Favorite Salt water Fish to fight

[Tacklebuster]

I had some time the other day to reflect on my time spent at sea catching the wonderful fish that lies beneath. I started to ponder what my all time favorite fish was to fight and after some thought, came to a hands down conclusion.

I have fished the oceans from Mexico to New Orleans. Caught just about everything from sea trout to Marlin and I gotta say, nothing beats the fight of a big Salmon Shark off the coastal waters of Alaska. The Salmon shark is somewhere between a Mako and a Great White and can grow up to half a ton. My biggest ever topped the scales at 400 pounds but man they are just a brute to fight. I have never fought a fish with as much power and spunk... ever. I lived in Alaska for 5 years and it's not the big cohos or Halibut I miss. Not even the monster Lings or big Chinook but the Salmon Shark is what I miss the most.

Time to think about making a trip to Valdez next summer when the coho are abundant just for that reason. 6 coho limit and fight with a bruiser of a Salmon shark will give you memories to last awhile.

What are some of your all time fav salty critters to catch?

[Threemuch]

Favorite? Dorado. Hands down. Tail walking, cartwheeling, all out, beautiful, tasty dorado. On tackle scaled for the fish, they are dynamite. They grow fast, and are plentiful, you can kill and eat them without any remorse.

Toughest? Cabrilla and homeguard yellowtail over 25 pounds. Not too bad if you can get them out of the rocks, but that is a mighty big IF.

[fyshndad]

I haven't had the chance at many exotics but I think the best fight I ever had was with a 17 lb cabezon on 12 lb line

The next best was a 40 lb class nook that I lost
That fish was visible the entire fight (5 minutes) and just watching him win the battle was FANTASTIC

Then it would be the 30 lb dolphin fish (as they called it in Florida) caught using a kite and live bait on the surface... what an explosion when that big bull took the bait

[Pilar]

First love .. Dorado. The chameleon of fish. Great fight .. good eating.

[Wreckless]

Another vote for Dorado

HARD PULL, more time in the air than in the water, changing color in flight!!!! and MMMMMmmmmm GOOD!!!!

[Tower Todd]

Blue Marlin - The speed is incredible.

[PaulS]

There's nothing like watching a couple of dolphin (mahi-mahi, dorado or whatever else you want to call em) jumping out of the water after trolled baits! I've spent many hours staring at the boat wake just waiting for that sight.

[San Anita]

Dorado, They are not only a great fighter but very entertaining. Like a Coho on steriods.
Bill

[Cod Father]

Albies,Albies,Albies......They hit your line with a sudden jolt and you know you have a fight on your hands.Wow.... Baked Albacor Tuna loaf....YUM YUM YUM !

[CATCH AND EAT]

What's a salmon?

[Seelicious]

Dodo's without question...after the great battle you get an even better meal!!

[Capin' Dan]

having caught a 40 lb mahi mahi and yes it was sweet. Many Salmon two in their 30's. Now this is a salt water fish but I caught them in fresh water. Nothing comes close to a 10 foot sturgeon below Bonneville. Maybe its the current or whatever. But I have yet to catch anything close. Now for pure arobic's would be the sailfish man they flat jump a lot. The hardest thing I've ever pulled off the bottom toss up between a big hali and a Big amber jack.

Nothing has ever left me so weak in the knees as a sturgeon though.

[Tinman]

Yellowtail (Seriola Dorsalis). I've caught many around San Diego. They pull as hard as tuna, but are often found around rocks and kelp. Unlike tuna, they dive into any available cover, so the fight becomes a slugfest...either you stop their run for the kelp or you don't. Many bust the line in the weeds. If you succeed in turning them, they still fight as hard as a tuna.

[fishwhenican]

Pound for pound... Yellowtail

Best acrobatics... Dorado

[Something Good]

My favorite are still the big chinook. Powerful swimmers with a mean headshake. My favorite to fight and on the dinner table.

[jcft2007]

Hi All!!

Since this is MY first post, I'll make this brief.

Of the saltwater fish that I've caught, my passion is catching WAHOO. In my opinion, those TOOTHY critters are the "fastest" adrenaline rush you'll get when you sink that hook in'em!!

They have MUCHO teeth, vicious eyeballs that look around to bite anything close to them, a purplish/grey blue body when "fired up" and most of all THEY'RE MUCHO DELICIOUS to eat!!

They have my vote!!
Tight lines to ALL!!
Joel

[HOGGEMIN]

My favorite would be cow yellowfin Tuna hands down the hardest pulling fish now I hope to be able to make the 300 lb club some day.

[jcft2007]

Hi!!

OK,OK,OK Fine!! You win!! Like I used to ask my parents, "can I have two treats??"

All I can say, I enjoy getting my butt kicked but hopefully I win the battle whether fishing salt or fresh, as long as it wiggles!!

Joel

[CR dog]

Big fat mossy back yellow tails from Cedros Island or Guadalupe Island. Between thirty to forty pound-ers.

Next up big tuna, blues and yellows.

[Jon55]

So far, yellowtail is my favorite thrill -- though I caught this log of a barracuda once --

[BaitStop]

Yellowtail, just plain tough & can find the kelp & rocks before you know it. The tunas bluefin, bigeye, yellowfin then albies & jumbo skipjack.

Well now that some posters reminded me those bonito on a flyrod were amazing fighters & I'm sure if they were more numerous in the 20+ lb range they would in for more consideration.

[Flipcb]

I have not fished the more exotic species, but my choice for the most enjoyment is a silver in shallow tide water with light equipment.

[TillamookChinook]

Albacore on a hand-carved cedar plug. I'll be happy to compare that to other exotic salt creatures when I catch them.

