Pond Boss Forums INTRO Questions & Observations Hardest fighting freshwater fish?

Pound for pound my hardest fighting fish are my wipers. (Striped bass hybrids)

Catfish remind me of hooking a submarine... they pull hard and straight, and are very unlikely to jump.

Very impressive stories.
Bobod, believe it or not, at Lake Livingston one late spring, I caught a channel on a chartruese and black Little N, and the fish jumped like a bass. Scouts honor.

Oh Robinson...No NO no....No it's not... come on LMB?? Please...

Methinks Mr. Robinson is jerking our chains.

Robinson,

If you ever can find the time to wonder up to Michigan let us know. I am sure one of us here could accompany you for a steelhead adventure you will never forget. I personnaly like to fish around Halloween time in the Newaygo (sp) area. Everyone is entitled to a personal opinion. I just wanted to make sure that you try the steelhead someday if you have not already..

Robinson,

I partly agree.

Smaller LMB, in the 1-3 pound range, can fight with the best of them. When the water is right and they're feeling their oats, they hit hard, pull hard, and jump at least once. I use a fly rod, and I certainly get my money's worth from LMB!

burg,

Are you sure that wasn't just a grey bass with whiskers?

All seriousness aside, I believe you. I've caught some spunky ones myself that broke water, but never quite got up.

My wife once caught a 6 pound blue, and we put him on a stringer. Well, there was a huge commotion at the stringer, and I checked to see if he was still tied on. Well, he was still on the stringer alright, but he was really torn up. Looks like a REALLY big cat nearly swallowed him. Now that fish would have been a fight!

The hardest fighting fish I've ever caught would be, without a doubt, the common carp. I caught a 63 pound monster a few years ago on a crank bait, and it took me about an hour to get in on a heavy action rod teamed up with a pinnacle baitcast reel. What a fight!!!

The infamous "stick fish" has busted my line again and again...he fights really good at first, then lies on the bottom. The ones I do catch are really skinney My other vote is for the HSB, they can strip the reel in open water lakes...definately makes multiple runs.

The Best fish is by far is the First Fish, just look at the face of any (3-5 year old) Kid with one on the end of his pole. Then later in life it's always the one that got away.

Common Carp Hands down! Carp fishing has really helped me also to become better at landing large Bass. They will outlast, outpull and "OUT SMART" any bass.

It would be great training for some Bass fisherman to take 6 lb test and a box of Wheaties to the local lake and take on some carp - you will learn how to wear a fish down before you land him. I have seen many good bass lost to the inexperience of someone trying to HORSE them into the boat.

Gentlemen,

IMHO If the bluegill could attain a size of 10 pounds. There would surely be a bunch of busted up tackle out there. Pound for pound bluegill get my vote.

Pound for pound..... bluegill. If someone could develop a strain of bluegill that averaged 2 to 3 pounds.... wow!

Overall line stripping power and endurance - I have to agree with the carp.

Prettiest fight.... Rainbow Trout. Lots of style points.

I understand (having never caught one) that some sturgeon will "tail walk". This would be neat!

Mighty Blue is the hardest fighting fish ever....Any one of you seen any of the hand grabbing films?

I caught a 4 inch shiner the other day and thought it was a bass. It hit a small grub.
It has been a long time since catching one, but I remember a grinnel making the line sound like a fiddle. They are brutes.

Ya know I've caught some skipjack herring that not only look like little tarpon but fight like them too. I'll bet if they got several pounds it would be a helluva fight.

Without a doubt hybrid-striped bass are in a class by themselves. I've blooded my knuckles more than a few times from the handle breaking free of my grip. No other freshwater fish leaves me with a sore shoulder and begging for a message therapist. IMO they are the most addicting fish ever created in a lab.

Peacock Bass are angry fighters that break plenty of rods but the battles are short lived which thankfully leave an angler ample recovery time.

You don't have the luxury of resting between HSB battles because like any addict you need more and more. Your arm may still be trembling from the last battle but you can't help but cast again. The line burns from the spool as you hang on praying to the fish gods that it gives up before your muscles go numb.