what disease?? pike tumor?

[bunnyhunter]

Hey all, I was thinking of sending this pic to Alberta wildlife.....does anyone know what it is? I know fish can get cancer etc......or maybe its just an infected bite...weird :sick: gross!!

anyone know what it is? he was undersized and released.

Jen

out of Wizard Lake

[Barbwire]

I dont know what that is.... I caught one alot similar a few days ago but worse.... it was about 8 pounds and was one of the most discusting things I have ever seen:tongue2:

http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j147/mcrae_1234/P10100171.jpg
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j147/mcrae_1234/P10100201.jpg
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j147/mcrae_1234/P10100181.jpg
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j147/mcrae_1234/P10100191.jpg

It almost looks like it was attacked by another fish and new skin is trying to form over guts that were hanging out:tongue2: I let that one go:tongue2:

Barbwire

[BUD]

I Think l,d leave them on the ice for the coyotes and mags , if it is a fish disease no sense letting them spread it around .

[grandslamer]

your absolutly right barbwire its the result of a bad bite i had the exact same thing on a pike in devils lake last year i took it to fish and wildlife the took and let me know a week later

and bud that kind of advice can get someone that didnt know better you can was game fish so any concerns about the quality cantact the closest f&w

[BUD]

your absolutly right barbwire its the result of a bad bite i had the exact same thing on a pike in devils lake last year i took it to fish and wildlife the took and let me know a week later

and bud that kind of advice can get someone that didnt know better you can was game fish so any concerns about the quality cantact the closest f&w

BAHHH , Wheres them Penguins , this time l,m on the right , haaaaa.

[happy perch fisher]

u sould of tossed that pike into the bushes.

[Izumi]

It's interesting that they seem to be in the same spot.

[bunnyhunter]

Well I think its an abscess then....I noticed a lot of the smaller pikes had teeth marks in the same area.....maybe that's where big ones strike.


No, i am not tossing fish into the bushes....you never know they might live through it and heal (they still had an appetite, eh?) they are tough, those pike!

J

[Kelly & Beth]

We have talked to F&W about perch with white sores all over them, they said it was fine to not put that back in the lake.
Depends who you talk to.
Beth

[jrs]

You should definitely put them back in the lake. Its not normally like one fish gets it and spreads it to others, many lakes have varying degrees of disease outbreaks. Sores like that can be caused by many different parasites, diseases, or stresses. I have seen some fish survive through worse ailments than that in the past. Always worth sending a picture into fish and wildlife though, they may appreciate knowledge of different outbreaks in different lakes.

It is also illegal not to return a sport fish you're not retaining to the water, throwing fish in the bushes is not a good idea. No officer with any knowledge of fish would recommend that. I have witnessed fish with much worse ailments than that make a full recovery, on top of that I've caught a pike missing the top half of its mouth and on another occasion one missing the majority of its gills on one side, both looked pretty healthy and the injuries were not recent (fully healed over). Both were retained for supper as they were legal by only a few inches and i was by chance hungry that day (i like to keep the smallest pike possible and let the big mature spawners go).

Just food for thought.

[Barbwire]

I agree jrs, Just cause a pike has a growth on it doesnt mean it has the plague an is gonna destroy the lake. No fish deserves to be tossed into the bushes.

Barbwire

[B.O.]

It is unlawfull to waste or disregard the edible flesh of any legaly kept game fish. Eat it or release it.

[saltwater cowboy]

I caught a pike at Ironwood about 10 years ago with what looked like a cauliflower on its head. Took it to F&W and they told me it was quite common to have a growth but they would run tests on it and call if anything out of the ordinary. No call

[BUD]

It is unlawfull to waste or disregard the edible flesh of any legaly kept game fish. Eat it or release it.

Would you eat it , not me , in the bushes for the crows she goes.

[MathewsArcher]

Lymphosarcoma is a common disease involving the skin and dermis of northern pike. It occurs throughout North America and Europe and may reach prevalence rates of 10-20 percent (Sonstegard 1976). The disease in muskellunge has been observed from Lake Huron and the St. Lawrence River. The symptoms of the disease are similar in both the northern pike and muskellunge. Anatomically, the lesions can occur anywhere on the body. Grossly, the lesions vary in appearance depending upon their anatomic location. For example, skin lesions usually occur as reddish-purple "blisters" and ulceration is common (Figure 15), whereas fin lesions (the pelvic fin is commonly affected) appear as a greatly thickened irregular mass enveloping the fin. Jaw lesions produce reddening and thickening of the gingival tissue and lesions of the head may be a single nodule or appear as multiple coalescing groups. The occurrence of lymphosarcoma is cyclic and prevalence is highest in the spring and fall.
Confounding lesions

Most lesions characterized by open sores (ulcers) can be confuse with lymphosarcoma. Similar symptoms may result from wounds, parasites (including lamprey), and bacterial, fungal, and viral infections. The need to confirm field diagnosis with histological diagnosis cannot be over emphasized.




