Hardest fighting fish

[catman529]

A 49 lb Flathead catfish will fight pretty hard when you stick your hand in his mouth while he is in his hole! Lol

I intend to do that this summer but don't know where to start.

they'll be off the beds soon and it will be too late.

I was afraid of that. If you were to guess a time then how much time would we have left?

 

[stik]

i would say no more than 2 weeks. at least that's what i'm hoping. they have been absent so far on our recent night time fishing forays.

 

[catman529]

i would say no more than 2 weeks. at least that's what i'm hoping. they have been absent so far on our recent night time fishing forays.

isn't the water colder over in east tn? the cats might be off the bed over here by now, I dont know, I should have gotten out sooner. but I have been fishing with rod and reel too much lately.

 

[stik]

i would say no more than 2 weeks. at least that's what i'm hoping. they have been absent so far on our recent night time fishing forays.

isn't the water colder over in east tn? the cats might be off the bed over here by now, I dont know, I should have gotten out sooner. but I have been fishing with rod and reel too much lately.

the mtn streams are much colder and some of the tributary reservoirs are cooler but the main river reservoirs are no cooler than mid/west tennessee lakes.

 

[RackHntr]

Pound for pound its the spotted bass! I know. Ive caught them all!!!

 

[Football Hunter]

I'll say it again... if you hook a 4lb smallie up to a 4lb rockfish tractor pull style, I have no doubt that the rockfish is going to pull that smallmouth out to the bottom of the deep end of the lake

Unless that's just a characteristic of a Tims Ford rockfish..

I dont know,same size smallmouth vs same size striper?Might be more even than you think.

 

[jbvols37]

A black perch in a creek is awfull mean

 

[waynesworld]

Well you all may not know but i would say Northern pike from what i have fished.

 

[Crow Terminator]

Another vote for the rockfish. I use to be a bass fishermen and have caught many hundreds of Largemouth, Smallies, and Spots. Biggest largemouth = 7 lbs. Biggest smallie = 4.5 lbs. Biggest Spot = 3 lbs. I've had a couple bigger ones that broke my line but I've never had any of them totally wreck/toast a baitcasting reel's gears.

Enter the rockfish. Started fishing with a buddy of mine that was showing me the ropes of rockfishing and all I had was a 7' medium heavy bass rod with a new Abu Garcia Revo reel. He grinned and shook his head and said I was gonna need a better beefed up reel. He was right....after about the 4th rockfish over 10 lbs, the gears were toasted in that reel. The handle wouldn't engage the spool anymore lol I finished the day with his backup rod/reel...I learned that day that rockfish were in a league of their own when it came to fighting.

I now have a 7' heavy action rod with the round style Abu Garcia reel with wide spool. They have metal gears in them and seem to hold up better to the wear and tear of rockfish and the surprise 50+ pound catfish.

 

[Model70Man]

A 4 pound Peacock Bass feels like you have a 15 pound Rockfish. They are by far the hardest fighting freshwater fish. I know many on here have never caught one and some have never even seen one. If you ever catch one, you will be pleasantly surprised at how much fight they have in them.

Arctic Grayling are also pound for pound hard fighters, but not like the Peacock Bass.

 

[Ironsmith-Jared]

Nothing can match the strength of a striper. Hands down. I put braid on my line, they broke it. I put a steel leader on the braid, they broke the lure in half.

 

[7mm08]

Stripers on a fly rod for me!

 

[Kimberman]

Nothing can match the strength of a striper. Hands down. I put braid on my line, they broke it. I put a steel leader on the braid, they broke the lure in half.

Sounds like you need to adjust your drag or buy a reel with a better drag.

 

[Viper (tp)]

I'm going to throw a curve here, I don't fish big lakes alot, I fish small areas like river bottoms, back waters, briar pits on side of the highways.

I fish for river bottom bass, and I tell yea them fellas pull the tip of the rod big time, fighting rascals, but that old grinnel is waiting on you right when you think old big daddy bass is running with you plastic worm, you rare back and set the hook and all hayddies brakes lose your old buddy the grinnel is going to put on a show on that bass rod. I would have to say the grinnel pound for pound is the hardest puller for me.

My best grinnel so far is 10 1/2 lbs on a buzz bait, lord have mercy that fish was pissed!! :whistle:

 

[htnseymour]

Trout are my choice. Caught a 28 inch wild rainbow and that thing fought harder than sharks I have caught in the ocean.