Weakest Fighting Fish? 2024
Penguino reply :
Pound for Pound
IMO, has to be LMB. They fight like old men, after the initial hookup, their one and done. I have seen bluegill half their size fight just as hard.
bigbassin' reply :
Pound for pound it would easily be any species of catfish or pickerel.
jtipton91 reply :
On 7/28/2016 at 3:45 AM, Penguino said:Pound for Pound
IMO, has to be LMB. They fight like old men, after the initial hookup, their one and done. I have seen bluegill half their size fight just as hard.
Lol that made me laugh. "Fight like old men" hahaha
James Pondscum reply :
Walleye. hook one you think you have hooked an old tire when you reel them in.
IndianaFinesse reply :
A largemouth hooked in 33 degree water caught on a large jerkbait with three treble hooks. In that cold of water they pretty much are paralyzed from the shock of three treble hooks being set into there mouth and being horsed in. But in normal conditions, my vote would go to the walleye as being the weakest fighting fish.
Jar11591 reply :
On 7/28/2016 at 4:42 AM, nickles said:Walleye. hook one you think you have hooked an old tire when you reel them in.
This. BY FAR the worst fighting fish I have caught are walleye. They literally don't do a d**n thing as you reel them in.
joeblowwwww reply :
Maybe that's how NJ LMB are. here in Ca once in a while ya get the old 1 who knows the catch and release deal but thats why I fish
The Young Gun reply :
Well, it all depends on the rod you fight them on?? Catching a 10" big bluegill on a 2wt fly rod, is a huge fight. But so it catching a 30lb muskie on a broom stick. Both fish fight like hell.
Josh Smith reply :
The river walleye I catch fight really hard. So do the smallies. The weakest fighting fish I catch regularly are gar. Even the lake largemouth pull drag.
Josh
scaleface reply :
Drum , they fight weird . They turn sideways an just stay like that . A firiend calls them sailing fish because they just kind of sail in one direction .
Paul Roberts reply :
Rock bass. They give up almost immediately.
Penguino reply :
On 7/28/2016 at 5:36 AM, The Young Gun said:Well, it all depends on the rod you fight them on?? Catching a 10" big bluegill on a 2wt fly rod, is a huge fight. But so it catching a 30lb muskie on a broom stick. Both fish fight like hell.
"Pound for Pound"
Mosster47 reply :
Brown Bullhead. You just have to reel in about every 15 minutes because you will never know if there is a fish on.
iiTzChunky reply :
On 7/28/2016 at 5:36 AM, The Young Gun said:Well, it all depends on the rod you fight them on?? Catching a 10" big bluegill on a 2wt fly rod, is a huge fight. But so it catching a 30lb muskie on a broom stick. Both fish fight like hell.
Looking forward to the video of you fishing with the broom.
I've had some LMB that jump multiple times trying to shake the hook, and others that once they're hooked they practically swim to you. It's an any given day thing.
OCdockskipper reply :
Carp, they fight like a cinder block.
Worse, when they are swimming around, they jump and thrash on the surface. When hooked, they just kind of mope around.
Rick Howard reply :
Pound for pound on average I think the pike species fight the least. One maybe 2 good run and they are spent. Those toothy snot rockets are sprinters for 3 seconds then you winch them to the boat. At that point they might give you a do over or they might just let you take the hook out.
MassYak85 reply :
On 7/28/2016 at 8:29 AM, Rick Howard said:Pound for pound on average I think the pike species fight the least. One maybe 2 good run and they are spent. Those toothy snot rockets are sprinters for 3 seconds then you winch them to the boat. At that point they might give you a do over or they might just let you take the hook out.
Huh, the pickerel around here fight pretty hard. A 3lber will give you a better fight than a 3lb bass by far.
gimruis reply :
For those of you that say LGM bass fight the least, you obviously haven't caught a walleye. I don't know if I've EVER had one take out drag in 15 years and we usually fish for them on medium spinning gear using 6 pound line. They sure taste good but once they're hooked its reel and retrieve.
Jtrout reply :
White perch lol
Rick Howard reply :
On 7/28/2016 at 8:56 AM, MassYak85 said:Huh, the pickerel around here fight pretty hard. A 3lber will give you a better fight than a 3lb bass by far.
