Fish returning to where they live

[Fishin is life]

Ive read several different studies that show fish return to where they were after being released but i was a little skeptical about it until yesterday. Last december on dale hollow i caught a big largemouth and realized i had left my camera in the truck, so i put her in the livewell and took her back to the ramp with me. Snapped some pictures when we were done fishing and released her at the ramp. She had a definitive black spot above and on her eye that made her easy to identify. Yesterday i was fishing the same spot i caught her last year, and sure enough i caught her again. Looked at pictures from last year to make sure, and it was her. Last year she was a beautiful specimen and this year she had a big sore on her head and didnt look as good. Being that she was an extremely big, old fish i wonder if she is at the end of her life cycle. She is in the 7lb range.

Also the spot i caught her is probably close to a mile from where she was released last year

[fishinfreak]

That's pretty cool. Thanks for sharing. I guess it made it even better to catch a 7 pounder back to back years. That's not a easy task in Kentucky.

[4given]

Congrats on that big old brownie. What a fish!

[SLP]

Last year she was a beautiful specimen and this year she had a big sore on her head and didnt look as good

Probably banged her head trying to make the long journey back home

Seriously, I have heard that before also but it is interesting to hear about an actual case of it happening.

[Dave Stewart]

No doubt in my mind they go home....I have some of them named.

[Embrey]

Congrats on that big old brownie. What a fish!

try reading that again...lol

[sweetwater]

try reading that again...lol

I noticed that too, I guess when you hear the name Dale Hollow you think smallie.

I'm not a fan of hauling a fish around in a livewell unless you're going to feed people with it but i'm glad it survived the ordeal.

[mhall]

Great job Steven on the pig largehead. I to have always felt they go home and this just lays more weight to my thinking...

[kygorski]

I just put tnem back

[Fishin is life]

I posted pictures of this year on the thread from last year to show the before and after

[BuckeyeAl]

Back in the 80's on Barkley I caught two 5 pounders off of a brushpile in ten minutes. I did it again the next year but I just figured it was a good spot and that attracted that size bass. Maybe it was the same two?