# Wormy specs - any way to tell before the knife?



## Power Wagon (Jun 9, 2009)

Is there any way to tell if a spec is wormy before you put the filet knife to it? Usually catch several in the slot whenever I go and to the best of my knowledge, only one that I have dressed this summer had worms. I hate to waste anything, but it is hard for me to eat something that I know was wormy. If I could tell if they had worms at the time they were caught - would let them swim away, which brings up another question. Once they get worms - do they every get rid of them?


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## konz (Oct 1, 2007)

Not that I know of. From what I understand it's a result of warm water. So I would think that in the cooler months it's less of a problem.


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## Snobbler (Jun 23, 2009)

What we have noticed in the past few years is that almost all of our trout caught on the grass had worms while not one trout(that we can recall) caught on sandy bottom had worms. I have heard this correlation beforebut I'm not 100% sure why this occurs.

Like konz said it could be the warmer water, dark grass will absorb more heat than light sand.


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## User6882 (Feb 4, 2009)

dude i had a stud spec the other day i caught in the grass n didnt have a single worm in it


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## Heller High Water (Nov 1, 2007)

As long as you cook them well, you will not even notice them. I am a bug/germ freak and it kept me from eating them for a while. However, after talking with many guides down south its almost guaranteed that some of ones during the summer months will have them. After cooking them you can pick them apart looking for worms and will never be able to tell. The protein the worms are composed of almost dissolves once cooked. Just don't eat them raw.


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## Boatless (Oct 25, 2007)

I have always been told that the worms come from something the specs eat in the warm months. Usually when the weather turns cooler the worms go away. I come from a family that has fished for specs for several generations and that has always been the wisdom passed down. I have no other basis for it than that.

BTW - I don't think sand or grass bottom has any bearing. Any spec at one time or another during a few day period is going to be in both sandy or grassy bottoms. The worms don't appear and go away that fast.


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## Jighead (Feb 11, 2009)

> *Snobbler (9/23/2009)*What we have noticed in the past few years is that almost all of our trout caught on the grass had worms while not one trout(that we can recall) caught on sandy bottom had worms. I have heard this correlation beforebut I'm not 100% sure why this occurs.
> 
> Like konz said it could be the warmer water, dark grass will absorb more heat than light sand.


Question for your theroy, trout are pretty much always moving around hunting. I don't think they would stay in one place long enough for grass vs. sand to make a difference. I don't know just my first thought. I would buy warmer water having something to do with it. I'll let you know in December on my winter "stock the freezer trip".


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## fishyfingers (Oct 3, 2007)

There is a way to tell if worms are present, its the teeth.!.

An old guy I used to fish with around Bayou LaBatre told me that you can tell if any trout have worms by looking at the teeth. They should have two front fang-like teeth in the upper jaw. If one is missing, I've found, the fish will have worms 90% of the time. I've cleaned a lot of trout since and with very few exceptions those missing a tooth had worms and those with both top fangs had none.

I clean them all regardless, the worm is a larval form of a tapeworm that can only mature in requeim sharks. They look gross but its just protein for us.


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## todd in the bay (Oct 3, 2007)

Powerwagon, 

Don't fret over the worms, they're tasteless and haveno effect to the cook-abilityof the Speck. 

And please, don't "waste" or throw away your fish because of that. Your fresh catch will always taste better than anything frozen or left in the fridge for a while.

We love trout and we eatall we catch.


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## Power Wagon (Jun 9, 2009)

Hey guys - thanks for all the comments! I come from a long line of "weak stomachs" so when everyone says ignore and eat away - it is very very hard for me to do - even though I know it is only in my mind. Maybe I will be able to work through it because stronger than my weak stomach is my desire to not waste anything. I grew up with "you kill it - you eat it" and I strongly believe that. As far as my mind knows, I have only had one spec with worms. Picked what I could see out (because I will try anything once) cooked and ate the fish. There was just this "little guy" standing on my shoulder tugging on my ear saying - "you just ate worms".