Tossing these fish in the bush would be an offence, I hope most would turn in anyone found doing so........

[MathewsArcher]

http://www.srd.alberta.ca/fishwildlife/livingwith/diseases/pdf/Skin_tumors_fish.pdf


Please read the section Public Signifigance


Excellent Alberta resource

[BUD]

You should definitely put them back in the lake. Its not normally like one fish gets it and spreads it to others, many lakes have varying degrees of disease outbreaks. Sores like that can be caused by many different parasites, diseases, or stresses. I have seen some fish survive through worse ailments than that in the past. Always worth sending a picture into fish and wildlife though, they may appreciate knowledge of different outbreaks in different lakes.

It is also illegal not to return a sport fish you're not retaining to the water, throwing fish in the bushes is not a good idea. No officer with any knowledge of fish would recommend that. I have witnessed fish with much worse ailments than that make a full recovery, on top of that I've caught a pike missing the top half of its mouth and on another occasion one missing the majority of its gills on one side, both looked pretty healthy and the injuries were not recent (fully healed over). Both were retained for supper as they were legal by only a few inches and i was by chance hungry that day (i like to keep the smallest pike possible and let the big mature spawners go).

Just food for thought.

Actually you should all take them big monster pike home to the frying pan or the wall , in a lake with a Walleye zero limit a bunch of those big ole girls or boys around , they will soon eat the lake out of big Walleye , and the lake will be even worse off for Walleye population.
Huge 20 lb plus pike dont do the spawning anyway , its the 5 pounders that do most of it , them Grannys just cruise and eat everything in sight , and lots of it.

[MathewsArcher]

JRS is on the money, most of these fish will survive, pose no threat to other fish or human health and generally recover from the virus causing the ulcer.

[Mish]

Would you eat it , not me , in the bushes for the crows she goes.

If you're not going to eat it what is the harm in releasing it?

[bobbypetrolia]

Huge 20 lb plus pike dont do the spawning anyway , its the 5 pounders that do most of it , them Grannys just cruise and eat everything in sight , and lots of it............BUD
Just curious as to where you get your information, BUD.........maybe I will fill you in on some "facts" so you won't post any more false information.
First of all..........huge, 20 lb plus pike are your major spawners. Males rarely, if ever, get that large. Those are all the mature females, some of which can be 25+ years old.......especially the farther north you go.
Second.....them "grannys" don't just cruise and eat everything in sight. They are hugely territorial, the biggest fish claiming the best territory (that is cover, optimal water temp, availiability/access to food). Rarely do those big ones ever have to venture out of their territory, let alone "cruise around".
Third.....it has also been proven that a smaller predatory fish (pike, in this case, BUD) will do more damage to another species population than a larger one. The big ones tend to eat a bigger meal, less often. A 20+ pounder might eat a 5 lb walleye, but a 10 pounder will eat samller walleye, more often, thus never allowing the walleye to reach any size. It is also proven that walleye are not a pikes favorite meal........if given a choice (like in most of the lakes in Alberta), pike prefer the "soft-finned" species (carp, burbot, whitefish) and will actually pass up walleye for one of these.
Oh, by the way, this isn't up for debate or "just my opinion"........these are facts taught by a professor at Lakeland College. Maybe he's wrong though..............lol.

[matt1984]

thanks for setting things straight there Bobby, reading down through this thread I was hoping someone would call that BS that Bud was throwing out there. Unbelieveable that someone would write information down that has absolutley no truth. People should put back big pike unless you're keeping one for a mount, to sustain our fisheries.

