Who is the Strongest Fish??

[wildcatcreek]

Me and a buddy were having a conversation the other day about our experiences catching large, strong fighting fish. After realizing how different our stories were, I started asking other people their experiences. Turns out that it's pretty interesting hearing all the different views. Therefore, I ask you what your experience is. What is the strongest fighting freshwater fish out there? Looking forward to hearing some good ones.

[snoozebutton]

Brook trout. Pound for pound, those things can really give it.

[slabchaser]

smallmouth

[RonT]

Smallmouth our of a river.

[BUSHWAC]

King Salmon.......there is a reason they call him King!!

[SPIN DRY]

Big Northerns, not those little hammer handles.

Summer or winter they just don't want to quit.

[Sonicrunch]

ibmuskieworshippers

[Sonicrunch]

pound for pound? Sunfish. Their shape is the key.

[BobT]

Panfish. Their body shape gives them an edge that other fish like predators can't match. They may not be fast in a sprint but they have power. Imagine a 20# crappie!!!

Let me at 'em!

Bob

[Nick Kuhn]

I've never caught one put I'm guessing it's a sturgeon. Just watching them jump for no reason you can tell they are an extremely powerful fish.

Over a short burst though nothing is stronger pound for pound than a northern though. They are the fastest freshwater fish, and physics will tell you that on their runs nothing is generating more force for it's weight. It doesn't have the best overall fight though. It's a shame most pike in MN are kept when they are still children so to speak.

Shape is a natural resistance, it isn't a generated power. If you just didn't reel and let the fish pull shape would have no effect on the force generated.

Plus you can use the shape against a panfish. They skip across the water with almost no resistance....

[wanger29]

I agree, I've heard "get the net!" over a sunny before.

[PDOGG]

Imagine a 20# crappie!!!

Let me at 'em!

Bob

Sign me up for that!!!

I would say my favorite fish to fight are big cats!!!

[A.W.Wolfram]

Me and a buddy were having a conversation the other day about our experiences catching large, strong fighting fish.

I would have to say sturgeon and then Flat head cats if we are talking Fish found in MN.

[goblueM]

First of all, I've never had a brook trout (up to 12 inches) give me much of a fight, even on a 3 weight or an UL spinning rod

2nd, almost all northerns I catch just give a huge head shake, then you reel em in. Then when you're about to grab them and they take off like a torpedo. Not a real consistent fighter, and I've caught plenty of big pike, even on UL tackle

I gotta give it to bluegills. Pound for pound they are the most feisty, hard fighters out there. I've had guys call for the net with a 10 inch bluegill on medium spinning tackle before.

Sturgeon would come in 2nd in my opinion

[BUSHWAC]

Come on....Northern, Catfish.....I've caught a 20# of each and neither one of them have pulled out 400 feet of 20# mono on a run.....King Salmon rules this roost!!

[GottaGo]

I give my vote to the mighty carp, especially if they have a little current to use. I always like hooking a buddy up on their 1st one, they are always extremely suprised that it can take 5-10 minutes to reel in a 5 lb fish and are usually begging me to take them out again as soon as we're done.

[Duffman]

Not to mention, when fighting a fish in current, you are battlin the current almost as much as the fish.

[tjbassmaster]

I would have to say out of what I have caught it would have to be carp and buffalo. Those things fight hard. So do some of those big northerns they would have to be 3rd on my list.

[mnhunter79]

CREEK CHUBS all the way!!!

[Duffman]

Bushwac....

Imagine sinking a hook into this thing on the Brule.

88 lber that made it thru the spawn out in California this year.

[DTro]

In MN?

Sturgeon....without a doubt.

[meatfish]

Pound for pound sunnies rule!Could you even imagine a 5 lb sunny.Then kings,then river smallies then the mighty red horse.The cats do well also.Dogs are also quite spunky.Ocean gotta go with halibut and flounder.I will let you know after feb how the tarpon do!

[Sonicrunch]

I think we could categorize this debate.

In the pound for pound category, sunfish dominate that class.

This summer I caught a 16oz bluegill that pulled HARDER than the 3 pound LM bass we were catching.

Also, those 3 pound LM bass were pulling a lot harder that the 3 pound hammerhandles we were catching.

[Sonicrunch]

Pound for pound sunnies rule!Could you even imagine a 5 lb sunny.Then kings,then river smallies then the mighty red horse.The cats do well also.Dogs are also quite spunky.Ocean gotta go with halibut and flounder.I will let you know after feb how the tarpon do!

lol

I think a five pound sunny would pull a person right out of the boat.

[fishin58]

Carp, try it if you have not!! Then smoke it.