What are some of the hardest fighting fish?

[vices 0]

My opinion... Smallmouth and brook trout pound for pound that is..

[burninbriar 0]

For my area, western Pennsylvania, I would have to say steelhead and then carp, but I would love to get down south and hook into one of those jack fish mentioned earlyer.

[sparkleminnow 0]

It would be a tough call for me. To compare apples to apples you have to have caught fish of the same size. An example of what I'm talking about is my call for the hardest fighting fish is a wiper. The problem is that I've caught salmon that fought hard, but most of them were over 20 lbs. Most wipers I've caught were closer to the 10 lb range. I have caught salmon of 8-10 lbs, but they were coho, not kings. I'm not sure if they would be the same for fight if they were the same size, or not. Anyway, comparing what I have caught for salmon, and wipers I would say that it's very close, but I'll go with the wiper as harderst fighting. Salmon as a close second. Steelhead as third, and smallmouth as fourth. Steelhead are bullets, while smallmouth are just tough. They aren't the bullets that steelhead are. And finally, as has been stated before, if bluegill grew to 6lbs, no one would fish for anything else! They are super tough for their size. I would love to, once again, have a place to regularly take them at 1lb each.

 

I haven't caught enough saltwater species to speak to their fight, but a wiper is half striper, and striper are saltwater fish. If that is any indication, I would say that freshwater fish can't hold a candle to saltwater fish, for fight.

[Fez 0]

Fresh water catfish. I caught a 35 pounder and took everything I had to land him.

[Hot Tuna 0]

I'll go with Mark and troutbum....Northeast salt,false albacore; southeast jacks and false albacore(they call them bonito and it's considered a junk fish...Go Figure!)

Hot Tuna

[TerryLee 0]

Pound for pound, I'll take bluegills or shellcrackers anyday. I don't think there's anything close, pound for pound, in fresh or salt water.

[oldfart 0]

I'll agree, if any of you have caught a 1 1/2 pounder on a 3weight, you'd love it, bluegills are a blast!!!!!!!

[Gary Madore 0]

It was interesting to note the nomination of Pike as a hard fighter....

 

In my geographically limited experience (confined to northern Alberta lakes, but soon to be broadened), Pike usually didn't fight at all, but "sounded" (went straight for the bottom, usually directly under the canoe) and made like a log. The exception was small ones (Hammer Handles), that sometimes gave a shake or two.

 

I did have one BIG Pike, though who fought back.... Trouble was that he fought back when I was trying to get the hook out of his beak and he did me for 8 stitches when he tried to take off my left index finger. (After that li'l party I started using jaw speaders on 'Gators)

 

Anyway, here are my thoughts on the fightingest (as in "fun") fish.... Size and/or strength is irrelevant, because when the tackle is matched to the fish they're all the same

 

- Rainbow (not Steelies)

- other (small) trout

- Smallmouth

 

In my (again limited) experience, bigger fish tend to just run or sound.... My idea of a "fight" is the head-shaking, leaping and rolling that you can count on smaller fish for.

 

I understand that a smoking reel with a Steelie or salmon taking it down to the last foot of backing is what others look for, though.

 

Cheers!

 

Gary

[Sturgeon_Catcher 0]

I think you know what gets my vote. Yep Russian White Sturgeon. Now I don't have to elaborate on what 300 plus pounds of fish can pull like. The cool thing is he doesn't stop at 300. He can go to 1000. 25' are common where I fish. 300 yards of line like it was attached to a pick up truck. 2 hours plus to land a fish. Now that is a fish.

 

Little brookies in an 8' wide brook on a 3 wt are a blast.

 

I must concur with you gentlemen on the tackle and fish proportions. But if you can - try a sturgeon. You'll like it.

 

later

Fred

[jschmidt63 0]

I fish more freshwater and I always thought a good stream smallie was king, until I caught some saltwater stripers. Pound for pound they were way stronger than smallies or lmb

 

although I agree with some of the guys on bluegills, with my 3wt and a big bluegill, they can kick it

 

even caught some nice ones on my 8wt last weekend, it took several minutes of hard fighting for me to figure out it was "only" a bluegill, they rock

[wanderinwalker 0]

My vote is going to be brookies on my 4-weight. A good, thick brookie with some room to move will keep my hands full for bit. I very rarely have them stop flopping until they're unhooked and back in the water.

 

No opinion on others. Of course, my idea of heaven is a small mountain stream filled with 8-12" native brookies, so I may not care what everybody else thinks!

[Blues Brother 0]

I must agree with the aforementioned Jack Crevalle. Super hard fightning fish. But what about Tarpon? My pops caught a 130 lb. tarpon and that was certainly a sight to behold. I love rainbow trout too, though.

 

 

 

~Bryce

[travbass2 0]

Freshwater: Redeye Bass (not Rock bass), Peacock bass, Smallmouth, and walleye (just kidding on that one!)

Saltwater: Bluefin tuna over 300lbs, Flase Albacore, Tarpon, Permit, Roosterfish, and Wahoo.

 

[Blues Brother 0]

A king mackerel is a pretty smokin' fish, too.

 

 

 

~Bryce

[Ashby 0]

Lets see, Salt water (Only seen them caught) would be IMO Sail fish, Marlin and Tarpon.

Fresh water would be Salmon and striped bass, all of which come from the ocean. Striped bass are like trying to bring in Arnold Schwarzenegger after an adrenaline shot. Salmon are like pulling a 57 chevy that pulls back. The biggest Salmon I have caught is 56.5 lbs, and the biggest striped (stipper) bass I have caught is around 30 and I would rather fight the salmon.

 

Ashby