Pound for pound, what is the hardest fighting fish in the world?

[David Hall]

I'm going to say that pund for pound any of the tuna species give the toughest fight.
They are pit bulls of the sea, there is no quit in them, they fight for their lives right to the deck.

[oc1]

You said "pound for pound".  If you hook a 900 pound tuna on 180 lb tackle that's a ratio of 5:1.  If you hook a 50 pound YT or amberjack on 10 lb tackle that's a 5:1 ratio.  If you hook a ten pound bonefish, permit or trevally on 2 lb tackle that's also a 5:1 ratio.  Which one are you most likely to land?
-steve

[steelfish]

50# YT on 10# outfit will never happen



UL fishing with 2# line have some nice and decent fishes records

[RowdyW]

Which one is going to pull you over the transom & take you swimming with the fishes?? A Grander Bluefin is where I would put my money on. I don't care how hard a 10# fish fights it doesn't pull like a 1000#+ BFT will. To me the harder a fish pulls the heavier the line you have to use to fight him. Catching a 10# fish on 2# line is skill not a test of the strongest fish. It doesn't matter how much skill you have just try to catch a BFT on 2# line.

[Keta]

That is not adjusting for weight, "pound for pound", I do not think a grander YT or bluegill could be landed.

[Vintage Offshore Tackle]

50# YT on 10# outfit will never happen



UL fishing with 2# line have some nice and decent fishes records

As of 1979, the IGFA men's 12 lb. line class record for yellowtail was 65 lbs and the women's 12 lb. record was 61 lbs.

[MFB]

I would put my money on Kingfish, strong long fight and they never give up...

Regards

Mark

[SoCalAngler]

Many of the "Jack" family of fish pull very hard and not just at the start of the fight. but all the way to the boat. Fish like yellowtail/kingfish/jurel are the same species of jacks just called by different names depending in what part of the world your fishing. Other jacks like amber, almaco, jack crevalle and rooster fish/pez gallo all share in the hard fighting of the jack family. I have been lucky enough to catch all of the above in similar weights so for me not one of the above fish types seems to out shine the other in a pound per pound fight. Any of the fish listed above in a good size will give you a work out for sure.

The "Grouper" family of fish do pull really hard for a bit until you (if you can) remove them from the structure where they like to live. Fish like the goliath grouper/jew fish, black seabass, cabrilla and all of the grouper family have hard starts to the fight and removing them from any structure in the first few seconds of a fight is key to landing them. Sapper fish like the pargo/dog tooth and others share with the above fish where getting them away from structure is key. But once done you have a very good chance of landing one.

Ok, for me the mighty bonito has to be one of the hardest fighting fish in the ocean pound per pound. If you catch one, say around 5 lbs on 15 lb gear you will have your hands full. The Sea of Cortez has bonito that get big. I have caught " barrilete" , the name for them in Mexico, that have gone 25-30 lbs and kick your butt. Around the same fight as a BFT twice its size and yes I have caught many 50-70 lb bft and as well as the 20-30 barrilete to compare the fight.

Now a swordfish from what I hear are some of the meanest fish swimming. Also there seems to be a difference in fighting between day and night swords, being that the night time fish are deeper and actively feeding pull harder. Here in So Cal I have not been lucky enough to hook one let alone land one. Though I have baited many sleepers not one of the fish has taken my offering and I do not target them at night.

So until I land a swordfish I can't speak to those, but their on my bucket list for sure.

[spc7669]

Based only on fish I've caught, I'd have to go with tarpon. I read a book one time that claimed the New Guinea black bass was the toughest fish out there. Anyone ever hook up with one?

[ChileRelleno]

Pound for pound, I think bluegill rates right near the top.

I was reading through thinking I was going to post about big bull Bream.
And I'm happy to see that many people agree on bream.

Pound for pound a big bull Bream in deep water on 2# line is a noteworthy fight.

[wascallywabit]

Here on the east coast Bigeye tuna have a reputation all their own. Have boated many 50-80 lb. Bluefin and YFT in the canyons off NJ, but the day a Bigeye hit a spreader bar on the troll in the Hudson left me speechless. Penn Int. 50W with 80lb. Ande set at 27lb. by scale. Fish dumped more than half the spool on first run like it was in free spool! Fish weighed 186 at the dock. Bonito, albacore, Chinook salmon, they're all fun, but I will never forget that Bigeye.

[erikpowell]

Up there with GT's, YFT, and Black marlin, the Mangrove Jack fights like a true heavyweight. 
I know some oz mates will agree

[whalebreath]

Roosterfish.

[oc1]

Funny.  If you do a google for this question you find it has been argued a thousand times without resolution.  Everyone has an opinion, but nobody has data to back it up. 

A few examples of where the same question was posed on other forums:
http://www.tigerdroppings.com/rant/outdoor/pound-for-pound-what-is-the-hardest-fighting-fish-in-the-world/64689646/
http://www.stripersonline.com/surftalk/topic/187991-best-fighting-fish-pound-for-pound/page-1
http://www.ifish.net/board/showthread.php?t=152250
http://www.fishingmagic.com/forums/coarse-fishing/316023-hardest-fighting-fish.html
-steve

[Jeri]

Hi All,

My vote for salt water goes to Tarpon caught in deep water - not that skinny water stuff, but deep enough that the fish don't leap about and wear themselves out. Caught a lot in northern Angola, way out from the beach, and on 50lb class tackle, they are about 1 minute per kg for fight time as a minimum.

To fresh water, Vundu Catfish just beat up anglers and tackle for the pure pleasure - fishing in the Zambezi river with anything less than 50lb class gear, and you are going into a gun fight with a knife!!!

Cheers from sunny Africa.

jeri