[BUD]

Huge 20 lb plus pike dont do the spawning anyway , its the 5 pounders that do most of it , them Grannys just cruise and eat everything in sight , and lots of it............BUD
Just curious as to where you get your information, BUD.........maybe I will fill you in on some "facts" so you won't post any more false information.
First of all..........huge, 20 lb plus pike are your major spawners. Males rarely, if ever, get that large. Those are all the mature females, some of which can be 25+ years old.......especially the farther north you go.
Second.....them "grannys" don't just cruise and eat everything in sight. They are hugely territorial, the biggest fish claiming the best territory (that is cover, optimal water temp, availiability/access to food). Rarely do those big ones ever have to venture out of their territory, let alone "cruise around".
Third.....it has also been proven that a smaller predatory fish (pike, in this case, BUD) will do more damage to another species population than a larger one. The big ones tend to eat a bigger meal, less often. A 20+ pounder might eat a 5 lb walleye, but a 10 pounder will eat samller walleye, more often, thus never allowing the walleye to reach any size. It is also proven that walleye are not a pikes favorite meal........if given a choice (like in most of the lakes in Alberta), pike prefer the "soft-finned" species (carp, burbot, whitefish) and will actually pass up walleye for one of these.
Oh, by the way, this isn't up for debate or "just my opinion"........these are facts taught by a professor at Lakeland College. Maybe he's wrong though..............lol.

YUP , hes wrong , the MONSTER 20 lb plus grannys dont spawn ,FACT.

[MathewsArcher]

I have caught many 20+ plus pike in spawning condition not sure where your facts are coming from but in many southern waterbodies 20+ pike are not often past prime spawning age........

[chuck0039]

I my self would release the fish, If it does not survive the disease then there are bald eagles and other animals around that will clean them up.

As for the debate on spawning age for the pike hope this site helps:

http://wonderclub.com/Wildlife/fish/northern%20pike.html

:wave:

[Trail Blazer]

Thanks for trying to explain to a not smart about large fish spawning Bobby.
Reading many post here and you get an arm chair Biologist flipping crop from their lips gets pretty annoying at times and it is great for people that know something to share his or her knowledge with the board members. Why eat a 20 pound old fish when you can enjoy a nice tasty firm young fish, and to get a mount done what is wrong with a replica ? I wish more people that fish and hunt would join conservation groups to learn more about fish and all other game. ACA has lots of fun fish related projects one can help out with, SRD has volunteer opportunities, AFGA, S***A, AHEIA all these organizations teach and encourage volunteer activities and their is so much to learn.

I would love to met Bud on the river or lake and he can visit the bush's and the magpies and coyotes can have a manure sandwich.

The law says you cannot leave game meat spoil if you want to toss fish you should not be out fishing.

Like dick weeds that toss good eating sucker fish.

[Kyle]

Actually you should all take them big monster pike home to the frying pan or the wall , in a lake with a Walleye zero limit a bunch of those big ole girls or boys around , they will soon eat the lake out of big Walleye , and the lake will be even worse off for Walleye population.

This does not make any sense at all, if the walleye limit is zero, that means no retention of walleye is allowed. This also in turn means that the walleye will stunt themselves, if no retention is allowed..therefore the big pike are needed to keep the walleye populations in healthy (non stunted) numbers.

Huge 20 lb plus pike dont do the spawning anyway , its the 5 pounders that do most of it , them Grannys just cruise and eat everything in sight , and lots of it.

I cant believe I just read such a stupid statement, idiots these days...:mad3:

Bud, please use your brain for half a second next time before you make such an uneducated post.

[FisherPotch]

If you don't plan on eating the fish you may as well release it. There was a similar thread last year about tossing suckers in the bush because of how much damage they do on other species (eating eggs). Except as I recall it was a more evenly matched debate. Glad to see that this is a one sided battle and good on you boys for setting the facts straight. Give yourselves a pat on the back for jumping on this user for their blatantly illegal statements.

With that said if the biologists and law makers set out to stop certain aquatic pests or diseases like they have with CWD and Dutch elm then I for one would follow the rules they set.

We don't have a lot of water here in Alberta and we have a lot of fisher men and women. I dread the thought........but one day we will likely have to release all fish in order to sustain our fisheries, so for the moment being let’s enjoy the rules we currently have and feel justified in our actions.

Bobby if you don't mind me asking what did you take in school at Lakeland? I'm interested in gaining such knowledge.

[MathewsArcher]

Fisher - I would also suggest the Environmental Science course offered in Lethbridge (2 year diploma) and fully transferable to the Uof L. Excellent course with good job opportunities for grads. Most of the grads I know were working shortly after graduation in either fisheries or wildlife related fields. Have hired more recent grads as well and they still seem to be well trained and educated.

