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AndySG
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In my opinion, any salt water species, pound for pound, seem to pull twice as hard as any fresh water fish, except for Musky. I caught my first Musky this fall and would say they fight as hard as comparable salt water species.
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gsfisher13
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My vote would be smallies. Caught a couple last summer that put up a great fight and yes the smaller ones (12-14") seemed to fight more than the larger one (18").
I only caught one pike and I gotta say I was seriously disappointed, 22" and it barely fought coming to the boat, didn't even splash me. They'd be at the bottom of my list.
Carp is interesting, the last one I caught was when I was 10 or 11 years old, at the time I thought it was huge and going to pull my arms off :) Guess it's a matter of perspective.
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fisher
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im gonna have to go with laketrout.
i've never had anything else fight until it spun itself in to a mono filament mummy wrap. im pretty sure that was the only thing that slowed him down.
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timatkn
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quote snakecharmer: "Catching a 4lb sunnie would be like pulling in a barn door."
Yeah a 4-5 pound Sunny would blow the doors off of a similar sized smally--since we are talking pound for pound.
T
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Basspro69
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Its a dead heat between a Smallmouth Bass and a Chinook Salmon.
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bstrege
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FYI - the MN state record green sunfish is 1 pound 4.8 ounces.
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Chilly
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quote bstrege: "FYI - the MN state record green sunfish is 1 pound 4.8 ounces."
Ironically that was in my hometown and I spent some time fishing those gravel pits before it was legal. We caught some green sunfish but didn't know what it was at the time so we named them a "Pangravy" (gravel pit pan fish).
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Basspro69
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quote gutmon: "Anyone else agree with me that pound for pound a 2 lb smallie fights harder than a 4 lb one?" Yup I agree, and a 4 pounder fights harder than a 6 pounder .
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Jeriatric
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American shad
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charby
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Fighting fish lb for lb?
1. Warmouth
2. Sunfish
3. Bluegill
4. Brook Trout
5. Rainbow
6. Smallmouth Bass
7. Common Carp
8. Largemouth Bass
9. Bullhead
10. Small Channel Cat
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Chilly
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quote gutmon: "Anyone else agree with me that pound for pound a 2 lb smallie fights harder than a 4 lb one?"
Yes! The few 19,20 and 21 inch bass I've caught all tried to jump but were too fat and just barely got out of the water. The big ones stay down more like a Brown Trout I find.
The 2lb bass will jet out of the water like a steelhead and pound for pound are a better fight.
A steelhead will make them all look like wimps though.
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AndySG
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quote Basspro69: "quote gutmon: "Anyone else agree with me that pound for pound a 2 lb smallie fights harder than a 4 lb one?" Yup I agree, and a 4 pounder fights harder than a 6 pounder ."
Yeah, we all get weaker as we age.
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gutmon
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A laker through the ice can test your mettle...
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gutmon
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quote AndySG: "quote Basspro69: "quote gutmon: "Anyone else agree with me that pound for pound a 2 lb smallie fights harder than a 4 lb one?" Yup I agree, and a 4 pounder fights harder than a 6 pounder ."
Yeah, we all get weaker as we age. "
Fatter too- good observation!
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silverback
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Interesting thread. Just as with a smallie, the smaller ones "fight" better than their larger brothers, a larger 4 lb sunny would also be "fatter" and therefore more sluggish. I'm not taking nothing away from the green sunfish, he's a real scrapper, but pound for pound, it's got to be the Muskellunge. Mr Muskie has teeth.
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lundojam
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pound for pound the best fighter ever was Willie Pep.
Channel cat
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TheBrownLeader
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I think the Smallmouth is the largest member of the sunfish family. So for those of you that voted Sunfish or Smallmouth, contratulations! You are both right! I would say smallmouth for sure.
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mc2mens
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quote gutmon: "quote AndySG: "quote Basspro69: "quote gutmon: "Anyone else agree with me that pound for pound a 2 lb smallie fights harder than a 4 lb one?" Yup I agree, and a 4 pounder fights harder than a 6 pounder ."
Yeah, we all get weaker as we age. "
Fatter too- good observation!"
Smarter though - theoretically speaking of course.
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Walleye001
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Smallmouth all way
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Magic
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CATFISH- hands down!! channel or flathead. This a simalar question was posted in another fishing site and Catfish took it. Other fish may have a more dramatic strike/bite but a cat will keep pulling ang pulling.
