Personal best Redfish Trip

[McFlyLures 0]

The couple days before I had caught one Redfish in the slot size, and I hooked up to one undersized, and so did Johnny.  However today was on fire!  The reds were stirring like crazy!  They were large, and willing to eat my flies.  Fly fishing for reds is usually difficult, but it seemed easy today.  Plus, I caught the largest red Ive ever caught on the fly rod, the biggest was pushing 27".   

Unfortunately Johnny didnt get one today, but I had 3 in the slot size, so I gave him one of mine before I left back home.  Redfish is one of my favorite eating fish in the gulf where I fish, well 2nd to flounder.  And I already ate one of them.  Used blackening seasoning and it was amazing!   Just watch out for the worms, because the larger sized reds will get worms in them.  I did find one worm in my filet, but it was cooked through quite well so im not too worried about it.  These worms actually dont harm humans from what im told.  

 

[chugbug27 0]

3 hours ago, McFlyLures said:

Just watch out for the worms, because the larger sized reds will get worms in them.  I did find one worm in my filet, but it was cooked through quite well so im not too worried about it.  These worms actually dont harm humans from what im told.  

🤢🤮

[McFlyLures 0]

18 hours ago, chugbug27 said:

🤢🤮

Sounds gross I know.  It does happen though.  Just about every fish in the salt can have them if they are bottom feeders.  Flounder/halibut, drum, red snapper, and I’ve even found some in a few speckled trout before.  I am sure if you have ordered fish before at a restaurant you most likely have eaten them as well.  They don’t harm humans and as long as the fish is cooked well there is absolutely no chance of it harming you.  The reason why sushi usually is with fish like tuna is because they are always in the open water with less chance of parasites.   

[Capt Bob LeMay 0]

Worms can be present in many inshore salt or brackish water fish in southern waters... Years and years ago I started working on the water as a mate on charter boats out of Miami Beach (1973).  Part of our daily operations was to filet and process fish for our customers (and any fish that were being left by customers were headed for local restaurants to add to our daily income..).  I knew more than one operator that always made a point of showing an angler all the worms in fresh cut fish (usually amberjacks) so that the "operator" would be able to retain them - to sell elsewhere at the end of the day... That sort of stuff is just one of the reasons I left commercial fish way back when and never came back to it until the mid-eighties - but that's another story...  Back then it wasn't unusual to filet and prep 100 to as much as 300lbs of fish per day - particularly when dolphin were around - or we were deep dropping on wrecks where an average amberjack was around 40lbs... Those days are long gone - and today we have what's left after too many years of over-fishing - but that's another of those "other stories" - unfortunately a true one... 

At any rate the worms in fish can't live in humans... and in fact ordinary cooking not only deals with them - but that fresh cooked filet won't ever show a trace they were even there... Whenever I retain a fish or two for the table as a guide - they're usually speckled trout - which almost always have worms as part of the package... 

As my Jamaican buddies say... "Not a problem Mon..."

[chugbug27 0]

I do know that should help, but....

🤢🤮

In my case I suppose ignorance was bliss.

[chugbug27 0]

Great story, by the way. 

[McFlyLures 0]

3 hours ago, Capt Bob LeMay said:

Worms can be present in many inshore salt or brackish water fish in southern waters... Years and years ago I started working on the water as a mate on charter boats out of Miami Beach (1973).  Part of our daily operations was to filet and process fish for our customers (and any fish that were being left by customers were headed for local restaurants to add to our daily income..).  I knew more than one operator that always made a point of showing an angler all the worms in fresh cut fish (usually amberjacks) so that the "operator" would be able to retain them - to sell elsewhere at the end of the day... That sort of stuff is just one of the reasons I left commercial fish way back when and never came back to it until the mid-eighties - but that's another story...  Back then it wasn't unusual to filet and prep 100 to as much as 300lbs of fish per day - particularly when dolphin were around - or we were deep dropping on wrecks where an average amberjack was around 40lbs... Those days are long gone - and today we have what's left after too many years of over-fishing - but that's another of those "other stories" - unfortunately a true one... 

At any rate the worms in fish can't live in humans... and in fact ordinary cooking not only deals with them - but that fresh cooked filet won't ever show a trace they were even there... Whenever I retain a fish or two for the table as a guide - they're usually speckled trout - which almost always have worms as part of the package... 

As my Jamaican buddies say... "Not a problem Mon..."

Yes they are very often present.  I know it grosses out many people but how things are I guess.   Believe me, even foods you get in the grocery store can have some weird stuff in them that are worse than non harmful worms…. Lol

[chugbug27 0]

🙉

[McFlyLures 0]

1 hour ago, chugbug27 said:

🙉

HAHA, sorry!  I hope I didnt turn you into a vegetarian??  HAHA.  Well I guess even veggies can have things in them you wouldn't expect.  Ok I should stop before you decide to go on a hunger strike.   

[mikechell 0]

Look up "Rat Lungworm".  (Angiostrongyliasis)   Even vegetarians are eating things they never know about.

[niveker 0]

Ignorance sometimes is bliss for the squeamish.  Never go into the back of the house of a restaurant you plan to eat at.  

[McFlyLures 0]

On 12/22/2021 at 5:58 AM, niveker said:

Ignorance sometimes is bliss for the squeamish.  Never go into the back of the house of a restaurant you plan to eat at.  

For sure!  My buddy worked in food service for years, at a high end restaurant.  Like the type of restaurant that people drop $1000+ at.  He said that you better be super nice to your waiter or restaurant staff, or you probably will get things in your food you just shouldn't be eating.  LOL. 

[WJG 0]

On 12/21/2021 at 2:40 PM, chugbug27 said:

🙉

Bet you didn't know there are additional proteins in most blue berries also.