[bobbypetrolia]

I don't mind at all Fisher......I am very proud of the program and my diploma. I took Wildlife Guiding & Outfitting and Adventure Tourism and rodeoed on the side. Probably the best 3 years of my life.

[jrs]

There's a few guys on here with education and experience in fish and wildlife, but just as many arm chair biologists. Just a little tidbit i came across the other day (i believe it was based on a European study) but the bigger the pike the more eggs (most of us knew that), and not by a few. The most eggs i could find record of being laid by a single pike was roughly 1 000 000, by a 32 lb specimen. That's a heck of a lot of eggs.

And if someones taking the two years at Lethbridge College, make sure you stick around for the third year (F&WTech). Probably the best education available based on bang for your buck (very small group, tons of experience). I know several people that took this route, all have jobs they enjoy or had jobs and moved onto more university. I don't know anyone that's taken the Lakeland route but it sounds like a pretty good program as well.

[Nationwide]

I agree jrs, Just cause a pike has a growth on it doesnt mean it has the plague an is gonna destroy the lake. No fish deserves to be tossed into the bushes.

Barbwire
I have to agree just cut off the bad parts :sick: add some salt pepper some lemon and have at her :D :D why waste.:huh:

[Map Maker]

barbwire pictures sure remind me of seeing lake trout with lamprey wounds from lake superior growing up.
I know its pretty impossible for lamprey to be here, but the circular wound with teeth marks all going the same way with a middle gash are all the signs of it.
Really weird, would like to know what FW say.

http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/regions/central/pub/bayfield/06_e.htm

[BUD]

This does not make any sense at all, if the walleye limit is zero, that means no retention of walleye is allowed. This also in turn means that the walleye will stunt themselves, if no retention is allowed..therefore the big pike are needed to keep the walleye populations in healthy (non stunted) numbers.



I cant believe I just read such a stupid statement, idiots these days...:mad3:

Bud, please use your brain for half a second next time before you make such an uneducated post.


Well you boys can call me all the names you like but what l posted was an absolute fact,AND STILL IS.

THE MAIN SPAWNERS OF PIKE ARE THE 2 AND 3 YEAR OLDS 90% ,20 T0 24 IN , WHY DO YOU THINK THE F.W WON,T LET YOU KEEP ANYTHING UNDER 24 IN.
THE AGE OF A PIKE IS A MAXIMUM 12 YEAR OLD , 25 YEARS OLD IS UNHEARD OF AS ONE OF YOU HAD SAID , HAAAA , HOGWASH.
DID YOUR MOMMYS STILL HAVE SEX WHEN THEY WERE 70 YEARS OLD ?
NEITHER DO THE OLD GRANNY PIKE ,NOW YOU ARE EDUCATED.

[TundraBuck]

Nasty, but like Nationwide said why waste it.

[BUD]

Nasty, but like Nationwide said why waste it.

Not wasted , coyotes love fish , so do weasels , magpies , crows ,foxes ,mice etc and on , l,m feeding the food chain and maybe stopping the spread of a fish disease by giving it to the bushes.

[Barbwire]

What are you smoking BUD, give your head a shake..... The large fish ARE the spawning females

Show me one link off the net where you can back up your rediculous theory

[MathewsArcher]

Bud I think you need to spend some serious time with a biologist, have you read anything that has been posted? Take a quick read of any scientific article on Northern pike or Fishes of Canada.

As for throwing them in the bush please try reading the article I linked earlier they pose no threat to other fish and most often recover fully


Northern pike in Northern Alberta also
take a few years longer to mature than those in warmer
climates; it takes about five years for males and seven for
females in the north, versus three years for males and four for
females in southern latitudes.

[goldscud]

Just for Bud:
In common with most coarse fish, pike have a normal 'growing span' of 12-15 years only. Ageing from scale reading will 'under-age' old pike which have ceased growth because no growth checks will be recorded on the scales.

Anglers observations have shown that pike do not all die once growth ceases; we know that some fish can live on well into their 20s and possibly older. For example one fish which was tagged at a weight of 16.75lbs and with a length of 36.5in was aged at 14 years. Six years later it was re-caught weighing and measuring exactly the same! Pike are known to live to a maximum of fifty years.

Bud does have a point in that the greatest number of fish in the population that are sexually mature will be medium sized. Giant, old females are just not that common.

