Have you ever caught the same fish twice, or three times even?

passionfly

passionfly

New member
Joined
Jul 1, 2022
Messages
18
Location
Pennsylvania
I fish this tiny creek full of stocked trout. None are super beautiful because they're stocked, but I remember catching this one brown with a big kype jaw that clearly stood out from the rest even though he was stocked, as his colors were simply amazing. Yellow/golden with superb red spots just like a wild. I knew it was stocked because of the clipped fin, but it was a stunner. 2 or so weeks later I catch the same fish with the same kype and spots, and boy did I recognize it.
 
I caught the same easily recognized fish twice in the same day and once again a day later. It was in a wild trout stream with stocked sections so I can't be positive what it was.

I also hooked and broke my fly off in a wild fish on another stream and caught the same fish with my fly still in its mouth a short time later.
 
Stocked trout all the time. I once did a poor net job for my father on a golden rainbow trout. Next cast hooked the same fish and successfully netted it that time.

I also caught the same native brook trout 3 years later. It was already 9 inches or so on the first cast so I surmised it was about 7 years old!
 
It is fairly common for a variety of species if you frequent the same section of water on a regular basis. When I was a kid, I spent most of my free time in the summer flogging the warmwater stream that ran behind our house with cheapo lures from Herters. The creek was loaded with largemouth up to about 15 inches. I caught several of the bass multiple times to the point where I'd give them names.
 
Not that I have noticed, but probably have and not even realized it.

Side note. I like seeing the members online count higher than guest count... ;)
 
I've caught stocked trout, the same one several times. I could tell by the disfigured jaw, another one by a distorted body, another by my fly that was broken off in it's mouth. I once caught the same rainbow on consecutive casts. He had to be the stupidest fish in the creek, or maybe the hungriest. Back in April I caught a 14" wild brown twice in one day, maybe 5 hrs. apart.
 
Have caught a few wild trout more than once, but I always think it's surprising how low of a percentage it is given that I have favorite sections of certain streams that I do fish repeatedly.

Growing up and fishing my neighbor's small pond, there was a bass that my friend and I were certain was the largest in the pond. It was about 20-21". We caught it 15 times in 3 years. Live bluegills under a bobber were the preferred prey.
 
Agree with sarce's comment about trout, which is a good thing, I think.

However, interestingly and sadly on Spring Creek, its regulars think the trout get caught and released so often that the handling stresses them and causes early deaths, hence the much-reduced average size of Spring's trout over the years.
 
Twice this year…

First one was a NJ stocked rainbow with a scar on his side. Caught him twice a week apart.

Second was a wild brown up on the Delaware. Broke him off at the tippet ring (see other thread). A few hours later got him to net and got my first fly and 3ft of tippet back.
 
When I was in Jr High I would switch between bait fishing and fly fishing. One day my dad stopped at a very small stream in Mercer Co that was stocked. We had never fished there but other people had told us to try it.

We soon found a nice hole and I was using bait. First cast I catch a rainbow and it swallowed the hook. I was very disappointed to ever hook a fish this way but I cut the line and returned it. Tied on a new hook and made my second cast, had another one. Bring it in, it’s the same fish with the line sticking out of its mouth and it swallowed the hook again. Cut my line, turned it loose with 2 lines sticking out of its mouth and we left and have never returned.
 
Yes.
It's not common, but happens on occasion. I or a fishing partner have caught the same trout on the same day a few times.

There was one large brown trout in Falling Springs that was caught by three different forum members in three consecutive years (I got him the third time, he was 20").

One year I caught the same 19" brown in Fisherman's Paradise seven times in three months.
 
I find it comforing to realize that some of these fish we elevate to Mensa status when we are frustrated...

...are actually morons. ;)
 
I'm pretty sure I caught the same fish 3X in one day years ago.
It was on the lower part of Spring Creek around Milesburg.

A cool rainy day, with flies coming off throughout.
This fish was rising tight against the bank beside a prominent log that jutted into the water a bit.
Right in from of where I parked my truck, along with several friends of mine

After 1st catching it in the morning, I noted a very unusual scar on its back.
Then fished my way up along the tracks for awhile into the afternoon.

Came back down for a late lunch.
While eating a sandwich, spotted rising again in same spot.
And quickly caught a fish of same size and unique scar.

I spent the rest of the day fishing up and down from there.
When I came back to wind things up at dusk, rising again in same spot.
And yep, same size fish and scar right at dark!

I do remember the fish being very skinny, looking very underfed.
And was obviously quite hungry........
 
You may have more trouble doing that with carp, as they learn to avoid hooks quite quickly and socialize that behavior such that carp that have witnessed the hooking/capture learn to avoid hooks as well, but for a lesser time period of about a week.

LMB also learn to avoid hooks. It cracks me up when tournament anglers go out on a lake to “practice” for the next day’s tournament. Depending upon how many fish are hooked at a given spot by practicing anglers, it’s a good way to reduce the catch from the “hot spot” the next day.
 
Last edited:
I believe that about carp.

I once had the experience of catching them during the Trico hatch on the tulpehocken.
And recall that they weren't pushovers..............
 
During a short period of unemployment after college, I caught the same brown trout on Big Spring six days in a row on the same Japanese beetle fly. I know it was the same fish because I used a small (1/8”) paper hole punch to mark his fins each time I caught him. I was so much younger and dumber then.
 
Ihave re captured several multiple times over the years one in particular 2018 she was 17in 2019 she was 17.5 2020 no show 2021 recaptured her again 18.5 havent got her this year maybe she moved on or was harvested or just died nice wild brownie that called the sycamore roots her home
 
One summer I caught the same 7" wild brown in the same location on three consecutive trips.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Montana Angler Fly Fishing
Montana Angler Fly Fishing
Harman's North Fork Cottages


Real Time Data From
the USGS Site

Share this page

Back
Top