Okay, so I'm trying to catch the 15-pound lunker in the fishing pond as an adult to get the Golden Scale (which is frustrating enough in itself, with the way the fishing seems to work…).
I use the fishing rod, and attract the attention of the big fish by the log. Except, EVERY time I lose the fish — whether it just loses interest, or it bites and I fail to catch it — it swims to the middle of the pond, and I CANNOT get its interest ever again unless I leave the fishing pond, re-enter, pay again, and make another attempt.
I have to do this EVERY TIME I fail to catch the fish in one try. I've spent hundreds of rupees on this thing. This isn't isolated to just the one fish, either. As far as I can tell, whenever I walk/swim to close to any fish whatsoever (or get its interest and fail to catch it), that fish swims to the middle of the pond and simply becomes un-catchable — I can't even target the fish anymore.
This is just… SO annoying. Enter, pay, fail, exit, repeat. I'll probably just catch it on the first try by sheer luck before this is answered, but I have to ask if anyone else has had this happen to them, because from what I've seen online, nobody has.
Also, I'm playing the 3DS version. I can't ever remember this happening in the N64 version. =/
EDIT: Just caught the fish. Thank god. After 400+ rupees, 20+ failed attempts, and literally (I know because I looked at the clock) 5+ straight minutes of reeling and almost 2 minutes of the thing flopping around at my feet, I caught the friggin' fish.
I'm going to throw this thing at the wall if this happens in Master Quest, too.
Best Answer
This may not be a glitch, just unfortunate luck.
You can use the Sinking Lure to catch the Lunker or the Hylian Loach
After catching a 10+ pound fish as Young Link or a 15+ pound fish as Adult Link, you can find the Sinking Lure. Note that if you catch the Hylian Loach, despite being the heaviest, your fish weight record will not be saved. There are several spots where the Sinker Lure might be in the Fishing Pond at Lake Hylia. The lure is invisible so you must walk over it and get a notification to find it. You will have to find it again if you quit fishing.
I'm not sure if the Sinking Lure is available as Adult Link if you make this lure available as Young Link.
Alternatively, the location of your fishing spot can affect the tracking of the fish. Standing in the water in the lily pads will give the Lunker and the Loach better tracking when attempting to catch them. (Not sure on this) but I also believe that "bobbing" the lure by tapping B occasionally, or jiggling your stick left and right can attract the attention of the fish better.