[MathewsArcher]

Those giant old fish though are still often capable of spawning and produce large numbers of eggs in relation to body size. I have marked/recaptured 100s of large (20# plus) pike in Manitoba and can't recall more than one or two that were not producing eggs in the spring. Some of these larger old fish were aged (cliethrum) when mortality occured at over 20 years of age as well.

[bobbypetrolia]

I added my 2 cents......and was going to leave it at that, but I can't help myself. Are there actually people out there that believe what BUD is spewing?

Just another comment, BUD.......I haven't spoken to my grandmother since christmas, so I am not sure if she is "still breeding" or not. Topic didn't really come up around the dining room table either.

There are several good books on pike out there BUD; InFisherman has a good one....its called 'PIKE'. Can you remember that? If not, jot it down and go to Wholesale and pick one up. May I suggest you read it (don't just cheat and look at the pictures) and then continue your posts.

[lippy]

YUP , hes wrong , the MONSTER 20 lb plus grannys dont spawn ,FACT.

BULLS**T.

[BUD]

BULLS**T.

Go to Google . type in spawning age for pike , then say its bull crap.

[MathewsArcher]

Bud the spawning age in Northern climates (re: ALberta) is posted above. Northern Pike generally spawn throughout their life cycle up to and including fish 20+ years of age in Alberta (Freshwater fishes of Canada). Fish up to 24 years of age were reported in from Alberta (Freshwater Fishes of Canada). The biology of fish changes markedly from southern to northern latitudes. Egg numbers increase with the size of the female with estimates of 9000/lb of fish. (Freshwater Fishes of Canada). While they may begin spawning at seven (Alberta) the larger older fish produce the most eggs and these fish are more generally in the 10-12 year age class (personal observations from sampled females).

Bud - could you please provide one reference to Pike halting spawning activities after a certain age, I have been unable to find even a single reference.

While fish occasionally skip a spawning cycle (rest) it can happen throughout their life and is most often intermittent.

[Versatile]

Bud this is the internet you cant belive anything you see. Post up a study done or a credited biologist in this field that backs up what your saying with facts and studies then you might have a leg to stand on. So far there are a few guys who have posted who are in this field. Alot more belivable than some guy trying to start a fight.

Put the crack pipe down and give your head a shake. The 24"'s are males so obviously they dont lay eggs DER.

To everyone else Please Dont Feed the Troll

[Versatile]

...

[MathewsArcher]

Back to the tumor issue I copied the text below from the link I provided earlier on "Skin Tumors of Fishes in Alberta" provided by SRD



Public Significance
Although the viruses themselves are not
harmfull to people and there is no evidence of a
link between fish tumours and cancer in
humans, it is probobly not appropriate to eat
affected fish or feed them to pets. Affected
fish should be released unharmed. They do not
pose a threat to other fish and do not affect
the number of future tumours in a lake.
Affected fish usually survive infection and
show no signs of the previous tumours.

Prevention/Control
Tumour viruses are a natural component of
watersheds around the world. Currently there
are no control methods in place nor are any
warranted for these viruses in wild
populations


Killing these fish, is just that killing them for no reason...........

[gopherslayer]

Well you boys can call me all the names you like but what l posted was an absolute fact,AND STILL IS.

THE MAIN SPAWNERS OF PIKE ARE THE 2 AND 3 YEAR OLDS 90% ,20 T0 24 IN , WHY DO YOU THINK THE F.W WON,T LET YOU KEEP ANYTHING UNDER 24 IN.
THE AGE OF A PIKE IS A MAXIMUM 12 YEAR OLD , 25 YEARS OLD IS UNHEARD OF AS ONE OF YOU HAD SAID , HAAAA , HOGWASH.
DID YOUR MOMMYS STILL HAVE SEX WHEN THEY WERE 70 YEARS OLD ?
NEITHER DO THE OLD GRANNY PIKE ,NOW YOU ARE EDUCATED.

resorting to "yelling" does not make your point any better, or anymore right.


BTW...seniors seem to have just as much sex as young people

Only about 5 percent of those 60 and older believe that sex should be left to the young, according to researchers for AARP, the nation's largest lobbying group for older people. About 85 percent of this age group has some sort of intimate experience once a week, including kissing or intercourse. The AARP poll of 1,682 people older than 45 had a margin of error of plus or minus 2.4 percentage points.