I suppose the pickerel can be an exception to my statement on occasion. The small ones give up quick and the large ones give up quick. I was more considering the northern pike and walleye. Even perch tend to hit hard then lay back for the ride to the boat.
LMB are atop my list for less fight. They are still my favorite fish to catch. I'm not so much in it for the muscle match. I just like to know that I found them and fooled them. I live in a part of the country where smal lies are King but I would be content catching only LMB. That style o fishing is what I like best.
Looking for the big one reply :
I have had lots of mixed experiences, and I think it all depends on conditions and how a certain fish behaves. I think that to judge a whole species by how they fight on one or two lakes is not a fair assessment. I will say however that the hardest fighting freshwater fish i have fought was a smallmouth buffalo. While fishing Lake of the Ozarks I had 5-6 Pound Smallmouth Buffalo (carp) that would fight me for 10 minutes with 30 lb braid and a baitcaster, but the bass had decided that water skiing would be more fun.
geo g reply :
Over the years during hot weather with 90* water, I have had some big L/M that have been pulled in with hardly a shake and very little fight. It has always happened during the warmest months and usually in open deeper water. It is not always like that even in summer, but it has happened and it always amazes me how that big fish put up no fight. I don't no why this sometimes happens, but I suspect it might have something to do with lower oxygen levels especially in our shallow, sometime stagnant, Florida waters. I don't know if anyone else has experienced this situation, but it is weird phenomenon. Usually fish over 6 pounds.
N Florida Mike reply :
In saltwater,a yellow mouth trout.The fight is like reeling in a sock.
In freshwater,a speckled perch.( Crappie if you're north of Georgia)
I think bass fight good myself but I did hook one on a small bream one time that didn't fight at all.Too my great surprise,it was 7 pounder.
It was full as a tick( not with eggs but with bream.!)
d-camarena reply :
Rock bass, usually when i catch one i thought i was snagged on weeds
WRB reply :
On 7/28/2016 at 3:45 AM, Penguino said:Pound for Pound
IMO, has to be LMB. They fight like old men, after the initial hookup, their one and done. I have seen bluegill half their size fight just as hard.
LMB eat bluegill 1/2 their size!
The old argument what fresh water fish fights the hardest pound for pound has gone on for decades. In the bass family Spotted bass hold that honor followed by Smallmouth bass, LMB get a lot bigger than any other fresh water bass.
So would rather fight bluegill than bass that eat bluegill, then you will have the lake to yourself.
Tom
everythingthatswims reply :
Largemouth have a bad reputation because the equipment we use is designed to handle the baits we use, and the places we catch the fish, not the fish themselves.
soflabasser reply :
Pound for pound the weakest freshwater fish that I catch are yellow bullheads,its like reeling in a small log that tugs every once in a while.Pound for pound the strongest native freshwater fish I catch are sunshine bass,they pull drag like small saltwater fish. Most of our exotic freshwater fish are much stronger pound for pound that the native species.
Paul Roberts reply :
It... depends. Water conditions (temp esp), scaled tackle, and individual fish, and how it's hooked. Pickeral, and pike, maligned above can fight if allowed to do what they do best -bolt! But they don't have the body depth to hold position on you. They are mighty fast if allowed to use their fins. Problem is, they are most often caught on heavier tackle often when bass fishing, tackle designed to drive a big hook and pull bass (a deep bodied fish) from cover. Hook a pickeral, or small pike, on UL tackle and Zzzzzzzzziiiiinnnnnnnng! They can be mighty fun.
wnspain reply :
In my experience, the Walleye takes the crown for weakest. Many times I thought they must have pulled off for some reason, then as my hook nears the boat, the fish is still on there. 
Nice_Bass reply :
hardest fighting freshwater fish easy for the 1 spot is buffalo, river stripers (then reservoir stripers), and blue/flathead/channel catfish. pound for pound. (note, I don't have experience with lake trout or some other salmon species so not sure about those although I hear great things).
Short line a big musky or pike on a figure 8 and they get put near the top as well.
worst fighting fish is also really easy- DRUM. Set the hook on what should be a 8 pound bass and a drum comes doing summersaults in. Shame because they are a good looking fish that can be aggressive with decent size.
