Perch from Bass Lake

[Governator]

So my buddy and I hit bass lake for the first time near Orillia yesterday. We didn't come across any bass but found ourself a bunch of perch at the south side and decided to just kickback and pull them in cast after cast.

 

Unfortunately we didn't have a camera with us, so I got to describe this best I can. The perch were tiny 4-6" but they looked very odd. They often had black dots on their bellys and had what I can only describe as .. "seeds" all around their lower jaws, underneith. Looked kind of like white seeds in a watermelon. It was absolutely disgusting but was wondering if that's normal during this time of the year (Spawning?).

 

Regardless, I don't want to ever see that again lol.

[gone_fishin]

that's fairly common especially in the kawarthas i've found, i was told that they are a tiny parasite, don't quote me on it though... also, perch spawn in the spring...so that's definitely not it.

 

on Dalrymple i've caught pike with that as well.

 

i'm sure someone else will have more info on this...

Edited September 22, 2008 by gone_fishin

[Dutch]

http://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,1607,7-153-1...27376--,00.html

 

Or Google - "black fish spots"

[Governator]

awww gross thanks Dutch. I didn't see any that bad or anything but we probably pulled out 50 and they all had these nasty seed like things under their lower jaws and some had the black spots on the belly.

[Kerry]

Well the black spots are a parasite which pike oftentimes look the same,usually concentrated in the skin.And you described perfectly the yellow worms that are usually seen around the lower jaws, gills and sometimes at the base of the tail.If you see too many just throw em' back and try for cleaner ones.

Kerry

[Dozer]

That parasites( parasite? I dunno ) life cycle is really messed up. If my mind serves me right, it travels from the fish into a bird, through the birds poop into a snail and from the snail back into the fish where it reaches adulthood?

 

Do I have this right?

 

Oh ya, its edible too.

Edited September 23, 2008 by Dozer

[bigugli]

It is a parasite of fish and snails. The black spots are the remnant of the old worm. They are, despite the unpleasant appearance, harmless to us. The warmer the water, the worse the spotting is.

[misfish]

You want perch,thier in in the bay here now. Yes it,s time for perch,n once again in the bay.

Edited September 24, 2008 by misfish

[PatrickGG]

Fish with pimples.

[Dozer]

The warmer the water, the worse the spotting is.

 

Ugh... makes sense now. My uncles little lake near Algonquin is piss warm and the fish are littered with it! I've never seen it so bad anywhere else. I had a feeling the warmer water had something to do with it. I should take a photo of them to prove my point. Some fine fish with some nasty bugs!