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

Started by Flounder Boy 3, August 09, 2016, 08:37:48 PM

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the rockfish ninja

Quote from: El Pescador on July 11, 2020, 07:00:56 PM
Quote from: the rockfish ninja on July 11, 2020, 06:26:34 PM



... took all my 50 years of experience, a bit of extra drag from my thumb, and approx 10 minutes.



Tony!!!!

YOU SIR are a stud-muffin!!!!   10 minutes on a 50 lbs. ray!!!!   I  bow to you Sir!!!

Me???  I wrangled this skate on Gary's boat, the USS Maiko, and I know, and both Gary and Dominick will attest - my battle lasted over 10 minutes.   Maybe the current?? ;D



I have fish for you in my freezer!!!

Wayne

IMHO that old guitarfish fights harder, more like a shark. Beating the batray is less of me being a muffin and more about technique. It's a critter that fights in bursts, so giving line when he runs and taking when it rests is the surefire way to gain ground on them. Kind of like giving with the wave surge when surf fishing, when the waves pull back you give and when it surges in you crank in line, only it's at the whim of the ray's enthusiasm. They're just big and strong, that's why the fights are so much fun. Pound for pound I still stand by the tropical species, even snappers make our rockfish seem like we're pulling up sponges & starfish. ;D

... and speaking of surf fishing, I'm thinking of hitting the coast, are you working during the week? I try to avoid weekend crowds. Hit me with a PM if you're free.
Deadly Sebastes assassin.

nelz

Quote from: the rockfish ninja on July 11, 2020, 07:35:24 PMIf it's one of those ones that fly out of the water like in the documentaries, probably.

I think the jumpers are the manta rays. I'm talking about the florida stingray. The fight is very basic, just a solid, steady, powerful pull. VERY powerful! A 50 pounder would be like latching onto a pickup truck!

Swami805

I snagged a manta ray in the wing tuna fishing at clarion island. At first I thought I had a good one then saw a wing tip. I was in the bow so I locked the drag to try to break it off but 130lb don't brake easy. Towed the boat for a bit which is saying something, I was on the polaris supreme which is big. Got as close as we could and cut the line, off it swam. It was a monster.
Do what you can with that you have where you are

oc1

Big stingrays can stick to the bottom like a suction cup.  You can't move them and when they're stuck on the bottom they are catching their breath.  Sometimes plucking the line like a guitar string will make them get up.  You have to keep them moving in order to land them.
-steve

Rivverrat

Steve, thats what I was thinking. I have little experience compared to others here with rays.  I caught a big Cow Nosed ray that was definitely more than 30 lbs. I've caught other types that were bigger. The locals fishing next to me said the Cow Nosed Ray ( they called them by another name ) I  caught was the biggest they had seen.

 I've had good success getting them to the beach using an appropriate reel & doing all I can keeping them off the bottom. There is one type ray that I catch that turns sideways in the water & runs in an arc in front of me while pulling line. This is a fantastic fighter & seemingly smart fish. Next time I'll get a picture so some one here can identify it... Jeff

nelz

Quote from: oc1 on July 12, 2020, 06:45:06 AMBig stingrays can stick to the bottom like a suction cup.  You can't move them and when they're stuck on the bottom they are catching their breath.

You said it Steve. I had a big ray empty out over half of a Jigmaster then glue itself to the sand. I finally gave up waiting and forced the line til it broke.

boon

Quote from: oc1 on July 12, 2020, 06:45:06 AM
Sometimes plucking the line like a guitar string will make them get up

I have heard the guitar string one as well.

I wonder if they're one of those fish that you're best to just freespool the reel for a bit then try gently coax it. Some fish just give back whatever you try stick to them, with interest...

tincanary

Let me preface this by saying I've never once fished saltwater, all of my fishing has been done in the Great Lakes area so that's all I have to go by.  Everything from trout and panfish to musky, salmon, steelhead, and lake sturgeon have been the targets of my fishing adventures.  To me, the hardest fighter, pound for pound, is the rock bass, or grouper as we affectionately call them.  Size being equal, they fight even harder than smallmouth.  I've had quite a few peel drag and double my rod over, so much fun to catch, and they're mighty tasty as well. 

