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Author Topic: What are signs of a sick fish and you may not want to eat it?  (Read 9711 times)

norm_2

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What are signs of a sick fish and you may not want to eat it?
« on: October 14, 2016, 05:47:48 PM »

I would like hear of what you have seen for you to know it is sick.

For the exterior, I have seen worms around the gills or in the mouth on generally normal-looking darker late-season fish.  I have caught only one fish which was skinny at a time when all were healthy and then I saw a worm.  I have seen lesions on the skin too.

For the interior, I have only had one situation.  The fish was normal looking on the outside aside from being not chrome but not dark.  When I was gutting it, the stomach was very firm and bloated.  There was no food in the stomach.  The other organs looked different but I can't remember.

Please share.
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trootn

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Re: What are signs of a sick fish and you may not want to eat it?
« Reply #1 on: October 14, 2016, 06:47:28 PM »

I caught a jack coho that was all bumpy, all over its skin there were small bumps and maybe rashes.
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Dave

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Re: What are signs of a sick fish and you may not want to eat it?
« Reply #2 on: October 18, 2016, 04:19:08 PM »

I caught a female Coho last year in September on the C/V that had small bumps all over it's shiny skin. Was totally fine inside and was really tasty. I thought it was a bunch of sea lice at first but I think it was a ginger Coho with freckles lol
Most likely this is a common parasite that seems to like coho, Myxobolus squamalis. It burrows into the skin and pushes up the scales  ... harmless to humans but I would definitely skin any fish I wanted to eat.

The worms were most likely small leeches, again common on later run salmon, especially chums and most often found in the gills and at the base of fins, most often the pectorals.  Again harmless to humans.
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canso

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Re: What are signs of a sick fish and you may not want to eat it?
« Reply #3 on: October 18, 2016, 06:29:33 PM »

I've seen a tape worm in a large spring from the ocean, and in a bull trout from Kootenay lake.
Also a trout stomach full of round worms.
This year I caught a trout that had bumps and white puss blotches on the inside of the belly cavity.

I only ate the spring.
Everything else was frozen then used for crab bait.
« Last Edit: October 18, 2016, 09:40:40 PM by canso »
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Rieber

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Re: What are signs of a sick fish and you may not want to eat it?
« Reply #4 on: October 18, 2016, 06:43:18 PM »

I've seen a tape worm in a large spring, and in a bull trout from Kootenay lake.
Also a trout stomach full of round worms.
This year I caught a trout that had bumps and white puss blotches on the inside of the belly cavity.

I only ate the spring.
Everything else was frozen then used for crab bait.

How the hell did the Spring get into Kootenay Lake? I know the Springs get into Mable Lake but they can't get to Kootenay.

I've had a couple mint Sockeye that were full of little milky puss balls all throughout the flesh. I didn't take any chances - those sockeye went into the garbage.

Caught a couple small coho that I think became residents of Cultas Lake - these had a strange slimy and blistered skin. These coho were much bigger than I would expect to still be in the lake and yet much smaller than spawning coho. Maybe they were confused coho jacks - I don't know.

Other than that if I see signs of being well into the spawn colours or full of open sores or bugs - I'm not taking it.
« Last Edit: October 18, 2016, 06:58:36 PM by Rieber »
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canso

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Re: What are signs of a sick fish and you may not want to eat it?
« Reply #5 on: October 18, 2016, 09:44:26 PM »

How the hell did the Spring get into Kootenay Lake? I know the Springs get into Mable Lake but they can't get to Kootenay.



Oops I fixed that.
Spring was 38 lber  from Bamfield.

Shmoke Shaman

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Re: What are signs of a sick fish and you may not want to eat it?
« Reply #6 on: October 19, 2016, 08:43:27 PM »

I always check for parasites. Cut the tail off to check.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diseases_and_parasites_in_salmon#
One year I had a total of twelve pink salmon and four of them had the parasites.
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Rieber

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Re: What are signs of a sick fish and you may not want to eat it?
« Reply #7 on: October 20, 2016, 01:31:05 PM »

I always check for parasites. Cut the tail off to check.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diseases_and_parasites_in_salmon#
One year I had a total of twelve pink salmon and four of them had the parasites.

Yup, those are the puss balls I was talking about. Curious though, how does the fish swim away if you cut the tail off to check for parasites?
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Shmoke Shaman

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Re: What are signs of a sick fish and you may not want to eat it?
« Reply #8 on: October 20, 2016, 02:34:45 PM »

My buddies and I were on a salt water expedition over in Comox Valley and noticed the parasites after coming back to shore to process the catch. I personally did not keep the fish but the seal at the harbor sure loved them.
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scouterjames

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Re: What are signs of a sick fish and you may not want to eat it?
« Reply #9 on: November 04, 2016, 02:48:37 PM »

A hatch male I caught last weekend had a TON of thin little pink worms in the guts and cavity.  Wish I took a pic, but nope.  I can't find anything like it on Google - anyone know what that might have been?  I think that particular fish is gonna be crab bait..... just in case.
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Electroman

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Re: What are signs of a sick fish and you may not want to eat it?
« Reply #10 on: November 04, 2016, 04:25:20 PM »

Check for a fever and a runny nose  :P
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fishingwithjohn

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Re: What are signs of a sick fish and you may not want to eat it?
« Reply #11 on: November 04, 2016, 05:14:50 PM »

caught a chum with pockets of milky liquid within the flesh a couple years ago...chrome as they come for the smoker but the meat was completely riddled with these cysts...

did not eat btw...
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Dave

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Re: What are signs of a sick fish and you may not want to eat it?
« Reply #12 on: November 04, 2016, 05:31:30 PM »

caught a chum with pockets of milky liquid within the flesh a couple years ago...chrome as they come for the smoker but the meat was completely riddled with these cysts...

did not eat btw...

Most likely this
http://www.thefishsite.com/articles/1481/kudoa-parasites-in-fish/
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Ambassador

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Re: What are signs of a sick fish and you may not want to eat it?
« Reply #13 on: November 16, 2016, 04:12:17 PM »

I always check for parasites. Cut the tail off to check.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diseases_and_parasites_in_salmon#
One year I had a total of twelve pink salmon and four of them had the parasites.
Found this in a Chum a couple weeks back.
I bought a bunch of Captain Hindgrinder's frozen Pink Salmon filets last fall (caught a bunch but eat more that I can retain) and they were riddled with this parasite. I sent pics to corporate and let them know more that one meal had been ruined as we were too grossed out to eat them.
They sent me a letter back saying this was just normal fatty deposits and they are fine to eat - and included 2 $2 off coupons for my next purchases.  ::) Ya right.


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halcyonguitars

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Re: What are signs of a sick fish and you may not want to eat it?
« Reply #14 on: November 17, 2016, 11:15:29 PM »

Not making me cosy about farmed salmon.
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