[Izumi]

"THE MAIN SPAWNERS OF PIKE ARE THE 2 AND 3 YEAR OLDS 90% ,20 T0 24 IN , WHY DO YOU THINK THE F.W WON,T LET YOU KEEP ANYTHING UNDER 24 IN.
THE AGE OF A PIKE IS A MAXIMUM 12 YEAR OLD , 25 YEARS OLD IS UNHEARD OF AS ONE OF YOU HAD SAID , HAAAA , HOGWASH.
DID YOUR MOMMYS STILL HAVE SEX WHEN THEY WERE 70 YEARS OLD ?
NEITHER DO THE OLD GRANNY PIKE ,NOW YOU ARE EDUCATED."

So fish are the same as humans now?

"Go to Google . type in spawning age for pike , then say its bull crap."

Everything you read on the internet must be true. I just keep in mind that people like YOU post all over the internet. Where you are quoting google, your peers are quoting Universities... You need at least one reputable reference or can it.

[BUD]

"THE MAIN SPAWNERS OF PIKE ARE THE 2 AND 3 YEAR OLDS 90% ,20 T0 24 IN , WHY DO YOU THINK THE F.W WON,T LET YOU KEEP ANYTHING UNDER 24 IN.
THE AGE OF A PIKE IS A MAXIMUM 12 YEAR OLD , 25 YEARS OLD IS UNHEARD OF AS ONE OF YOU HAD SAID , HAAAA , HOGWASH.
DID YOUR MOMMYS STILL HAVE SEX WHEN THEY WERE 70 YEARS OLD ?
NEITHER DO THE OLD GRANNY PIKE ,NOW YOU ARE EDUCATED."

So fish are the same as humans now?

"Go to Google . type in spawning age for pike , then say its bull crap."

Everything you read on the internet must be true. I just keep in mind that people like YOU post all over the internet. Where you are quoting google, your peers are quoting Universities... You need at least one reputable reference or can it.

IS THAT YOU BOB ? HAaaaa

[Trail Blazer]

Bud you should learn how to read the information on the link you suggest.

Like most post here Bud is only yanking your chain and getting everyone riled up.

Like some of you posted that Biologist do read these post and do not speak out since they do not want to fight with not smarts so the sit back and laugh.

Plus Conservation Officers frequent these forums and message boards.

More people read these forums then you think so if you think it is only people looking for hits and help their are law makes and Bios and Techs that read the forums to and have a laugh.

If you have real concerns you can go it the SRD site Sustainable Resource Development web site and email them and ask them the question instead of asking us, we give scientific answers and you tell us we do not know what we are talking about.

That is why SRD has a web site to help you if you have a question...and no there are no stupid questions, someone my say that is a stupid question since they may know the answer...in my class's I stress to my students that their is no such thing as a stupid question since you are here to learn and I am here to help you learn so any question is a good question.

But with Bud he just wants to fight we do have many people like Bud so do not get to worked up since he is one person that that loves to argue.

[willy]

Im gonna get it for this but if we catch a diseased fish that doesnt look very edible it wont get thrown back will feed the farm cats or dispose of it somewhere else. Now if its a old net mark or a bite from another fish then maybe.

[happy perch fisher]

Just like to point this out on alot of lakes 20-24 inch fish are the main spawner because everything else is kept.

[Trail Blazer]

Happy Perch Fisher you hit the nail on the head.

Most anglers want to take home the big girl and leave the young fish to replace them.

You guys can do as you please it is your fishery you are playing with, you think you know best then keep all the fish you want to eat or hang from the wall I know I have 3 paintings of the fish I caught 2 brook trout paintings and 1 cutty. I do want to get a replica of my 32 in Bow River Brown. Then if I have any money left I would love to get a replica of my 30 pound plus Alberta pike.

[willy]

Nothing better then a fresh pike fish fry with 0 bones we have it once a week in the winter. Picture wouldnt taste very good. Will be out to mcgregor and badger this weekend

[Morph1]

