Michigan Muskie Alliance

I know there is probably no exact answer to this question(would make a cool study though)
How long before a fish that got hooked for say 2-5 secs trys to eat again?
Do they understand what happened,or do they think that pain in their mouth was from the prey's defences?
I know their pea-sized brain doesnt comprehend much,but I wonder what
they think/feel after almost being caught,or when they are caught.

I think that much of it may have to do with how well you hooked the fish, and how hungry that fish is.

If you have an active hungry fish, poorly hooked for a couple seconds when it shakes loose, I wouldn't be surprised to see that fish eat again that day.

I think I caught the same fish I had lost after a few seconds one day, but I can't confirm that it's happened.

I really have no idea, but those are my thoughts.

Scott

Over the years lots of fish that we've lost after being barely hooked have turned into eaters after leaving them for 30-60 minutes. The most recent I can remember was back in August when Dad was getting frustrated with a new lure and we switched rods so I could see if there was a problem. I made a cast with the bait, I'm giving instructions on what he needs to do differently, and as we are watching the bait working back to the boat about 15 feet away a 45" fish eats it. I think I jumped the hookset a little because I didn't expect a fish to eat during "muskie school". The fish was on for a few headshakes and was off. We left her for about 45 minutes and went back to her and put her in the net after teasing her into eating a Weagle.

If it is a fish worth going back to I'll usually give them 30-60 minutes and take another shot at them with a different lure.

Here is a good story, On our trip to Fluke lake last year Michelle caught the same 40 incher twice on the same lure in the same spot 24 hours apart. We landed it measured it released it twice in two days. It still had the wounds from the first time she hooked it. Mike and Michelle

I twitched a smaller fish in on the Little Claw and got him to bite about 10 feet from the boat, made a head shake and got off, I casted right back out to him and he came in hot and followed the figure-8 for a few revolutions, took off again, I threw back over him, he came back in again and finally got him to take on a figure-8 on about the 4th figure-8. I am assuming it was the same stupid fish, ScottW was with me and we both thought it looked like the same fish.
I have had a few times where if I am trolling a big spinner, they will hit and in doing so will turn the bait sideways so it slips out and never feel a hook and then seconds later will smack it again and get hooked.