Just Gross, Anchor worms - Striper Talk Striped Bass Fishing, Surfcasting, Boating

chefchris401 · 10-20-2010, 08:21 AM

So in the past two weeks my fishing buudies and I have been seeing adult bunker with these long worm like things hanging out of them. They are absoluetly gross, some fish only have 1 or 2, most have had about 6 to 8, but this fish had 21!

All the bunker we snagged, had these worms on them.

Ive observed the bunker rubbing themselves along the bottom very aggresively, which is one way they try and remove thses things.

They appear to be anchor worms, or ribbon louse. heres some info on them:

"Anchor worms are parasites that infect fish and one of the main problems with them is that they increase the risk of attracting other diseases. The anchor worms can cause serious damage to a fish and can eventual kill the fish themselves, but anchor worms are only seldom the cause of death in fish with anchor worm since the damage weakens the fish and opens it up for other diseases that end up killing the fish.

Anchor worms are in fact small crustaceans. These crustaceans start out their life as free swimming and find a fish to burrow their way into. They burrow themselves too far into the fish to allow for safe removal. When they have buried themselves into the fish they move themselves into the muscles where they live for several months while developing. They then make their way out of the fish, a process that often leaves ugly wounds, and releases their eggs before dying. The circle will then start over again.

The wound caused by the crustaceans often gets infected which is one of the main reason this disease can invite so many other diseases to infect the sick fish. The long time the crustaceans spend in the fish also makes it hard to know where this disease was introduced. "

Is one of the causes of low bunker population?

Ive never seen these before in my life and either has my pops who has been fishing his whole life. Ive also noticed some on the mullet that have been around.

Check out the first pic, you can actually see the foot or anchor of them.

Fishoholic · 10-20-2010, 08:29 AM

I think I may switch from wetsuit to waders for the rest of the season.

Back Beach · 10-20-2010, 08:33 AM

I just got a new plug color idea...

Parker650 · 10-20-2010, 08:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Back Beach

I just got a new plug color idea...

Beachmaster with tassles?

PaulS · 10-20-2010, 08:49 AM

nasty

Thumper · 10-20-2010, 11:12 AM

That looks like something you would see one that show monsters inside me.
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

WESTPORTMAFIA · 10-20-2010, 11:38 AM

I have been snagging pogies since I was 10 with my uncle and I can say I have never seen anything like that. Those things are friggin nasty looking. Did the bass mind?

rickhern · 10-20-2010, 11:48 AM

These were common back when I was doing a lot of livelineing in the 80's. Seemed like MO Beach pogies were loaded with them at times.

FishnGrega · 10-20-2010, 05:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WESTPORTMAFIA

I have been snagging pogies since I was 10 with my uncle and I can say I have never seen anything like that. Those things are friggin nasty looking. Did the bass mind?

Chris and I snagged a couple of those last week while they were at the beaches, I figured it was a very common thing though I've never seen em.

Jenn · 10-20-2010, 05:34 PM

I am not making this up......I am seriously eating spaghetti right now! Or should I say I WAS ........I think I need to go vomit now

WoodyCT · 10-20-2010, 05:55 PM

Low bunker population?

That would be corporate greed, not icky woims.

You girls are grossed out by these? How the hell can you even get up the guts to fillet a fish????
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

Vogt · 10-20-2010, 05:58 PM

Very common in the Hudson area, but saw quite a bit of that in CT this year also.

RoyL · 10-20-2010, 06:46 PM

I see them on pogies as well as bluefish every now and then

JohnnySaxatilis · 10-20-2010, 07:50 PM

add to the flavor

Raven · 10-20-2010, 08:28 PM

Garlic rids the body of every species of worm

you can even feed it to your pets especially dogs
(cats you have to use garlic oil perls (vitamins)
coat with butter first and pinch it between thumb and forefinger
effectively SHOOTING it to the back of their throat
hold up their head and stroke their throat until they swallow it.

you take a small piece of steak and butterfly it
by plunging a steak knife in one side
squeeze steak cube to open the hole
then insert a skinny piece of peeled RAW garlic
and lettem swallow it

Plum Crazy · 10-21-2010, 06:22 PM

So how many burrowed themselves into your skin while you were handling them? YUCK! I wouldn't have even touched a fish looking like that.

striprman · 10-23-2010, 10:22 AM

Yes, I usually fish with cut bait

WESTPORTMAFIA · 11-07-2010, 08:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by WESTPORTMAFIA

I have been snagging pogies since I was 10 with my uncle and I can say I have never seen anything like that. Those things are friggin nasty looking. Did the bass mind?

Yeah something is up. I was snagging pogies pretty much right after this post and they had the worms. Gross for sure. But like the above post I have never seen them before. And have been snagging them for 20 yrs with uncle Richie as a kid. I guess common in the Hudson but never ever here. I couldn't help but to grab them with my frozen fingers and try to pull them out of the bunker. Didn't happen. I hope there are none living in my stomach after wiping snots from my nose and smoking butts.

Goose · 11-07-2010, 09:46 PM

Most of the pog's I catch have'um

Nebe · 11-07-2010, 09:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jenn

I am not making this up......I am seriously eating spaghetti right now! Or should I say I WAS ........I think I need to go vomit now

If your swimming in the amazon there is a little worm that will swim up your urethra and start eating you from the inside....
Posted from my iPhone/Mobile device

robc22 · 11-07-2010, 09:56 PM

I have netted and snagged a lot of bait and have never seen that.....not good if those things start to spread..........