Same Lake Trout Caught Four Times , Four Years in a Row

[4x4bassin]

I have been meaning to post this for awhile now and I personally find this story amazing .

Many of you might know that I head out on some interesting trips to the backwoods of

north/central Ontario in search of that perfect lake , well several years ago I found such a

lake through a lot of leg work and investigating as well as some great help from a friend in

the MNR . This lake is strictly a lake trout and smallmouth lake with the only access being

by float plane or quad and the closest cottage being 20 km away (few hunt camps are in the area)

Anyways , this story started in 2011 when a friend of mine caught a nice lake trout and as always

I took a picture . 2012 came around and another friend of mine caught a trout (one of many) and another

picture was taken . When I got home from the trip I started to go through the pictures and noticed one of the

trout in the picture looked familiar , it had a scar on its side and a deformed tail . I went through the trips

from 2011 and sure enough there she is . Same fish , same area one year earlier . We all thought that

was amazing and once in a lifetime experience but we all kept our eyes open for that scarred laker in 2013.

Well wouldn't you know it good ole scar side came for a boat visit that year as well as the fall of 2014 .

Same fish , exact same spot (give or take 40yds) four years in a row . Now you might think this lake is a small

lake but it is fairly large (around 200 hectares) and deep . The bay we keep catching this fish in is roughly 40-60

feet deep . I told this story to a couple MNR guys and they both told me to go buy some lotto tickets because that is

very , very rare especially for a lake trout . Lake trout move around a lake following food and don't really have a "home"

like a bass or a pike who can literally live under the same stump there whole life . The MNR also advised me that this lake

trout is probably an old fish (20-25yrs old) due to the growth over the four years or lack of . Anyways enough of

the jib jab , proof is in the pictures . Enjoy !!!

 

 

 

2011

 

2012

 

2013

 

2014

 

 

 

I guess live release works eh

[Joeytier]

Very cool. Wonder how many other fish without distinct markings that you've caught more than once.

[Old Ironmaker]

If you have never reported this here before someone a few years back had a similar story as well as the pictures. Great story, thanks.

[blaque]

She aint gettin any purdier

[Ven-Pisc-ator]

Cool. Thanks for the story.

 

Ven

[Beavertail]

Pretty neat, that's one lucky old girl!

[Gnote]

Thats pretty cool, maybe some fish dont do what they are expected to.

[dave524]

Yeah , that cool considering the time spacing. As a kid I believe I got the same WGSF at least 4 times off the same dock but that was in the space of a week's vacation.

[Joey]

Pretty cool!!

[Acountdeleted]

Very cool. Should take the scales. See how much she grows every year.

[davey buoy]

Looking like she doesn't grow much,please tell us what lure you were using lol. Unreal,thanks for the report.

[Musky or Specks]

Now think of the monetary value of that fish the gas, tackle, food bill for fours years worth of trips. For me, that's reason enough to support C&R

[chris.brock]

That's the "spirit trout"

 

I'm going to tell this story to some of the old timers around my cottage when they say-

 

"nah, ain't no use lettin' them go, they die anyways comin' up from deep water"

 

I'm surprised nobody asked. Are you going back to try for 5 in a row this year?

Edited May 7, 2015 by chris.brock

[muddler]

I've got a largemouth bass in my favourite lake that I've caught on(6 out of 7 years) and off for years. Some years I've caught it a dozen times. Same gash on the left side and the same pelvic fin is missing. he/she's gotten bigger over the years. Same spot on the edge of a weed bed by a busy swimming area. I've caught it on the surface (buzz bait, chug bugs), crank baits, jigs and plastics for the last 7 years.Always caught early in the morning, It just gets a little bigger every year.

 

I spend a couple days each year just targeting this one fish just to see if it's still alive. Kinda makes my summer. It's now a sort of summer tradition. I even named it "Charlie".

 

muddler

[G.mech]

That's a great story, very surprising. When I catch and release walleye I spray paint the tip of the tails white before letting them go. Let me know if anybody catches any of them again... .

[kickingfrog]

Catch and release works.

[manitoubass2]

Stupid fish ???

 

Maybe you've formed a special bond and she bites just to say hello???

 

Thats pretty cool and of course c&r works

[Canuck2fan]

Strange, but my first thought was perhaps that fish having been injured and old makes it more likely it would be caught over and over. It might not be physically capable to be a top predator so it has to take what it can... In any event it is a great fish story, although the actual proof kind of spoils it being a fish tale ;o)

[kickingfrog]

But it's survived for the last 4-5 years.

[jimmer]

Doesn't look like it has grown much over the last few years. Time for a new spot. LOL

[davey buoy]

As far as being injured or whatever,she still lives on something for another year until when she gets caught again.

[4x4bassin]

Looking like she doesn't grow much,please tell us what lure you were using lol. Unreal,thanks for the report.

This lake trout has been caught on jigs every time

 

That's the "spirit trout"

 

I'm going to tell this story to some of the old timers around my cottage when they say-

 

"nah, ain't no use lettin' them go, they die anyways comin' up from deep water"

 

I'm surprised nobody asked. Are you going back to try for 5 in a row this year?

Oh ya , actually we are going to try to get in there in 2 weeks !

 

Stupid fish

 

Maybe you've formed a special bond and she bites just to say hello???

 

Thats pretty cool and of course c&r works

Ya , LOL !

 

Doesn't look like it has grown much over the last few years. Time for a new spot. LOL

She hasn't grown much that's for sure and no , it's not time for a new spot !

 

 

The MNR know about this lake and they tell me that these fish are mostly planktivorous (bug eaters) so they are very slowwwww growing .

No big greasers in this lake , these lakers work for every meal !

[jimmer]

That would make them very good eating if all they eat are bugs. MMMMM

[Canuck2fan]

As far as being injured or whatever,she still lives on something for another year until when she gets caught again.

 

That is true but it might just be surviving not thriving as it sure hasn't grown much. Then again the whole bug diet kind of explains why it would go smack a bait time after time. Must think it has won the lottery when it sees that bait.

[Moosebunk]

Ain't that sumthin! lol.

 

Wicked to see and we all know why.