TC

[WP]

No one loves albacore more than I do BUT....I have taken the best, albacore, Mahimahi, yellowtail etc and I still find the tremendous strength and determination of a chinook, in the ocean, to be my favorite. A 30 lbs plus chinook is easily my favorite. Not sure why, just sure it is so! I plan to fish Alaska this summer for a week, just so I can freeze halibut and fight chinook for a week. Nothing comes close, including wahoo, yellowtail, and dorado. JMHO, Dave

[tady]

1 Big homeguard yellowtail

2 Bluefin tuna

3 Blue Marlin

4 Mako Shark

5 Yellowfin Tuna

6 Dorado

7 Albacore

It is hard to really rank them...

Tady

[fishkisser]

1. Wahoo
2. Yellowtail
3. Dorado
4. Tuna
5. Roosterfish
6. Jacks
7.Sharks
8.Salmonids
9. Butts
10. Big Ling

[Weather or Knot]

A 12-15 lb. bonita on a salmon rod will whip you pretty good, but I had a wahoo peel line like it was caught in the prop. Also (not salt water) I like to tie my dogs chew toy on a salmon rod in the off season! Keeps me in shape!

[Buck Fever]

Big Bonito on ultra-light gear

[Triple C]

My favorite is the Dorado as well. Get three of those hooked up off the back of the boat at the same time and you have one heck of a fishing rodeo.

[Zodiac-Fisherman]

3much
You should see a 40-80lb Rooster do cartwheels, they can go as far as 100'


Giant Yellowfin are an amazing species to catch. Once you've seen a giant jump 5' out of the water only to land ontop of your skipjack tuna, Gives meaning to Lights out!

[Pilar]

So many fish ... so little time. 'Puffin' told me about being schooled by a large unknown at 2 am in the gulf of mexico recently. He had no idea what he had on and got it to 30 feet from the boat before the line broke after a 20 minute fight. Several blistering runs and a killer hard pull.

When he described this to local Cajuns they were sure he had a broadbill on.

I've never caught a broadbill swordfish but I'm sure it would be my new favorite.

[StickFish]

Originally Posted by Weather or Knot

Snip

Also (not salt water) I like to tie my dogs chew toy on a salmon rod in the off season! Keeps me in shape!

Oh that is too much - Tucker on an Avet powered Seeker - casting practice and all.

[Hanapa'a Time]

Big homeguard yellowtail

Or any member of the jack family(bluefin trevally, roosters, amberjack, giant trevally)

[cptdarel]

Dorado for me, twice while trolling feathers a rod on port and starboard, Dorado came up missed the lure, fly through the air and grab the other one on it's way down. incredable! and table fair WHOA!

[backlash442]

Honestly, what ever I'm fishing for at that moment. It's all good from rockfish to tuna. However, yellowtail on the iron is a lot of fun. Next dorado on a popper.

[Rooster1264]

Hands down wide open Blue Perch at Catalina!!! Doesn't get ant better than that!!

[geterdone]

what about butts? i like the feeling of seeing color of a 80lbs butt. But nooks are also very fun.

[jcft2007]

OH YEAH!!

BLUE PERCH, SQUID HEADS ON A RED LEADHEAD or WHITE BOMBER HEAD JIG in the MIDDLE of a blue perch crowd just waiting with anticipation for that ONE RIP OF A CALICO BASS!!

THAT'S HOW I GOT MY 10.7 pounder I have on my wall!!!

One of these days when I get a camera I'll post a picture for you all to see!!

Tight lines!!

Joel

[Doryfisher]

Dorado with live bait

[Billfisher]

Yeah... I love Marlin of all sorts, and Dodo's too, but Pacific Sailfish seem to be the most interesting to FIGHT, because of the show they put on, and the fact that they seldom tire. Speaking of which... 6 more days...

[Thecrease]

1) Big eye tuna
2) Blue Fin tuna
3) Mako
4) Yellow tail
5) Yellow fin tuna
6) Dorado

I lived in San Diego 18 years and have caught a lot of Albies on my boat and as far as I am concerned they fight like a wet sock. They dont make my list.

[pablofeesh]

pound for pound, it's gotta be herring!

[Booja 1]

Blue Perch,,,,now that's quite the exotic to catch.

Joel...10.7 you talkin Calico?? Boy, that's a big un..Who did the mount? Did you get it at one of the Channel Isl?

Thecrease..C,mon,,,,albies fight a little better than a wet sock. A blue perch and a wet sock are about equal.............

[jcft2007]

Hi Booja 1!!

The company that did the mount was Robert's fish mounts in (at that time) El Monte, Calif.

I got that fish at San Clemente Island on the Shogan pushing 10 years ago (WOW how time flies). The boat was running a few trips out of L.A. harbor sportfishing before it landing permanently in San Diego.

Besides a wahoo being MY favorite open ocean fish to catch, my inshore favorite I think will be BIG calicos in the kelp fighting for squidly didlies with blue perch!!

Tight Lines!!

Joel

[Silver Eagle]

I guess if I have to put them in order it would be

Sailfish
Albacore
Rooster Fish
MARLIN
Chinook
LING cod (light line)
Halibut
Then pretty much anything that will bite............

[BigB72]

dorado then yellowtail

[Puffin]

Pilar the fight was approx 35 min 6-7 long runs against 25lbs of drag. Long runs out from the boat and then down when it could go no further out. What a hoot. I will do this again. Brought all the fun back to fishing. Nothing boring about waking to the fish alarm and going toe to toe with a seamonster for 35-40 minutes at 2am.

[Tony1831]

Dorado also.

How can you not like the speed and acrobatics they display, followed by the electric neon glow and table fare fit for a king?