I have never seen so many cormorants. I estimate this flock to have about 2000 birds. They have been working this area like a flock of snow geese.

RCC where is this pic from, and we have the same problem here in Franklin county.

Need to open season on cormorants !!!!!

I'd be for that! They're a nuisance.

Doesn't look goo for that option. We were just forwarded a document today about a law suite against the USFWS for not monitoring this enough. Wish I could figure out how to post a document.

I started noticing an increase in the parasites in fish that seems to me like it parallels the increase in a lot of these birds. Especially the different species of herons that are everywhere now. Parasites in a fish when I was a kid was unheard of as far as I remember. As soon as these birds started increasing in numbers and eating all the shoreline aquatic life,then fly from one body of water to another body of water . I think they transfer it from mud on their feet and the parasites that are not killed in the digestive track and then pooped out where ever. I see them sitting on ditches and ponds that are nothing more than polluted waste water....then they fly over to some nice body of water and there you go.

That's just a theory of mine but I think you would have to show me some pretty convincing evidence otherwise to get me to change my mind.