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Originally Posted by AndyS
If the fish LOOKS healthy I say go for it. If the fish has fuzzy fins, growths, sores, etc. I would say toss it into the woods.
You have the advantage, you get to see the fish up close and personal after it has been caught.
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While that might work ok for parasites or disease, it doesn't tell you about PCBs or other chemical contaminants that the fish might contain. These can exist in levels that the fish (a much simpler organism than a human) can tolerate without external signs of damage. Best bet is to check the Fish Smart Eat Smart page for freshwater fish consumption advisories. They haven't had a chance to test every type of fish at every location, but they have tested enough to give you a good idea what is safe and what might not be. It's sad that we need to, but with New Jersey's heavily industrialized past, it is important that any fisherman who takes things home for the table check it often.
Fish Smart Eat Smart NJ Main Page -
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/dsr/njmainfish.htm
There isn't a specific listing for the D&R canal in Middlesex county, but upstream from you in Somerset county (
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/dsr/fisha.../somerset.htm), carp are heavily restricted with healthy people suggested to not eat more than 4 meals per year and high risk people (pregnant women, kids, the elderly) suggested not to eat it at all. Being that channel cats would be hanging out looking for their food in the muddy canal bottom similar to how the carp do, I would expect their contamination levels to be similar... So I would not eat a channel catfish out of the canal.
You could also contact DFW and they will be happy to help you with your question.
http://www.state.nj.us/dep/fgw/contactform.htm When I wanted to know if crawfish were safe to eat, they got back to me real quick with an answer (just as safe as bluegills from the same water body)