LOL this thread is getting amusing :lol: ,
I am sorry to say that but I would toss that fish in the bush as well or simply incinerate it,
I mean yes if the fish just has an ulcer or some damage to the surface skin layer yes it could be released and become a food source for other fish if it expires... , but what if the sore its some kind of infective desease and the fish that eats it will transfers the desease to other fish and so on and on,
I mean there is some margin of risk there, would you keep raising cows with BSI ??? or turn it into a feed ??? no , BSI problem can occur to different species as equal as to cows... and now some guys say yep just bring it to F&W and they will look at the problem involving their biologists... , what a joke
do you seriously think they're gonna run numerous tests to determine what the sore is ?? if you think so you're simply very naive... I had once reported perch with what looked like tape worm, those guys didn't even know what I was talking about, I asked could I clean the fish out and still consume it ?? well sir I don't know hmm let me think , hmm let me pick a flower and pull all the petals off "yes/no yes/no" to determine my answer, it was a joke that guy I spoke to, he didn't even bother, then I asked well if I am not supposed to eat that fish would that be possible to post some signs like - DO NOT CONSUME THE FISH FROM THIS LAKE
well nothing ever happend to that report, usually tape worm will sit inside the intestine and sometimes out in the flesh, this tape worm was inside the gut outside the intestines and 7 out of 11 fish had it...
The next weekend I went to that lake and seen numerous people keeping the perch...
This is my story, based on my own experience with F&W....
Regarding the topic I would insist on removing that fish from the food chain simply as a precaution....

Once the fish is being droped off at F&W I simply think their examination is based on observation rather than any actual test....

Now regarding the spawning age I can not add anything to it other than what had already been said.

[jrs]

Morph1,
The large tapeworms in the body cavities of perch can not infect humans, there is only one larvae present in Alberta which may be rarely present in large perch that would be of concern. They wouldn't investigate it as it poses no harm to people, in the pike case this post started about, it poses no health risk and will not spread like BSE. Read the entire post. If Fish and
Wildlife sees evidence of a fish disease that will impact the population or harm people they would react, no reason to in the situations you described. Most of the perch i caught last time out were full of those things. Do some research, refer to Nelson and Paetz 1970 (Fishes of Alberta 1st addition) for the parasite info.

[willy]

JRS If you release the fish how would F&W know what it had and if its the start of some disease?

[Morph1]

JRS , I also did some research on the tape worm parasite, imagine that one of those lays 1000's of eggs each day now if you cut fish open and have any kind of open wound on your hands, you get the parasite as well, now if you have forgotten to wash your hands properly use a cloth to wipe them, now your kid or anyone in your familly picks up the cloth and use it in any manner you spread the eggs and your fam ends up with the parasites as well.

Tape worm in fish can be quite harmfull to humans, some people live with the parasite for years not knowing they have it and their health just deteriorates with time... If you have it for far too long you can even die from organ failure.

So I don't see how safe it is to even handle fish with parasite not even concidering consumption...
I mean from just observing a BSE you would not even think how fatal can that be when consumed in any way... regardless cooking, preping and all that.

The fish shown in the photos in the begining of the thread looks aweful,
from the initial look yes it looks like some sort of ulcer but this is just a speculation.

[Okotokian]

It's Not A Tumor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[jrs]

Morph,
Like fish or animals there are many different species of tapeworms, not a large number of them are harmful to people. That book i mentioned has lots of details if you're interested. Many are specialists and can only complete there life cycle in other specific species.
Check out this link, its about game but gives you an idea. I shot a jackrabbit with cysts once and had to look into it, turns out feeding it to my dog would have been a bad idea. It was tasty, i still cooked it a bit more thoroughly than i otherwise would have as it worried me slightly.

http://wildlife1.usask.ca/newsletters/newsletter2-3.htm

In regards to the perch you can't be infected by that tapeworm in particular. According to that book i mentioned, the broad tapeworm is the only fish parasite in Alberta known to infect humans, and it occurs in pike. Perch can harbor a harmful tapeworm larvae very rarely and only in large specimens (from that book as well). That's why you should always fully cook pike to be 100% safe.

And Willy, by sending pictures in it gives fish and wildlife an idea of what may be going on. If they are concerned they will go do sampling and get a reasonable idea of the frequency or nature of the disease. Like mentioned before, pike can recover from much worse injuries than that and continue to spawn. I wouldn't eat that just due to its looks, but i would release it so it could spawn the next spring.

Here is a FACT sheet from SRD:

http://www.srd.alberta.ca/fishwildlife/livingwith/diseases/pdf/Skin_tumors_fish.pdf

[Hunterclark]

It's Not A Tumor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!It sure Dose look like a tumor.:sick: :sick:

[BUD]

Nothing better then a fresh pike fish fry with 0 bones we have it once a week in the winter. Picture wouldnt taste very good. Will be out to mcgregor and badger this weekend

AMEN, to that .