Has anyone else noticed any correlation between the "one tooth - worms and both teeth - no worms". I haven't really paid attention - but will start. If there is something to it - would sure be an easy way to tell for those that have a worm complex like me. Once again - thanks for all the comments.

Roll Tide!!!


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## Snobbler (Jun 23, 2009)

> *Snobbler (9/23/2009)*What we have noticed in the past few years is that almost all of our trout caught on the grass had worms while not one trout(that we can recall) caught on sandy bottom had worms. I have heard this correlation beforebut I'm not 100% sure why this occurs.
> 
> Like konz said it could be the warmer water, dark grass will absorb more heat than light sand.




http://www.gsmfc.org/menhaden/pdf/SeaTroutPlanWeb.pdf

(Page 3-16)



After doing some more research I found that the correlation between trout with worms and environment is not water temperature but salinity, more commonly parisites are found in trout from higher salinity environments. This could explain why our fish on sandy bottoms caught near the mouths of rivers showed no sign of paristies while the trout caught on the grass flats in the sound had considerable numbers of paristies. Yes some fish do move around quite a bit and not all fish caught from on area will or will not have worms.


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## kyudizky (Aug 5, 2009)

Only been fishing for trout down here for about a month now. Went out night fishin the docks this past weekend and kept some specs to eat for the first time. Upon fileting them, while rinsing in the sink, i noticed one filet had white worm looking things... i grabed one and pulled it out and was pretty sure it was moving, still unsure of it being a worm or not, being paranoid, i threw the filetout. The other filet from the same spec was clean. Then i read this today, it all makes sense now! 

If general concensus is after cooked the worms don't matter, I'll not worry and just eat it in the future b/c they taste so darn good. (but don't tell my wife or she'll never touch trout again)


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## Stressless (Oct 2, 2007)

Toss that trash in the trash or better yet release before you kill it. Catch and eat Reds - no worms at all and they fight 10x a dang weakfish. 



Reds rule around here. In tampa bay no worms in trout so I ate them - here - they lousy with them. The Red Drum is the eating fish here.



Stressless


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## gator7_5 (Oct 4, 2007)

> *Stressless (9/24/2009)*Toss that trash in the trash or better yet release before you kill it. Catch and eat Reds - no worms at all and they fight 10x a dang weakfish.
> 
> Reds rule around here. In tampa bay no worms in trout so I ate them - here - they lousy with them. The Red Drum is the eating fish here.
> 
> Stressless


Funny you say that. I caughta 26" red a month ago that was full of some kindof dark crustacean. Looked almost like some kind of mix between an oyster and a mussel. Smelled like death. Ended up with abouthalf of the fillets when I got donecarving these things out. Fish was very healthy and fat and fought well, so I ate him anyway and tasted no difference... but still.

I catch my trout over mud bottom where there are no grass beds within miles. Still have worms in about 40% of them. I simply pull the worms out. It takes about 1 minute.


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## skinny water (May 28, 2008)

Dr. Bob Ship of the Dalphin island sea lab size the worms in trout are a shark parasite and can only mature in the stomach of a shark they are no danger to people cooked or raw for that mater. fry them up and enjoy the extra protein. Taste just like fish.

Key West 186 BR


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## sunnh2o (Jul 28, 2009)

I HAVE CAUGHT SEVERAL REDS WITH WORMS IN THEM. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT CAUSES THEM BUT I AM 100% SURE I'VE CAUGHT BOTH REDS AND SPECKS WITH WORMS. I EAT THEM ANYWAY, 400 DEGREE GREASE IS THE ULTIMATE EQUALIZER. NEVER CAN TELL THEY HAD EM.


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## Pier#r (Oct 2, 2007)

There is no out side visible way to determine if speckled trout have this parasite.

But MOST do. In some areas (saltier?) almost all do!

Here's some recommended reading to aid the digestion...

http://www.seagrantfish.lsu.edu/resources/factsheets/spaghettiworms.htm

http://www.cfecf.com/Parasites.htm

Bon Appetie'


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