This happened to me, my Dad, and Grandpa when I was 7, that'd be '78. A 1#+ bull Bluegill ate all 3 of our worms in my grandfathers pond. We'd all cast near a Christmas tree that he'd sunk in his pond and were all using Porcupine quill floats. Grandpas float started to move toward my Dads. Grandpa said "You don't set the hook until the float starts to go under." The float never went under, the fish picked up Dads and then mine and headed down the bank with all 3 in tow about 6" apart, finally I set the hook and reeled in all 3 lines and the fish.
Truth can be stranger than fiction.

tight lines, Wade