Salt v Fresh.......Which fights hardest?

dezza · May 20, 2011

First of all I am not and will never be a specialist sea angler. Most of my saltwater fishing has been confined to annual holidays and trips to other parts of the world. I have done far more sea fishing in South Africa than I ever did in the UK.

However I have done enough sea fishing for a whole variety of species from shore and boat to state that with odd exceptions, salt water fish will outfight freshwater fish, and by a long way too. Take our own mackerel for example. They don't grow very big, a pounder is a whopper, yet size for size they will outfight any of our freshwater fish, and I include rainbow trout here. Go and catch a few mackerel on light fly gear and you will know what I mean.

And now we come to two other fine fighters in our waters, mullet and bass.

Mullet appear not to give up, and I have caught them in UK, SA and New Zealand waters.

And now we come to the real fighters. Queenfish, yellow tailed kingfish, bone fish, trevally, bluefish and Spanish mackerel to mention but a few.

I would love to see a "backwinder" trying to keep up with a bonefish or a kingfish, even a small one of say 3 lbs. Such fish can run over 100 metres in seconds at a blistering speed.

But what has your experience of the fighting power of salt water species been?

Mr Cholmondeley-Corker (PaSC) · May 20, 2011

I caught a few crabs off the pier at Penzance once. They put up quite a struggle I can tell you.

peter crabtree · May 20, 2011

Pretty obvious that pelagic fish fight hard but imagine a 5lb gudgeon if they grew that big..........

dezza · May 20, 2011

Seen written on the wall of a gents bog.

"No need to stand upon the seat, the crabs in here jump 30 feet".

little oik · May 20, 2011

Its got to be the Salties by a country mile .I have never caught a Bone fish but have caught a few kingies .Any of the Tuna family always seems to be about a 5th of the actual size that you think they are when you land them .The Wahoo is another .The only freshie that I know of that even comes close would be the Salmon and even then its only a pseudo freshie

dezza · May 20, 2011

Well 5lbs is probably a barbel's optimum fighting weight, but nothing like a 5lb mullet!

thisisben · May 20, 2011

have to say salt water fish also nothing hangs on more than a Giant Travelly they nearly pull your arms off!

dezza · May 20, 2011

Never caught a giant Trevally, but I've had modest sized queenfish that just would not give up.

barbelboi · May 20, 2011

Freshwater - Tigerfish - any day of the week!

Come on Ron, you must have caught some in SA?

dezza · May 21, 2011

Good question mate, and yes I have, but not in SA.

There are few places to catch tigers in SA. The Crocodile River on the way to Maputo used to be one spot, but the fish were small. The best place is on the Jozini Dam in Northern KwaZulu Natal.

Tigers are great fighters, very explosive and have a tendendy to jump all over the place. However I put the Vaal River smallmouth yellowfish ahead of the tigerfish due to its speed, length of runs, and downright doggedness. These fish seem like they never want to give up.

Of non-native fish in SA I put the smallmouth American bass, size for size ahead of the tiger. These fish are tremendous scrappers and I have been fortunate in being able to catch some big ones.

barbelboi · May 21, 2011

Can’t compare them will saltwater species as my sea fishing is limited to a few species of mullet from the UK and the Med. But I fished for these devils twice in the upper reaches of the Gambia river in the early 80’s before the Gambia was ‘discovered’ . Boy did these critters rip your arms off (also made a mess of your lures) – wonder how the goliath tigers fight?

Bluenose · May 21, 2011

Good question Ronald, but to be honest am not sure the British isles is the best place to compare.

Take the Mersey for instance? Next month will see a run of smoothhound (if previous years are anything to go by) and fellas will fish similair tackle to catch hounds up to 17lb as thy do to fish for whiting in winter and dabs in summer. Why? Because the tide is such that leads of a certain size are needed and line of a certain bs is needed to cast (and retrieve) the lead.

Agree about the macca's though, even on heavy beach gear they fight like mad.

dezza · May 21, 2011

Of British saltwater fish I have caught cod, whiting, dabs, flounders, pollack, bass, tope, spurdog, black bream, mullet, conger, mackerel and maybe a few others.

Other than bass, pollack, mullet, tope and mackerel, I would put the rest as non-fighters. Conger don't fight clean at all.

The fish of the southern tropical oceans are where I have a lot more experience. With one or two exceptions, the fish all fight like there's no tomorrow. Some even give you electric shocks!

chav professor · May 21, 2011

Bass of even 3-4lb put up one hell of a fight. A bite can involve the rod literally pulled of the rest, chasing the rod as it pulls the tripod over....

Maybe they are harder fighting because they have evolved to work against strong tides. Even strong stormy seas will have Bass practically caught at you feet (a small lob out) - in fact its nigh on impossible to ledger a bait as it keeps getting washed ashore.

Easier to wait for some calm just after a real rip up. weeks go by with blanks (or school Bass) - but that is part of the addiction. Right place, right time - and you may get a multiple catch of probably britains hardest fisghting fish.

dezza · May 21, 2011

I have never caught a big bass, ie over 10 lbs, but I can confirm that the schooly bass I have caught off Ireland were real fighters.

But I wouldn't put them in the same league as say a bonefish or a queenfish.

little oik · May 21, 2011

Any fish that resides in tropics is born with turbo's already fitted and an endless supply of steroids.Although I must admit the conger is something else .How a fish swim backwards as fast as it can forwards is beyond me certain species can account for themselves rather well over here but most of the time its like carp fishing .Overgunned equipment :wh due to the conditions and mind set

dezza · May 21, 2011

I caught a few Anguilla pacificus whilst I was in the Antipodes and I must say these bloody things are truly horrible. Not only can they swim backwards, they can turn your end rig into the most incredible mess, and then tie themselves into about 20 knots whilst doing so.

Not only that but these eels have gobs, not mouths, with teeth that they will attempt to imbed into you.

Eel fishers can have them all to themselves!

chav professor · May 21, 2011

Ron The Hat Clay said:
I have never caught a big bass, ie over 10 lbs, but I can confirm that the schooly bass I have caught off Ireland were real fighters.

But I wouldn't put them in the same league as say a bonefish or a queenfish.

Every Autumn I dream of catching a double figure bass - so far I have only had the pleasure of photographing one for a friend.

Salt v Fresh.......Which fights hardest?

dezza

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