Re: Gill maggots/copods/parasites ??
I don't really know much about them but see them pretty regularly on fish here too. The TWRA claims they don't really hurt the fish. Of course the same guy also said they didn't even know the bugs were here when I know they've been around for a while and you don't have to look in many fishes mouths to find 'em. Anyway, it's my understanding, and I know other very knowledgable striper guys who agree, that if the fish are subjected to other stressors, say poor water quality for example, that these nasty litter critters can in fact damage a fishery severely. If that weren't enough the anecdotal evidence is that their effect is more pronounced on larger fish.
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