Hardest fighting fish?

[goonch]

The mahseer I caught on a handline whilst fishing for bait was quite fun

 

[Sean Meeghan]

Pacific salmon (Chinook and Coho) are up there with the hardest fighting fish I've ever caught, closely followed by atlantic salmon and sea trout. After that it's a toss up between Scottish (and Irish) pike, barbel and carp. Grayling and brown trout fall just after these.

Curiuously, although I've caught a good few, I didn't rate small mouthed bass all that highly. Maybe it was I caught them a fair way north in relatively cold water.

 

[geoffmaynard]

Curiuously, although I've caught a good few, I didn't rate small mouthed bass all that highly. Maybe it was I caught them a fair way north in relatively cold water.

Same here Sean. Can't see what all the fuss is about really.

 

[Ray Roberts]

A lot of species vary dependent on where you catch them. I've had large bream in Yorkshire come in like wet sacks whereas some in Ireland fight like tench and in one local lake here in France, 2lb bream run and leap when you strike. Similarly with chub. A Dearne chub fights all the way whereas those I've caught in the Wharfe give up after one run.

I was fishing a fairly shallow swim on a lake that I hadn't fished before about a month ago. I was going to post on here about it but never found the time. I hooked several small bream about 1 - 1.5lb they all jumped clear of the water some several times and fought far harder than trout of twice the weight, weird or what?

Mullet do take some beating pound for pound as do Smoothhounds. Cod are the sea equivalent of bream. Sea Bream put up a good fight and fight in a similar way to Crucian Carp. Stingray caught in shallow water go a bit, as do tope.

 

[no-one in particular]

Well, I am truly humbled, thought I had been around and done a bit of fishing over the years; now I am embarrassed, haven't even got started.

Size is the problem as it is hard to compare a 20lb carp with gudgeon so, sticking with fish of around 3-5lb of which I have caught a few it still has to be that sea trout and the mullet second. That criteria excludes roach and who knows what a 3lb gudgeon would fight like. Never caught a salmon, tried and failed but, I imagine it would be top for British fish. But, that sea trout I caught really did appear to be "intelligent" whereas all other fish I catch just react in different ways so for that it gets a lot of kudos for me.
Very interesting replies. enjoyable.

 

[dezza]

Curiuously, although I've caught a good few, I didn't rate small mouthed bass all that highly. Maybe it was I caught them a fair way north in relatively cold water.

All my small mouth bass were taken in South Africa of course where water temperatures average somewhat higher than in Canada or the northern states of the USA. I remember fishing with a Canadian angler who told me that our small mouth bass were "turbocharged".

This had a lot to do with the water temperature I am sure.

Water temperature certainly affects a fishes fighting capabilities. I remember taking a catch of 6 fenland tench in winter on the pole. They didn't put up much fight at all.

---------- Post added at 01:00 ---------- Previous post was at 00:21 ----------

Of all the fish we catch, there are exceptions to the rule. Some Irish bream can fight very hard indeed. I caught a 6 lb fenland bream one day that thought it was a seatrout. I have had carp, some of them big ones that have fought worse than the average bream and I have had male tench that have not fought at all. Although to be honest their eyes were covered with weed.

But I have never caught a barbel that did not give a very good account of itself, summer or winter.

And I once played a 6lb stillwater chub for over 1 hour. Mind you this was on a 1.7 lb hooklength and a 18 hook.

 

[sam vimes]

A lot of species vary dependent on where you catch them. I've had large bream in Yorkshire come in like wet sacks whereas some in Ireland fight like tench and in one local lake here in France, 2lb bream run and leap when you strike. Similarly with chub. A Dearne chub fights all the way whereas those I've caught in the Wharfe give up after one run.

Spot on. I could never understand it when people said that chub didn't fight, until I moved away from fishing my local river Swale. I could go to a local day ticket stillwater where the carp are notoriously hard fighting, for no obvious reason, despite not being especially large. Plenty of folks get a shock when they use gear that would be appropriate for the size of fish on other local waters. It's not unusual to see people recommend uprated gear when fishing there. I've had bream fight like wet sacks on many venues and then do reasonably good tench impressions on others.
All you can do is take a rough impression but I really don't agree with some of the assessments given of some species. I guess that's got to be down to the places I've fished in comparison to those that others fish.

 

[richiekelly]

28lb mirror hooked in the anal fin, that went a bit.

 

[agamemnon]

not having had the chance to travel the world after sport fish i am limited to the uk and north europe. so in my humble opinion the wells catfish fights pound for pound better than any other.
the first catfish i ever caught 18.6lbs was caught on 2lbs rod and 8lbs line it took almost 30 mins just to get to the net then when we couldnt get it in the landing net it took fright and another 15-20 mins to get to the bank. and i caught a 68lbs on the river soane that dragged the boat up and down the river for almost an hour

 

[bigdog78]

thick lipped mullet and sea bass from looe harbour.. mullet was about 4lb and the sea bass about 2.5lb both fought really well . But it was on a 7ft shakespeare telescopic and 4lb line,comedy bend in the rod lol

 

[Peter Jacobs]

Apparently Marlin fishing ain't that expensive:

Molly Palmer, Hawaii Woman, Just Misses Record With Marlin Catch

 

[dezza]

he first catfish i ever caught 18.6lbs was caught on 2lbs rod and 8lbs line it took almost 30 mins just to get to the net then when we couldnt get it in the landing net it took fright and another 15-20 mins to get to the bank. and i caught a 68lbs on the river soane that dragged the boat up and down the river for almost an hour

Some of the longest hardest scraps I have ever had have been with catfish of various types, most common for me being the sharptooth catfish of southern Africa.

Perhaps I should list them.

I have only ever caught one Wels catfish - from the Shoulder of Mutton pond at Woburn, many years ago.

I've never really liked catfish. They are so darned ugly!

Yet I have caught some big ones, most whilst fishing for other species.

 

[cheef87]

lb for lb blue trout hands down

 

[Specihunter]

River Bream fight like hell, unlike their lake cousins.

 

[dezza]

lb for lb blue trout hands down

So true, so very true!

 

[bails]

When you think about how much the rod wriggles, for the size of fish, perch and crucian carp put up a fight. Especially when you compare them to Carp and Bream

 

[tommyruff]

ide are good fighting fish

 

[Dicky (Angling Trust PAC)]

Mahseer without a doubt, not only do they fight like mentalists they can chew up the thickest gauge hooks like they're spaghetti....

Mangled Shad....
http://www.fishingmagic.com/forums/members/****y-angling-trust-pac--albums-indian-adventures-picture521-mangled-hook.jpg

Perfect Tor Khudree.... A Proper Mentalist!
http://www.fishingmagic.com/forums/members/****y-angling-trust-pac--albums-indian-adventures-picture513-big-mahseer-30lb-ish.jpg

Incidentally the Red Gill shad in the top pic is one of the best lures for mahseer fishing on the 'splash'.

 

[tommyruff]

ide are a good fighting fish

 

[terry m]

I agree with Wels. I have caught them to almost 150lb - and I know they go a lot larger than that - and the fight is incredible.