Want proof that catch and release works?

[Derek]

I went out fishing yesterday afternoon, skipped out of work early. I hooked a nice bass on the end of a long cast. She jumped right away and we saw how big she was. I just wanted her to stay hooked. Im glad she did and I was glad my buddy Rich was right there with the net. Anyway I noticed the fish had a piece of its tail missing, a scar I had seen before. Not the usual spawning scars that are normally on the bottom of the tail, but she had a chunk missing in the middle.


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Well when I got home I realized I had just re-caught the same fish as I had earlier in the year. The first time was on 4-10-10 so yesterday was 66 days later. I caught her 1/2 mile across to the other side of the 66 acre lake I was fishing. First time on a jig and this time on a crank bait. The fish was def smaller yesterday then it was during pre-spawn.
here is the picture from last time, compare the tails


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[russ010]

that is awesome! =D>

 

[dyeguy1212]

Pretty cool! I wish I had the pics to prove it, but I did the exact same thing earlier this year. Same fish, same bait, and within 30 yards of the same dock.

 

[Quackrstackr]

We catch fish all of the time in KY Lake that still have hook marks on their mouths. :shock:

Can't say as I have ever caught one that I knew for sure was the same fish other than in a small pond, though.

 

[BaitCaster]

Amazing. Maybe you will catch her again after she fattens up!

 

[Brine]

Years ago, I had caught the same fish (more than one) repeatedly for months on a small neighborhood lake. After 2 or 3 times, they started getting names :LOL2:

I caught this fish twice, and someone else caught it that was with me one day.

Miss that lake

 

[Derek]

nice fish
I have the same tackle bag

 

[breachless]

That's pretty cool! When I was a kid, I had a few fish named on the lake I grew up on based on their scars. Caught a few of them quite a few times. I always thought it was so cool to catch a fish I recognized and say hello once again and then gently let them go back into the lake in hopes of seeing them again. I sure miss those days...

 

[Brine]

nice fish
I have the same tackle bag

I still have mine. It must be at least 8 years old now :LOL2:

 

[bassassassin8]

Thats pretty sweet. I used to film two deer that were brothers, I filmed them for 3 years & watched them grow into a couple big bucks. Was great to watch what a year & management, passin them up would let them do. That's bout as close as I could relate to what you got w/ catchin that basss twice. 8)

 

[Specknreds]

That's cool and rewarding. I tag fish for the state of LA and have had 3 of them caught by other people who turned the tag in. I also tagged and released a Sailfish in Key West and it was caught again 3 years later.

 

[FishinsMyLife]

Happened to me, although in a 6 acre pond.
https://www.tinboats.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=3786&hilit=fishinsmylife

1st time

2nd time

The distinguishing feature from all other bass: a double first spine on its dorsal fin.

This was a while back, but not long ago some little kid caught a 7 pounder and kept it to get mounted out of this pond. I didn't get to see it, but it might have been this bass caught one final time..

 

[robr3004]

Awesome, thanks for sharing....When I fished down on lake fork in Texas, there was this one cove where this 5 # bass could be repetitively caught during the day. It stayed on one specific tree. Well I went in there and caught him and man was that fished mouth riddle with hole from being hooked so much. She was healthy and fat, but I guess she couldn't resist the sight of a lure.

 

[Bubba]

I haven't ever caught the same fish twice myself(that I know of), However on the musky lake I typically fish they have started a tagging system a few years ago which involve floy tags which have specific numbers on them. August 23rd of last year I caught this 40" musky with a tag number of "023", about a month later on Sept. 27th a fishing buddy of mine post a report stating he had caught a 40" fish with the tag number of "023" also.....And the funny thing is, When I caught the fish...that was my first time I had ever caught and released a musky while I was by myself....so it felt good to know that I made a successful release of that fish so it could be caught again. Here are the pics of the fish when they were caught by me and my buddy...

 

[sgtfletcher]

There was a bass in our pond with crooked tail that we caught for years and was caught by many different people and released it was fun to watch him grow.

 

[JRHOADES20]

catch and release is the way to go, if not their would be no fish left. "Big fish make more Big Fish" :mrgreen:

 

[shamoo]

Thats so cool, I did it with a pickeral, it broke my line, 15 minutes later I got my slider head and worm back