Cod worms

I was thinking this was a great way to do some scaremongoring among the people who abuse or seas
But it's all explained and put to bed now. Pity I thought you might have copped what I was trying with my first post
Tommy

Donnyboy1 wrote: (Sorry, I'll get the quoting selected sentences mastered yet!!!)

"What I do is I don't even gut the cod and fillet them fast like this and do not touch the belly flaps."

Just thinking about what I had said above re painstakingly trying to save the belly flap flesh by filleting it from the ribcage and how the Scottish man in the youtube video didnt do that, the belly flaps may be the place most likely to get worms coming from the gut after death, the flesh is so scarce there its hardly worth the bother,

BUT, maybe the best reason to sacrifice that part of the fish and just leave it on the carcass is because if you inadvertently burst through to the gut cavity and manage to burst stomach ot intestine, as I have done before, the juices that can then run out and onto the nice clean white flesh you are trying to save for the table can be so absolutely putrid (especially with cod), the fish can be ruined for eating.

Ive ruined cod fillets before by getting them tainted with stomach juices, the fish isnt nice to eat at all, anyone who eats 'Donegal Catch' breaded cod may have tasted a very very occasional less than pleasant, strongly tainted piece of fish and I think thats maybe what has happened. Hope I havent openned a can of worms by mentioning that? I think DC produce is first class stuff 99% of the time. My Ma has been getting it since it came on the market, still does.

Aye if the stomach juice gets on the white flesh it is generally destroyed for the table, tastes disgusting so the belly flaps can go to the cat or compost as Donny says.

Yep thats a good point, the odd time I want to keep a whole fish, for stock or to roast / BBQ whole I just gut it as soon as possible.

We also find Ice cold temps keep the worms in the gut so on a boat its into a cool box and fillet / gut on way home, couple of hours on ice seems to stop them . Shore fishing is more problematic, but in cold temps it aint so bad.