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Chilly
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Green Sunfish
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overthehill
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Have never salmon fished. On bucket list. Yep, sunnies are hell for their size, but a smally (OR carp, now that you mention it) caught from RUNNING RIVER water can sure stack up there in the " per pound" class.
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BWVet
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That is a tough one. I can remember some epic battles with big carp in the MN River. The thing about carp is they make such long runs. When they get to the middle of the river into the current they really know how to use it. Smallies are up there due to the never give up attitude and so are big flathead cats. Talk about hugging the bottom. I have a few stories about big flatheads and sore arms for days.
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fishguts
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I'm with you all on this one, however, once you have had a 35Lb Chinook Salmon take everything you have, muscle you around for a while then just head downstream and break you off, you have a new concept of "powerful".
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arctic
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Lake trout, period. Unless, of course, we're fishing a North Shore river in spring. Then the answer would be: steelhead.
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golanibutch
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3 lb bluefish anywhere in new england on light gear makes a smallie seem weak.
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AndySG
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quote Jeriatric: "quote wtgmonkey: "Smallrusses for the weight. For straight up fight I'd say carp on light gear."
 "
Now thats One Ugly Fish!!!
Most Disturbing.
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marc bates
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I have caught everything talked about on here except the Bonefish. I would agree with the panfish for pound for pound, I would also agree the sunfish is the best out of those. I also 2nd the idea of Carp. I would put them 2nd. I have had some unbelievable fights with Carp in rivers.
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myceliaman
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smallies are the champs
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groupleader42
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Sunfish are great, but river smallies are the best!
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snakecharmer
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Catching a 4lb sunnie would be like pulling in a barn door.
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gutmon
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Anyone else agree with me that pound for pound a 2 lb smallie fights harder than a 4 lb one?
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kwiggy
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The salmon in a Grizzly's mouth... dang they can be hard to bring in.
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mr.barley
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quote Widespreadpanic: "Roberto Duran" "no mas"....quitter
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nonamesleft47
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It depends on how you are fishing for the lakers. All of my fish before last year had been trolling a 3 way rig with a spoon.
Last year I found a spot where we could anchor in 10 feet of water and cast into 90. There were two loons out feeding in front of us and I cast between them with a spoon on my first cast. Half way up something bit and started burning drag. I thought for sure one of the loons had grabbed my spoon. After several good runs and alot of head shaking a nice 10 lb laker surfaced. I was pretty suprised as I had visions of trying to unhook a young loon. We fished there several times though the week and all of the fish we caught put up a great fight.
For BWCA I'd have to say laker, smallie, pike and wally. Sorry wally fans, even the large ones I've caught (biggest 29") haven't shown me much as far as fight goes.
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deanalika
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I disagree with you all.... I would say the north American stick fish is the worst.... lost many of hooks to these monsters..
Picture of the monster....ARGHHHH
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BrownTrout01
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quote arctic: "Lake trout, period. Unless, of course, we're fishing a North Shore river in spring. Then the answer would be: steelhead."
I would guess a close cousin... the Atlantic Salmon, but have never fished for them. Then again have not fished for lake trout in the far north either.
Pound for pound bluegill or sunfish seems to be a long standing consensus.
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lbush19d
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quote wilfish4food: "Bluegill - hands down!  "
I second the bluegill. Remember the question for "pound for pound" or "ounce for ounce." ;)
That being said the most fun Ive ever had fighting a fish was a 42 inch Pike on a medium 6 1/2 foot casting rod with a 1/2 rattletrap. Intense...
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arctic
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quote BrownTrout01: "quote arctic: "Lake trout, period. Unless, of course, we're fishing a North Shore river in spring. Then the answer would be: steelhead."
I would guess a close cousin... the Atlantic Salmon, but have never fished for them. Then again have not fished for lake trout in the far north either.
Yeah, from what I've read it would be hard to beat an Atlantic salmon for fighting ability, but I have never fished for them or even seen one. Too bad they are no longer stocked in Lake Superior.
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Corndog
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Panfish are extra fun on ultra light rods. SO much fun..........
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BrownTrout01
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Yeah, from what I've read it would be hard to beat an Atlantic salmon for fighting ability, but I have never fished for them or even seen one. Too bad they are no longer stocked in Lake Superior."
Now that sounds like fun!
The panfish near home seem to take me down into the weeds more then the bass.
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walleye_hunter
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Chilly you have started another interesting post. I bet you are a good teacher that requires your students to think about things that don't have one right answer.
