Lost a good trout... what's your next move?

[SmallStreams]

How much time do you wait for before trying to ply your wares to a trout that was hooked, but got away? Or one that produced a solid strike, yet is now wary about the lure?

I've tried waiting 10-20 minutes and switching up lures, but the ones that get away stay lost for me. Anybody have a method that's worked consistently?

 

[GDBrown]

While fly fishing I have often put the fly right back in front of them and they take it again. They are feeding agressively though.

GD

 

[beaverfan]

While I have seen them hit a second time on occasion usually it's a lost cause. When the fish is lost or doesn't quite get the hook in it's mouth a lot of the times it gets spooked, spooked fish don't bite very well if at all. IMO probably the best tactics to go after them would be with a bait/fly, something that looks more natural and could cause an instinctive strike.

 

[bernduffy]

Sometimes, while slowly trolling ...often a wedding ring w worm on a dodger...I'll get a strike, lose it...so I let out a couple of pulls and will get a second successful strike. I suppose if the fish got the worm the first time, it doesn't strike again. Depends on how aggressive the fish is, I guess.
BTW: I was losing more than half my hook ups on wedding rings so replaced hooks with double Gammies or small trebles...resulting in more fish to boat. I'm talking rainbows here.

 

[rippin fish lips]

Make the same exact cast again!! I was fishing yesterday, made a cast and go a hit, made another cast in the same exact spot and WHAM! solid hook up to what i thought was a trout... but it ended up being a 27 inch 5 pound hatchery buck steelhead!