Okay,

What is it with these fish? Have I just run in to the low end of the gene pool with the fish I've been near lately, or is this a common thing?

A week ago Friday I went fishing with Fishing Sensation, or more affectionately, FS. Anyway, he hooks this buck steelhead, brings it to hand and releases it. Notice the marks below the dorsal fin, and above the pectoral fin.



About 10 minutes later, same hole, FS hooks up again. Look familiar?



Saturday, Josh hooked and lost a steelhead in my favorite "rock hole". Five casts later I hook a steelhead with the same exact coloring, within 10 yards of where Josh hooked this. I am fairly certain it was the same fish.

Sunday, I catch a steelhead in my "rock hole" and another fisherman casts and hooks a silver as I am walking back to my "rock", and he loses the fish. His line is frayed, so while he changes set-ups, I cast back to my spot, and hook a silver with the same mark on it's back and bring it in.

Today, I am fishing with Gooose and he hooks a colored up Summer fish in the "rock hole" and after a short battle, the fish comes off. About 5 casts later, Wham!, I get a nice hit from a VERY similarly colored Summer fish within a few feet of where Gooose hooked his fish.

What's up with this? Have you experienced the same thing? This makes me think that once you find a biter, keep on it until you hook it. How many times have you had a hit in a particular run, lose your eggs, rebait, and then the next cast, Wham!, fish on?

Just thought I'd share.

Andy

Those are certainly the ones to let go We need that biting mentality passed on!

Seriously, seen it lots of times over the years ... one even did it two casts in a row

A story I've told before on here ... my fave is still giving my pal a fly back that he left (broke off a few minutes into the battle) in the mouth of a 25 lb. steelies that I caught about an hour later

I caught the same hen 3 times in one day on the Queets, and it was behind the exact same rock each time. That one made babies

I have personally witnessed the same deal, I hooked a downriver fish on a jig, less than 5 mins later my buddy hooked the same fish. Ya just gotta love steelies.

I wouldn't say it's common but I've had it happen enough times over the years that I'm not surprised when it does happen. 2 of my oddest experiences were (like Bob) hooking the same winter fish on 2 casts last year. I knew it was the same fish because of the markings and size/poor fight second time around. It was a wild fish. The other was a summer-run back in 95' on the wynoochee that I caught A MONTH LATER in the same run behind the same rock. How do I know it was the same a month later? Because I let it go the first time around......something I don't usually do with summer-runs. Because of the fact I let it go, I had a good mentalpicture of it. That, and the fact my hook and leader were still pinned in the hinge of her jaw.....exactly where I snipped it the first time. It really opened my eyes to how stationary fish can become in the low. warm water of summer.

On a side note Dogfish, I think I saw you parked saturday morning at monte square with your new boat in tow. It said "dogfish"on the side. Knowing you are a fellow black powder hunter I was going to stop and introduce myself but was in a hurry. I was on my way to the woods to look for antlers. Maybe another time.

I've had that happen several times also. Once I caught the same downriver summer run buck three days in a row. Another time was a chrome bright 14# hen. She broke the leader with her teeth. I tied up again. Next cast I got her in and my old corky was still in her mouth.

I had a similar experience on the Pilchuck 2 Sundays ago Dec. 1. I was fishing a float and egg set up and hooked a Steelhead and lost it. The next cast I hooked it again and faught it for about 3-4 minutes before it broke off. I retied and on my 3rd cast hooked and landed the 10lb chrome bright hen with both my hooks in its mouth. I fished the same small hole for another 20 minutes without a bite.

Busted my jig off on a hot teener summer nate chromer on the Sky a couple years back. Some loser dude, who was chompin' at the bit at every fish I caught, walked right up next to me, cast out and hooked the same fish. I know, because when he came back after being dragged down river, he handed my jig back.

Hooked and landed the same fish on the Salmon River 3 times. First fight was nice. Second fight was Ok. Third fight was downright lame! Poor tired fish!

I enjoyed fishing with Stlhdr1 this summer and having a hot summer run swallow/inhale 3 baits! Nothing like watching 3 guys in a boat all fighting the same fish!