In the BWCA I have never caught a 3# smallmouth that takes as long to catch or runs as much drag as a 3# laker in the spring or winter. So my opinion is that a laker is a superior sport fish to a smallmouth. Additionally, it takes me longer to land a 6# walleye than any 2,3 or 4# smally I have ever caught. 6 plus pound walleyes give a decent battle and fight with a heavy confident pull.
I lived in Alaska for a few years and it is hard to beat the power and urgency that chinook (king) salmon fight with.
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Widespreadpanic
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Roberto Duran
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AndySG
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quote kwiggy: "The salmon in a Grizzly's mouth... dang they can be hard to bring in."
Good one, kwiggy! Reminds me of the time I was shore fishing in Key Largo. Cast my bait out and a Pelican swooped down, grabbed it and started flying off. Pulled awful dang hard until the 25 lb line snapped like a gunshot. I still wonder if the Pelican was hurt. Hope not.
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timatkn
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I've already answered but is is tough. For example walleye vs. smallmouth. An 18 ich smally fights harder than an 18-20 inch walleye yet that walleye is still almost a baby compared to the smally maturation wise. If you look at walleyes and smallys that are equal to maturity fairly close in size (4-6 pound range) the walleye will take longer to land 75% of the time. The smally will put on a better show and jump once or twice but will come in much easier/quicker--while the walleye will pull and stay deep. So probably depends on what you like Showmanship? or fight? I like a little of both.
Interesting some people name lakers. I've had mixed results with them. SOme of my best fights have been lakers around 10-12# and some of them have just felt like reeling in a log.
I suspect Muskie or Salmon would be tough but I have never caught either.
T
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Jeriatric
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I too, was mildly surprised by the mention of lakers. It was only after landing my first laker recently, that I realized that the three "snags" I had had earlier had all been lakers.
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Amok
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Sunfish, any variety (bluegill, GREEN sunfish, NOT BASS). I think it's their wide fat bodies that makes them fight the hardest.
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Themyth
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Smallmouth, hands down.
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Corndog
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I think Sunny's are pirahna without teeth.
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timatkn
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quote TheBrownLeader: "I think the Smallmouth is the largest member of the sunfish family. So for those of you that voted Sunfish or Smallmouth, contratulations! You are both right! I would say smallmouth for sure."
Same family biologically. Not the same fish though. So I DO NOT vote for the smallmouth bass.
Have you have ever caught a 2 pound smally and a 2 pound sunfish? There is no comparison in my mind.
Just kidding of course. The best fighter is the one currently on the end of my line.
T
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jkahler
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I'm a diehard musky guy, but smallmouths fight harder & longer. If only they grew to 50lbs...
Chinooks and Steelhead are supposed to be great fighters but I have never fished for them.
Panfish are aggressive, but not a hard fighter like a sm bass in my opinion.
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billsta
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A little late to this conversation, but it's a good thread so I'll weigh in.
I can understand the pound for pound argument for sunfish. My initial reaction was smallmouth...but it's a tough call.
I'll say one thing with no doubt in my mind: Smallmouth are the most FUN to catch, especially on topwaters!
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PineKnot
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Anyone ever catch stingrays or sheepshead? All over the brackish waters of Mobile Bay. Rays are really tough.
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BlueWingOlive
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hmmmm.... Well I've never caught a lake trout or walleye, but that'll change next summer! Most of my fishing experience has been salt water, and fly fishing for trout. So with that in mind; I would have to go with bonefish for saltwater (even though I had a 60lb yellow fin almost give me a heart attack last July) and for fresh water brookies (however that might be a bit biased, brookies are probably my favorite fish).
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Jeriatric
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The depth of water the fish is hooked in can make a difference. A four pound rainbow or smallie hooked at 40-60 feet water seems to leave the impression of having put up a good fight much more so than the same fish caught in shallow water, despite the occasional jump.
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gorytt
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I would have to say a 300 lb. 8 foot river sturgeon that my husband caught on the Columbia River out of Portland Oregon. Was at least a good 30 minutes of fighting. Came out of the water and shook his head like a monster bass. Something we will never forget.
Also everyone should give it a try. I myself never did catch one over 5 or 6 feet but that was plenty big for me.
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OffTheBeatenPath
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I love the fight in Pike, but their stamina is pretty week. For my money, I will say Carp. It's hard to imagine how a "turd with fins" is able to put up such a fight!
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kenejosephson
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Arctic Grayling gets my vote
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chadwick
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tuna, no question.
