Same fish caught 2 years apart

[AJ's Dad]

Back on June 30th of this year, I caught a pike that looked familiar to me. I took a quick look back at photos of pike I had caught bfore and the fish still looked familiar. Last weekend, fellow washington lakes member Lucious came to spokane to fish with me all the way from Idaho Falls, a 7 hour drive each way.
The night before we fished we spent some time looking at fish photos and telling stories. I told him about the familiar fish and we opened up photos of both fish. I mentioned the similarities in a post here, back when I caught the fish this year.
We poured over the photos zooming in on them and decided this was in fact the same fish I had caught back in 20011. The first time I caught this fish was August 20, 2011. The fish weighed 7 1/2 pounds and was about 30". On June 30th of this year, it weighed 10lbs 13 ozs. and was 35". Over 3 pounds of weight gain and 4" of length in just under 2 years.
Just thought it was interesting to see the weight and size gain in that time frame.
In the attached photos you can see what looks like a smiley face on the fishes right cheek to the right of its eye in the photo. You can also see a defenite black outline around it's eye and a light colored straight line from it's eye toward the tail of the fish.
No big deal to catch the same fish in a smaller sized lake, just thought it was kind of cool. This year the fish was caught within about 60 yards of where I caught it in 2011.

Interesting to me anyway

[skagit510]

cool

[kevinb]

Now that's pretty cool,I've never seen that or at least noticed with northerns. I have seen it many times with tigers/comparing pics with other anglers etc. I recall seeing Doug W's Silver Lake tiger. I still hope to see a picture of a C&R musky I caught at Newman a few years ago,it had a very distinct scar. Nice job out there!

[Mark K]

That's awesome! Definitely the same fish there. Shows the benefits of CPR. I love comparing the growth like that! Now go get her in 2020! Should be 43"-45" by then!!

[AJ's Dad]

Ya, that will be fun. However, the last three times I have left tht lake in the evening, there has been a guy fishing from shore using a perch under a bobber. last week he told me he had caught an 11 pounder the night before. He fishes about 300 yards from where I caught this fish but there's a chance it was the same one. His fish was only slightly heavier than mine was earlier this year. He told me he takes them all home and eats them. Hopefully it wasn't the one I have caught. even if it wasn't it's too bad a nice big fish like that was taken from the lake and eaten.

[Fish-N-Fool]

Hey Mark you didn't say what body of water you got this fish out of. Just curious.

[AJ's Dad]

That's correct, I didn't. However, most of the pike I caught in 2013 came from Coeurdalene Lake.
A couple of years ago I made a washington lakes post about a couple of nice 10 pound pike I caught. I gave the name of the lake, and I was not carefull with the background in the photo I posted. A young friend of mine asked me to put him on some fish of decent size. I told him where to go and what to use for lures at the lake I had posted about. He was there 4 days after I made that post and there were 4 boats in the small cove where I had caught the fish. I have never seen more than one boat in that area at one time. Coincidence? Maybe.
I really like to share information with other anglers about pike fishing, but after that experience and a couple of others, I will share baits, water temps and depths, structure, and techniques. Pinpointing exactly where you catch fish will come back to haunt you. An example I can give you is from a post you made about catching pike in one of the chain lakes. I know those lakes very well. I hadn't been doing real well in that particular lake. From your photo, I knew exactly where you were fishing when the photo was taken. I went to that spot the very next weekend and found a few fish. Nothing stellar but I did find those fish because of the photo you posted. I release 99% of the fish I catch so you can bet they went right back in your spot. The point is that you don't want to find a great spot, then have to do battle with a bunch of other boats to fish there.

[Fish-N-Fool]

I hadn't been doing real well in that particular lake. From your photo, I knew exactly where you were fishing when the photo was taken. I went to that spot the very next weekend and found a few fish. Nothing stellar but I did find those fish because of the photo you posted. I release 99% of the fish I catch so you can bet they went right back in your spot. The point is that you don't want to find a great spot, then have to do battle with a bunch of other boats to fish there.

Mark, Always glad to help I'd share my fish with ya anytime.
And I didn't want to know where exactly, just if it was CDA or the Chain. I have never caught a pike out of CDA lake but have only fished it twice in the last 10 years and one of those was in Jan. I'd like to learn more about it, if you want a fishing partner sometime. I also want to get down to "Blank" lake as I have never fished it. I heard rumors of a new state record pike was caught there last month at just over 40 Lbs. but it is not confirmed, I kinda hope it's not true as that would bring some unwanted attention.
Oh, when you fished my honey hole did you hook up on the 25lb+ pike that bit off my Spinnerbait? if so I want my bait back. lol

[AJ's Dad]

No big ones, just a couple of dinks, but at least they were fish. I don't know what lake you are referring to as "Blank" lake but if there is a new state record there, I would love to fish there.