Callander Bay perch - worms

Good day,

I mainly fish Callander bay for walleye but occasionally I will keep a few decent size perch for a fish fry if they are big enough. The last few times when cleaning the perch I've noticed worms in the guts and even in the meat. Probably in about 50% of the perch I've cleaned I see them. In the meat they are white and appear to be round until you cut them out and they uncoil.

Just wondering if anyone else has noticed an increase in wormy perch? or maybe I just never noticed previously.

Just extra protein? Lol

I'm wondering the same. Increase or?

We've been out twice this season to the Eastern part of the province. Same thing...probably half have them. The bad cases will have them visible on the outside of the skin, particularly near the tail...

Extra protein...lol. Good way to look at it!

We caught a few keeper eyes for the pan and noticed the same worms in one.

I should do a little Google'ing to understand why and how it happens. Always thought it was more common in smaller water bodies only.

I forget the term for the worms, but essentially it happens when the bird droppings fall into the lake. The smaller organisms consume them (snails, crayfish, shrimp etc) once these organisms are infected with the bacteria it is passed on when the perch consume those, and manifests as worms in the flesh.

There was a big write up on this in the Simcoe forum as it’s common to find them in some areas of Simcoe but more so in Couchiching. Apparently you can leave them in the flesh and they’re harmless once cooked...no thanks, I’ll cut them out before I cook...

Here’s a link to info on the Yellow Grub

https://fishpathogens.net/pathogen/yellow-grub-clinostomum

Just cut them out, we always hold our fillets up to a light source to find the ones you don't see..

I always soak my filets in salt water and the the grubs crawl out and die.

Sureshot I have heard that before.

What is the mixture of salt and water you mix to soak your fillets?

How long do you soak them?

Are the grubs laying dead on the bottom of the dish once you remove your fillets?

Thanks

Callander Bay is shallow and warmer in summer hense the worms. I have fished perch in the main lake for years and very rarely do i find a wormy perch.pretty much never.

I just cleaned a mess of jumbos up from the bay and they had no worms.

Thanks for the replies guys!

I used to fish the north shore around Jocko point and I never noticed any worms. I just started seeing them when fishing in Callander bay. (Warmer and shallower water perhaps as noted)

I always hold the perch fillets up to a light to check for worms, you'll see them clear as day that way if the perch has them.

I've never heard of the salt bath approach but I will try it out.

Speaking of worms, I hacked up a herring on the weekend, and my god the size of worms in that thing. There were not a lot but they were huge, cut them out and ate the herring not very appetizing seeing them I must say.

Never caught a herring that wasn't wormy.Always found that odd as i thought them to be a fast moving non bottom dweller.

Probably get worms from what they eat..imo

Same for me....


never got a perch with worms in it/them

and opposite with herring, never got one that wasn't full of worms, although I don't bother keeping these anymore anyhow

Can't comment on walleye cause I didn't get one this year to try out