It started to get very windy today so I put the boat back on the truck and drove to a spot I wanted to fish from the bank.  As I approached the bank I noticed a very large fish in the shallow water just sitting there.  I threw a couple different baits in front of it without even a sniff.  I knew it wasn't a gar but was not sure if it was a bass.  So then I hit it with my spinnerbait and it barely moved then slowly swam off.  I move about 50 feet down the bank and I see it swimming along again very slow, and this time it was much closer to me, maybe 10-15 feet away.  So I hit it again and it barely moves.  Then a couple seconds later it jumps kinda half hearted out of the water!!  It WAS a bass and a really freakin big one too!  I bet its eyes were the size of a quarter.  It was sick looking though.  Skin was a gray color, I didn't see any green.  Plus I saw some whiteish spots all over it.  My question is do you think it was sick?  Coming to the end of its life naturally?  Anyway it was a pretty neat experience, too bad I couldn't get her to bite!

That is pretty weird, never heard of anything like that before.  More than likely it was sick like you said.

They must die of natural causes.

I'm not sure but it sort of sounds like mad cow disease to me

Yeah it was weird.  It was kinda freaky the way it jumped.  It kinda stuck its big head out slowly and held it up for a couple seconds then pushed itself almost all the way out.  It was a really big fish too, bigger than anything I have ever caught thats for sure.

You were probably watching the end of a great fish.

I'm not sure but it sort of sounds like mad cow disease to me

no it's mad bass disease 

I had a similar experience a month or so ago...  not as big of a fish..but about 5 or 6 pounder I would say...  very very slow moving near the top of the water... and then I noticed white spots on the fish.... this is bound to be some disease...

You were probably watching the end of a great fish.

Weather it was the end or not I don't know, but I do know it was a great fish.

This same thing has happened to me twice at two different ponds.

The bass would just sit about 5 feet from the shore and not move unless I hit them with a jig or something.

I didn't see any white on them though, they were both extremely dark.

You were probably watching the end of a great fish.

I agree...sounds natural....you witnessed a glimpse of nature most don't see. Just makes you realize how great these fish are and why we all chase them with wild abandonded!!!!

Peace

AJR