[4thbreak]

We've been catching a lot of trout in the surf thi year that have small spaghetti worms/tape worms in their meat. I know they arent harmful and the fish is still edible, but its been a couple years since I've seen the majority of the trout have them. Just curious to see how many other people are getting into them?

Those not familar, this is the description from TPWD:

Some trout caught may have worms embedded in the flesh along the backbone. These "spaghetti" worms are larval stages of a tapeworm that can only reach maturity in sharks. The worms cannot survive in man even if the seatrout is eaten raw. The worms can easily be removed when the fish is cleaned to make the meat more appealing.

 

[ol billy]

I've been seeing them in one or five trout I'm cleaning from East Bay. It's really easy to just grab the little round "head" or whatever that is and pull them right out so I haven't worried about it too much.

 

[harvey/mary]

Been catching trout for 40 years...and have fried and broiled these "worms" in trout me often. No ill effects at all. The worms will tend to be more in the fish the warmer the water gets. It very common. No need to fret.

 

[Gorda Fisher]

Ahh yes... tasty little critters.:wink: You can find them in trout all over the coast, they are not harmful at all. I beleive they start out in shrimp and move on to trout later on.

 

[shead]

they are not harmful at all.

But they are pretty disgusting little devils. Pretty much ruins it for me. I'll cut the whole chunk of meat they are in out and be done with it. If I don't see 'em, fine, ignorance is bliss.

 

[4thbreak]

does anyone even read my post, or do they just respond? I know all about them and what they are, I stated that already. The question is, has anyone been catching an abnormal amount in the surf this year?

 

[Kenner21]

Thats a nice attitude you got there buddy, I don't do much surf fishing myself but most of the trout I catch at rollover pass have worms, 3 outta 5 .... and i'm pretty sure they venture out to the surf in their free time.

 

[ol billy]

does anyone even read my post, or do they just respond? I know all about them and what they are, I stated that already. The question is, has anyone been catching an abnormal amount in the surf this year?

Hmmm. Sorry. Just trying to help. Sounds like you need a nap.

 

[bk005]

does anyone even read my post, or do they just respond? I know all about them and what they are, I stated that already. The question is, has anyone been catching an abnormal amount in the surf this year?

Not anymore.

 

[4thbreak]

sorry guys, didnt mean to be rude....please forgive me

 

[Quackerbox]

I'm about to eat the trout mentioned in the post wife doesnt like the idea,,,guess that means I have to eat all of it There where 6 trout out of 7 that had them, havent seen any in the sand trout only in the specks

 

[Aggie Chris]

I haven't noticed any increase in the number of trout containing the worms.. On a side note, a marine biologist friend of mine informed me that those worms are actually a shark parasite. Amazing how the food chain works.

 

[Saltwaterfishin_Kris]

I have been eating those worms in trout and reds for a long time now....nothing is wrong with me.

 

[Redfishr]

I cant ever remember cleaning a trout that didnt have them.

 

[oo7texas]

worms

as per " The Spotted Seatrout in Texas" published by Texas Parks Wildlife...."Some of the trout you catch may have worms embedded in the flesh along the backbone. These "spagetti" worms are the larval stage of a tapeworm that can only reach maturity in sharks. It cannot survive in man even if consumed raw. The worms can easily be removed during filleting to make the meat more appealing."

i still pick'm out but i know a few guys who don't....personal preference i suppose.

 

[Coach_Stew]

The number of trout carrying worms seems to be directly related to the characteristics and quality of the water in which the trout live. In general, the saltier the water and the less polluted it is, the higher the levels of infection are. This may be due to either one of the intermediate host's or the larval worm's needs for saline, unpolluted waters.


From seagrantfish.lsu.edu

 

[enielsen]

One thing I have noticed over the years is the trout I catch in bays with gulf access are always loaded with them. I have fished Baffin most of my life and the trout I catch there rarely have any. Almost every trout I catch in Port Mansfield, Port Isabel, Arroyo City, the Galveston bay complex, Lake Calcassue SP??? is loaded with them. I have to assume there is some correlation between gulf access and salinity levels of the water the fish live in. Has anyone else ever noticed this?

 

[waterspout]

We've been catching a lot of trout in the surf thi year that have small spaghetti worms/tape worms in their meat. I know they arent harmful and the fish is still edible, but its been a couple years since I've seen the majority of the trout have them. Just curious to see how many other people are getting into them?

Those not familar, this is the description from TPWD:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
does anyone even read my post, or do they just respond? I know all about them and what they are, I stated that already. The question is, has anyone been catching an abnormal amount in the surf this year?

:rotfl:
LOL, you didn't ask that in the first thread! 90% of all our trout in spring and summer have them. Winter trout not very many. No abnormal amounts here!

 

[TheAnt]

Follet's Island surf, say 30% had the things that looked like long tailed white tadpoles.

Kept only 1 sandy this summer so far and it had alot but pretty much only on one side.

Seems all the trout had all or most on one side of the backbone. I guess they always sleep on the same sidehwell:

I'm about to eat the trout mentioned in the post wife doesnt like the idea,,,guess that means I have to eat all of it There where 6 trout out of 7 that had them, havent seen any in the sand trout only in the specks

 

[Jolly Roger]

One thing I have noticed over the years is the trout I catch in bays with gulf access are always loaded with them. I have fished Baffin most of my life and the trout I catch there rarely have any. Almost every trout I catch in Port Mansfield, Port Isabel, Arroyo City, the Galveston bay complex, Lake Calcassue SP??? is loaded with them. I have to assume there is some correlation between gulf access and salinity levels of the water the fish live in. Has anyone else ever noticed this?

you are correct

Trout that have easy access to the gulf or trout that live in an area in the bay that has a pass into the gulf are going to have a higher amount of worms. The more sharks in the same area as the trout, the more worms.

Water quality would have limited impact, the number of sharks living along with trout is the factor. Trout that are caught in the surf tend to have higher number of worms because they tend to live in areas where more sharks live.