Same fish...

Okay, I fish the delta a lot (understatement).  Several times this year I have caught a fish that I knew I had caught previously, due to unusual markings or scars.  Yesterday I caught my personal best 9 pound 12 ounce LMB (pic 1).  I caught it in the same spot (within 20 yards) of my previous best 9 pound 9 ounce bass (pic 2).  I noticed the dorsal fin and tail had very similar disfigurements.  What do you think?

I think it is Betty the Bass (yeah, I name the big ones).

Man, that is a gorgeous fish.  I think it's highly likely that it is the same fish.  Fish like bass are very territorial.  Why don't you give him a partial adipose clip as an informal experiment.

Looks like the same fish! The dark bar marks have same pattern and the dorsal fin matches and it looks like the tail is starting to regrow, cool. 

Same fish.....just BIGGER!  pretty cool&amazing! 
i saw a BassMaster show, when they stuck a tracking device in a female and took her far away from the catch spot. They tracked her in in a couple of days, she was right back home.

beautiful fish brian - i am pretty positive it is the same fish.  fairly distinctive markings.  don't worry, if i ever catch your betty i'll give her a kiss for you before she goes home.

Yep same fish. You can also see a dark spot on upper edge of her gill plate. The first catch it's dark. The 2nd catch its still there just a bit covered up by some new markings. I can only imagine what she's saying...Hey look! Something to eat...CHOMP. Oh crap not this guy again! Hey wait he let me go last time. Please, please, pretty please let me go again!

Very nice. 

How long ago did you catch it the first time?  In other words, how fast is it growing (3 oz in XX days) or as a percentage of body mass (~2 % in XX days).  Maybe we can figure out when you need to go back to catch her as a 10+ lb fish.

Brian

Definitely NOT the same guy - there's no hat in the second pic.   

That is too cool, Bry.  I think you need to start feeding her though.  Stuff a handful of granola down that big maw next time and maybe she'll be 10 pounds by May.   

Feed her well this year and she'll be 10+ lbs next year    Thanks for the report and pictures...

How long ago did you catch it the first time?  In other words, how fast is it growing (3 oz in XX days) or as a percentage of body mass (~2 % in XX days).  Maybe we can figure out when you need to go back to catch her as a 10+ lb fish.

Last year I caught her April 27.  Guess where I'll be next year during the April full moon?  At the rate she is growing, she will need one to two more years to crack 10 pounds.  This shows that catch and release (and then re-catch and re-release) is working.

More like Betty the beast! She'a a Hawg!!!
You rock HB.

Z

one other thing is that fish can vary in weight wildly depending on what is in their gut. 

if she ate a bluegill before you caught her she coulda been a 10lber.  you should catch a few bluegills and "release" them all within her zone 

+1 vote for same fish, too cool.  There is also a light colored "V" mark that is right next to the dark spot on her gill plate.  Hey Bryan, are you going to name the waypoint Betty?!

I would love to catch it once...yet alone twice!!

Definitely something to brag about!