Pacific Cod- Wormy or no?

[bilder]

I have caught many of these things over the years, but never have kept any as folks say that they are full of worms.

But I was talking to a guy the other day who said that the worms are in the organs and that the meat is good if you clean the fish within a few minutes after landing it.

Can anyone clarify this for me? I like cod and would be open to keeping some if the worm issue could be avoided by quick cleaning and proper handling of the meat.

[Milo]

My experience is that cod that I have caught fishing out of Homer (kelp areas) are too wormy for me to want to eat. Cod that I have caught outside of Resurrection Bay have been pretty much worm free. Location? Diet?

[stevelyn]

Pacific grey cod caught on the Pacific side of the AKPEN are a little wormy, but if you bleed them out quick and clean them you won't find many in the meat.

Same with halibut. I usually cut all the way around the wrist of the tail and keep them in the water on a cable stringer hooked to the boat and let them pump themselves dry. I also stop short of the body cavity when filleting them. I've seen very few worms in the many pounds of halibut I've put away.

[AKlogman]

I agree with Milo, out of Resurrection they seem to be real clean, and real tasty fresh on the beach they are hard to beat. Most of my friends considered them a rough fish until I grilled them up fresh. Homer does seem a lot wormier though.

[jtm9]

Best way is to fillet one right away and see what they have in them. If they don't have worms, put the very clean fillets on ice and cook them up fresh. Excellent deep fried! If it has worms that isn't to your liking, it makes tough, and perfect halibut bait.

[Bernard R. Rosenberg]

I think those fish get an undeserved thrashing. I have caught them during the summer and fall around Kodiak and I have yet to find a single worm in them. (and yes, it's me who takes the knife to them)

Bled on landing, and then iced utill processing, I have yet to be dissapointed.

Research however, does support worm in flesh dependent on location and time of year.

Last July I was covering three brothers who reuinion to AK every year just to chase down flesh. They were definitely butt boys, and would not even fathom to keep a cod, regardless of what I shared with them.

It's perception and product.
Sometimes you just have to taste it to believe it...

Rosenberg/Florida

[bilder]

Guess I will have to take a knife to a couple and see what happens.

[bigmtn]

About every cod ever sent to Long Johns or anywhere has worms before they are picked at the proc. plant. P-cod are great eating and will become a targeted fish as other species get harder to find. Pair of tweezers and dont let your wife see the worms and its fine dining.

[Catch It]

Many of them do....but if you take a closer look at the sacred sockeye fillets that you catch or dip or net and you will see plenty of worms there as well.

I just cook all to a sane done ness....but not dry...and let her rip.


10 million midwesterners at friday fish fries can't be wrong (I used to be one of em)

[wildog]

I just kept and filleted about ten of them (the ones I didn't use for halibut bait) on Friday. We filleted them carefully and found two worms near the stomach area on fish fillet only. We were very careful. They were caught 30 miles out of Homer.
By the way, skinned, brined, smoked cod is outstanding.

[jessfranco]

All fish have worms. If the Cod's belly looks distorted (sign its loaded with worms) I'd use it for halibut bait, but if not throw it on the barb or fry. Fish & Chips?

[B-radford]

I agree with what has already been said, all fish have worms in them. Just freeze them and dont eat them raw. A freeze will kill the worms or cooking it above 150 degrees for five mintues will kill them.

[garnede]

I kept 2 cod out of Cook Inlet, without nay worms. All fish can have worms in them. Just cook well, or eat with wasibi.

In addition to its flavor, wasabi has another benefit. Traditional Japanese cuisine includes raw fish, which is a potential source of parasites and bacteria. Wasabi's antiparasitic, antimicrobial, and antibiotic abilities may be preventive against food poisoning. One source points specifically to wasabi's effectiveness against the Anisakis parasite. Another study, comparing the antibacterial activity of different foods against Escherichia coli (E. coli) and Staphylococcus bacteria, found that cruciferous plants possess antibacterial activity, with the highest activity found in wasabi (rhizome).

[chico99645]

Pacific Grey Cod are very good table fare in my opinion. I use to not even let them in my boat until I was chastized by a few commercial fisherman co-workers that live in Homer and Kodiak. I tried one and love it. When I catch them, if the meat if firm I bleed them and they hit the freezer or eat it for supper. If the meat is soft and mushy they become Halibut Bait. I agree, all fish have worms, you just have to look a little closer for some fish.

[wildog]

This guy told me how to pick them up. You "eyeball them". Kind of like holding a bowling ball. Gross but easy to handle them since their tails are so slippery and you can't hold them that way. :0

[potbuilder]

Back east at the fish market that i used to sell a lot of fish to they always had cod fillets, they would hold the fillets up to the light and "candle"them looking for worms, a little blood spot where the worm was and all they would do is cut out the worm with a pair of scissors, all done and good to eat!!

[titobandito]

Cut gills when caught, ice in the box, fish caught from near Yukon Island (Homer), only found a few worms when filleting at the harbor, and a few more when held up to light at home before packing, great eating (fillets sell for $5 to $6 per lb). If they look funky (spots, lesions, etc....) toss them back. Only keep big ones that look clean & good.