View Full Version : Lake Arrowhead Rainbow Trout Fishing
I went up to Lake Arrowhead to do some fishing on a buddies dock this weekend. It was a nice cold morning when we started fishing. I was using rainbow powerbait floating it from the bottom. At first it was kinda slow, but I reeled my bait in to check it, cast out, and almost immediately got a bite. As this nice size (10-12in) rainbow got closer in the clear water I noticed blemishes all over it's body. When I got it out of the water it grossed me out so bad I unhooked it and nudged it back in the water. It looked like little white worms were coming out of it's body. I caught another one soon after about the same size and sure enough it had worms coming out of it's body too!! Well, later in Lake Arrowhead village I asked the fishing store clerk if he knew what I saw and he told me it was Whirling disease. All I know is I think I'm done fishing for Rainbows on Arrowhead. Anybody else see this on their rainbows in other lakes? I wanted to catch some and grill it up but this made me lose my apatite for trout even thought it's harmless to people.
E.A.R.G.
11-07-2010, 10:05 PM
ooh sick!!! what in the world!?!?
i thought whirling disease was a skeletal deformation!!
thats trout with alien babies all over it!
Fat Tony
11-07-2010, 10:18 PM
EEEEWWWWW yah what the :Censored: is that that looks sick.I would'nt grill that either nasty..How does that happen???
Ifishtoolittle
11-07-2010, 10:20 PM
Aside from the worms that is a nice holdover.
Geraldlim
11-07-2010, 10:41 PM
I think that is anchor worm, a parasite that burrows into the skin of fish. Then the entry wound gets secondary infections by bacteria or fungus. But that looks like an extremely heavy infestation. In more than one fish. Not sure why. I wonder if something is out of whack with the biology of that lake to cause this?
LunkerBill
11-07-2010, 11:09 PM
Man that is sad. Should of thrown it in a fire or something. Looks painfull to the trout. Has anyone seen this at any other lakes. Hope you sanitized your shoe(s) after you kicked it back in. Maybe its a Tweaker Trout!
Ifishtoolittle
11-07-2010, 11:23 PM
Man that is sad. Should of thrown it in a fire or something. Looks painfull to the trout. Has anyone seen this at any other lakes. Hope you sanitized your shoe(s) after you kicked it back in. Maybe its a Tweaker Trout!
How would throwing a live trout into a fire put it out of it's "misery". Parasites don't really hurt a fish that much. All they do is just take a fraction of a fish's energy supply and leave scars. The fish just needs to eat more.
fishing_freak
11-08-2010, 12:24 AM
and our water comes from there???? thats nasty
sidified
11-08-2010, 05:08 AM
I don't know how long the trout have been hosts for these parasites but expect a very long time...I know the trout I've taken from Arrowhead had this condition at least 7 years ago...lousy all the same.
Cameron
11-08-2010, 06:49 AM
its a anchor worm very unsightly parasite that seems to be doing well in Arrowhead.U figure with it being private they would take care of this nasty lil booger.I agree it would kill my appetite now im off to BBL for some nice looking trout.
I grew up in arrowhead and it was the norm to see that however; I have never seen one that bad. Maybe 1 or 2 at the most.
novel44
11-08-2010, 09:47 AM
Over the years, once a year we used to rent a cabin/house over at Arrowhead with the family. Some would fish some would enjoy the nature, etc... Haven't done it in 2 years since we caught one of those nasty looking things too. Past two years we just go to BBL instead.
TroutMad
11-08-2010, 08:45 PM
Anchor worms occur at Big Bear too. I've seen it many times. It comes and goes.
Spaulding
11-08-2010, 08:49 PM
Oh yes, they do. Caught and seen lots of fish with them in BBL. Some alot worse off than this fish. We just carve off the areas and still eat the fish. Been doing it for years and I am still alive.
gletemfeelsteelgary
11-12-2010, 04:33 PM
Sick.....poor trout species....
I would hope some sort of long term plan for treatment could be put into play..
Thats real sad.....
flyhigh123
07-23-2012, 02:57 PM
just fished arrowhead yesterday and the trout i caught maybe had hundreds on one. The gills were packed with them as well. It freaks me out just picturing it in my mind....
i can't believe this lake has had it for so long.... Maybe they need to stop stocking with trout for a few years and let these parasites die.
Skyler
07-23-2012, 05:08 PM
Anchor worm indeed. Be glad it isn't whirling disease. Your fish would be deformed like this:
http://utahfishinginfo.com/images/dwr/whirling_disease_brook_trout.jpg
GhettoBasster
07-23-2012, 10:04 PM
I can't open the photos, but anchor worm infestation spikes during the warm months. This is why putting wild fish in with your aquarium fish can be a disaster. BTW, they're actually crustaceans so eating infested fish is like having a little serving of shrimp on the side.
stocker
07-24-2012, 12:03 PM
Since Arrowhead is private, does that mean that df&g has nothing to do with the fishery?
Skyler
07-24-2012, 12:54 PM
Since Arrowhead is private, does that mean that df&g has nothing to do with the fishery?
That is correct. If dfg planted state fish in there, the dam operator would be required to provide public fishing access.
flyhigh123
07-25-2012, 05:36 PM
I can't open the photos, but anchor worm infestation spikes during the warm months. This is why putting wild fish in with your aquarium fish can be a disaster. BTW, they're actually crustaceans so eating infested fish is like having a little serving of shrimp on the side.
man, even if its ok, the sight of the fish with it makes me want to yak. Just picturing it makes my stomach churn.
We did catch 1 trout that was worm free, but 3 of them had it.