Originally Posted by Lum
Lum.....
It's fairly common in southern shallow lakes. I fish a shallow local lake in LA and I see it often there. Wildlife and Fisheries claim it's due to heat stress during summer that reduces their resistance to parasites. Our southern lakes have prolific algea blooms and lack of clarity which absorb the sun's heat and super heat the water. They also say that it's safe to eat if the skin/hide is removed, but I don't eat them myself as fish are plentiful there. I see it almost exclusively on bass, but then I don't fish much for "gills." None of the crappie I have caught there have that particular syndrome. My personal opinion, I wouldn't eat them. I filleted three of them and all three had internal parasites in the form of tiny wormlike creatures imbedded in the fillets.
Doesn't make for attractive table fare for yours truly. Hope this makes your decision easier. Good luck.....