Question about a sickly bass on rayburn

We were fishing yesterday and sick bass was swimming around with orange and almost peach colored growths on it. We didn't catch it or mess with it. Just observed it just swimming around struggling. I tried to video it so maybe someone can ID the infection. It looked ROUGH man. I pondered netting it for a closer inspection, maybe help it but I didn't even want it near my carpet with God knows what growing on it. So orangeish fungus? Any ideas? Heres the short
https://youtube.com/shorts/AOKSk5i9VVc?si=nFo-joSDQ0lUmJ27

Saw one about 7-8 pounds a week ago on Limestone. It swam into my trolling motor shaft. It was definitely confused and not doing too good. All spotted up looking like you described.

Later we came back to the area and an juvi eagle chased a crow off a fish on shore that definitely wasn't there earlier and looked like it was that bass. Well while that eagle was inspecting it a larger mature bald eagle ran that one off. Then it took a few looks at that bass and flew off after not even taking a bite. The other 2 birds returned to the fish after it left and did the same thing. Landed looked and took off. Though pretty sure the crow pecked its eyes out before it took off.

Maybe you should contact TPWD with your video & description.

Good call. On it

Do you know any people who have became ill or striken with a disease?


In any population of living creatures a segment will always be ill, diseased and dying at any given moment.


Part of the cycle

They get sick, injured, infection just like everything else in nature. The aren't magical creatures.

Thats exactly why i asked. I'd like to know more about the condition just out of scientific curiosity.

Possibly beat up from spawning, another larger fish could have tried to eat it or a release fish from a tournament. Sometimes if the slime coat on the fish gets rubbed off allowing for sores or bacteria growth to get on them. Water quality is sometimes a determining factor as well, have seen aquarium fish get the ick,(spelling)

We saw one with the exact same spots this past weekend. Definitely something i havent seen on rayburn before. What area of the lake were you in? We were up around san aug. It didnt look like any sores ive seen from spawning or swimming around brush, it was all over the fishs body and you could tell it wasnt well at all. Even with normal sores the fish are active, this one could barely move it seemed like, just staying right under the surface

Radiation burns from ffs?

pinged pond disease

On the latest episode of intuitive angling….😆

i'm betting on tournament fish released.

Actually I think this is very likely to be the case

Climate change.

Trump caused it if it was orange.

😎

Likely a saprolignia fungal infection. It's a common water mold that can overcome fish weakened by injury or chronic stress that compromises immune defense, especially during the cooler months fall-spring. Usually not something to be overly concerned about, healthy fish don't get infected like that. TPWD does appreciate when you report diseased fish though.

good call !

Also I hear the bass are hybridizing with released koi fish causing a weak orange colored offspring. Invasive species are the bane to nature.

It started with the possums

Yep sent them the info, description and vid