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missmolly
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Striped bass, who fight the tide and are therefore mean and lean, and their cousin, the white bass, which doesn't get near enough recognition. A two-pound white bass will make your rod look like an inverted U. I sometimes catch three of them at a time and that's great fun. I'll pass over a school and will hook two on minnows. Then I'll toss a jig and hook a third. It's a hoot, but it's dancing with devil, since they zig when they fight and can cross lines if you don't separate them at the start.
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blutofish1
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In my area I'd have to say it's the Wiper.Catch them often while crappie fishing.
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wtgmonkey
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Smallrusses for the weight. For straight up fight I'd say carp on light gear.
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wawasee
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Boy I'm gonna say Tammy this girl I dated in high school she wouldn't let me do anything!
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Rich11
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Im not the best fisherman out there, But the biggest fish I ever caugt was a 2 1/2 pound channel cat and I think some of the bigger blue gill ive caught put up a bigger fight
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maxxbhp
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This doesn't really apply, but I caught an Amberjack off Orange Beach Alabama back in about 90. It was a company trip, we'd had some to drink, and I literally got scared this thing was gonna pull me out of the boat. Got him in, I'm guessing about 20 pounds, the deck hand says "we gotta throw him back, he's too small".I said, "What?" He said, "Yeh, they get well over 100 pounds." I gave somebody else the rod and found me a chair in the shade
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Arlo Pankook
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# for # the worst fighters Walleye, Crappie.
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GeoFisher
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Hands down........Hybrid Striped Bass.......
Nothing I've ever caught that is even remotely close.
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griswold
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Bluegills on the fly rod
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gsfisher13
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quote wawasee: "Boy I'm gonna say Tammy this girl I dated in high school she wouldn't let me do anything!"
Did you mean to post this in the Pound for pound worst fighter (you)? You need to hit the weight room and man up.
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lazypaw
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quote Basspro69: "Only a few times in my life have i had my line completely spooled by a fish, and it was chinooks every time, next time you see a bus driving by hook it and set your drag and see if it stops, that is the fight of a King Salmon ( Chinook ) !"
I'll Second that...
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Jeriatric
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quote wtgmonkey: "Smallrusses for the weight. For straight up fight I'd say carp on light gear."
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AndySG
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quote Arlo Pankook: "# for # the worst fighters Walleye, Crappie."
Haha Arlo. Fight? Its more like "passive resistance." :)
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wcummin1
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Brookies
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togue
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catfish
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Chilly
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For the bwca I would say green sunfish. Pound for pound it can out duel them all. Of course catching one that weights a pound is another story.
Side note: For fresh water I'd say a steelhead that had in the last 3 days krept up a river and was looking for some action.
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shr2807
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My vote is for catfish.
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mr.barley
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I second sunfish. Can you imagine what they'd be like if they weighed 4 lbs? Scary tough.
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jeroldharter
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I suppose I could buy sunfish and brookies if you had said "ounce for ounce." But pound for pound (meaning fish commonly between 1-10 pounds)I would say smallmouth bass. If I had the choice of catching a 5 lb smallmouth, largemouth, walleye, northern pike, or catfish the easy answer would be the smallie.
A 5 pound brook trout would be pretty rare in most areas. I have never caught one that big to compare.
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timatkn
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yep sunfish for sure.
T
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AndySG
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Smallies get my vote. Not only do they pull like a freight train, they frequently go airborne making the fight even more of a challenge. Anybody ever had a cat or sunfish leap 5 feet into the air? I haven't (yet.)
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QueticoMike
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Bronzebacks
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ILikePike
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ill go with sunfish too. they still are very fun to catch as they zigzag the whole way in.
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apugarcia
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Georges St Pierre, no question
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mooseplums
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I say Bluegills, and Smallmouth.
But don't rule out the Common Carp.
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wilfish4food
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Bluegill - hands down!
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Chilly
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If your after sea shells a mermaid will put up a purdy good fight as well.
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blutofish1
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Redear sunfish. A 10 or 11 incher is something to bring in on light tackle.
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Corndog
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quote Chilly: "If your after sea shells a mermaid will put up a purdy good fight as well."
Chilly, did you mean see smell from a barmaid? They can put up a good fight.
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Basspro69
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Only a few times in my life have i had my line completely spooled by a fish, and it was chinooks every time, next time you see a bus driving by hook it and set your drag and see if it stops, that is the fight of a King Salmon ( Chinook ) !
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Arlo Pankook
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Yeah if were talking saltwater stingrays and Redfish get my vote. In the B-dub I would have to say that a two pound Lake Trout on 4# test would be pushing your luck. Whereas a two pound Bluegill or Smallmouth on 4# is no big deal.
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