Patudo

In my own experience (almost all offshore) any of the small tunas are pound for pound the hardest fighting (combination of speed and power).  The jack family are also really strong, but the difficulty with most of them is compounded by the obstruction/structure factor.  A big GT hooked in open water is still a brute, but the same fish hooked near structure can be unlandable. 

Anyhow I think all the tunas up to about 30 lbs, from the Atlantic bonito to the yellowfin, are outstanding on a pound for pound basis.  I don't think there is a fish of the same size you could catch on say 12 lb spinning gear that is faster, or will bend your rod harder for longer.  And, for me, the skipjack takes the cake as the ultimate mini pelagic powerhouse amongst them.  Speed, stamina, heart, good looks, great tasting raw or grilled, the humble skipjack (all too often cranked in as a billfish bait) has got it all.  Catching a good one on a light spinning rod is really not that different sporting wise to catching a big tuna on stand up 50, except with none of the pain. 

I've been lucky enough to have done a fair amount of fishing for big game, and now, after having seen and experienced the big boys on big gear, I can honestly say that if I was able to target skipjack tuna, and only skipjack, whenever I wanted for the rest of my life, I really wouldn't have too many complaints. 

Ron Jones

I'm with you on the small tunas. Those and Yellowtail. When I'm several fish into the day and I hook into a good skipjack I know it will be a ton of waisted effort.
The Man
Ronald Jones
To those who have gone to sea and returned and to those who have gone to sea and will never return
"

conchydong

I am surprised that many of you West Coasters don't like to eat Skipjacks (not Black Skipjacks). I'd rather have them in Poke than Yellowfin or Blackfin (FL Tuna). I consume all of them that I catch.

Scott

jurelometer

Quote from: conchydong on December 26, 2021, 10:46:09 PM
I am surprised that many of you West Coasters don't like to eat Skipjacks (not Black Skipjacks). I'd rather have them in Poke than Yellowfin or Blackfin (FL Tuna). I consume all of them that I catch.

Scott

There is a skipjack that is considered good table fare down  in Southern Baja.  The local name is Barrilete blanco - which might be Katsuwonus pelamis -the same skipjack as on the east coat USA.  I have only gotten into them once, and don't have a photo or photographic memory :)   They were tasty.  The black skipjack (Katsuwonus  lineatus) is much more common in Baja.  The locals call the black skipjacks just barrilete or occasionally barrilete negro.  I wouldn't be surprised if many of us westies haven't encountered blancos or didn't know the difference.  Maybe the long rangers on the Pacific side get into them more frequently?

When there are other species available, the black skippies are  considered a nuisance fish, even by the sport fishers.   Which seems kind of crazy to me if you are willing to C&R and are fishing lighter tackle.    They pull hard and  will go after cast surface lures. A great fly rod species. 

-J



oc1

That is the same species in Hawaii, other Pacific Islands and Japan.  The are called Aku here and are very popular for making poke and shashimi.  Some people like them better than yellowfin.  To me, they taste too strong.  But, I grew up with white flesh fish without much oil..

With the demise of the Skipjack fleet using jack poles and live bait, they are now caught almost exclusively by trolling; usually with heavy tackle designed for larger tuna and billfish,  A sixteen pounder could take the IGFA fly tackle record.


conchydong

Here is the Skipjack that I am referring to. Here on the East coast a HMS (Highly Migratory Species) Federal permit registered to your boat is required to land them. Again, I find them quite tasty, better than the Dolphin in the picture for sure.

Scott


steelfish

Here in Baja, white SkidJack is called it Bonita or Bonito and black skidjack is called it Barrilete.
Bonita has dark-pink meat but its good on ceviche, meatballs, poke and smoked.
Barrilete has pretty dark and oily meat, too strong flavor, normally used as bait, but still, some local eat them as ceviche or meatballs

this is one Bonita that I prepared as poke (at least my version of poke)

that poke was made with Bonita and Scallops
The Baja Guy