LMB are pretty high on the list of worst fighting fish but may only break the top 3 or so.
the reel ess reply :
Catfish for me. They just roll and get slime on your line. That's fine if you're fishing for cats, but I never am. I know there's a lot of interest in trophy size blue cats nowadays. But to me, the bigger the catfish, the bigger nothing you have on your line. I don't mind eating them, but when you clean them they seem to have more blood than a human being inside them.
Hardest fighting fish I've caught is the striper. That's one strong and fast fish. I'd target them if I had the right boat or the $$$ to get it. Maybe one day.
GORDO reply :
On 7/28/2016 at 9:20 PM, Nice_Bass said:I don't have experience with lake trout or some other salmon species so not sure about those although I hear great things.
Let me tell you, Chinook salmon are definitely the hardest fighting fish pound for pound I have ever caught. I was afraid for my rod when I hooked into my first one and it was only 7 pounds lol. They are incredible!
Im not sure what your water temp is for the pike but here in Eastern Washington, if you hook one in the late spring or fall, hold on! If you get one in the winter they are lazy but still better than LMB for cold water.
LAZIEST FISH AWARD GOES TO..... walleye. you feel like you have a small stick on your line just coming straight to the boat.
fishinfiend reply :
On 7/28/2016 at 10:12 AM, N Florida Mike said:In saltwater,a yellow mouth trout.The fight is like reeling in a sock.
lol thats awesome 
Came here to say trout also. They just ski across the surface.
bigbill reply :
It depends on the age of the fish. My 6.1 lb bass in my pic gave my bait a tour of the dammed river. She was very full of energy. My PB of 10lbs felt more like dead weight but it had some fight. She was old.
my best battles are my 6lb to 1 1/2 lb bass and any size pickerel up to 32".
i did land a big salmon. My three hot spots get fed off the same lake during the winter run off. The first spot on the river that's dammed gets fed with trout and salmon when they stock the lake upstream. The third spot is another larger body of water that's dammed too. The fish are mostly healthy and fighters.
You_Only_Live_Once_Fishing reply :
snapping turtles are like bricks
Bassun reply :
Rock Bass, Red-eyes - what ever you want to call them. They hit like they think they are something, then once they realize they are hooked they just lay on their side and let you reel them in while they glide on the water.
IndianaFinesse reply :
On 7/29/2016 at 12:57 AM, You_Only_Live_Once_Fishing said:snapping turtles are like bricks
A very angry brick that will gladly take your hand off and scratch your arms to shreds if you get close enough to them!
bigbassin' reply :
On 7/28/2016 at 10:47 AM, everythingthatswims said:Largemouth have a bad reputation because the equipment we use is designed to handle the baits we use, and the places we catch the fish, not the fish themselves.
I think this is pretty accurate. Realistically the biggest bass you'll catch on a given day is a couple of pounds, but because they live in heavy cover, we fish for them with 65 pound braid and reels that lockdown with ~15 pounds of drag. On the flip side when you see a lot of saltwater fish make giant runs, they're 20 pound fish with only 5 or 6 pounds of drag on them since they don't have anything to get snagged on, and you don't want to pull the hook.
While I don't think bass are even close to the pound for pound hardest fighting fish, I do think if you were to scale the line and drag down to be equivalent to what is used on open water fish, they'd at least be middle to upper-middle of the pack.
Steveo-1969 reply :
On 7/29/2016 at 2:29 AM, Bassun said:Rock Bass, Red-eyes - what ever you want to call them. They hit like they think they are something, then once they realize they are hooked they just lay on their side and let you reel them in while they glide on the water.
This is EXACTLY what I was going to say! We also call them "goggle-eyes" in this part of the country.
I'm surprised so many of you answered walleye. I catch them out of a river so maybe that makes a difference, but they pull hard with big head shakes and 18"+ will also pull drag for me.
Fish4bigfish reply :
Hardest fighting freshwater fish for me is the sturgeon.
TonyB reply :
Lake trout.
Fishinthefish reply :
I usuallt find minnows in tackle shops the easiest to catch. Cheapest too.
CNYBassin reply :
On 7/28/2016 at 4:42 AM, nickles said:Walleye. hook one you think you have hooked an old tire when you reel them in.
Agreed. Hooking a walleye during a slow troll is pretty much like reeling in a tree branch. But they make up for it with how good they are to eat lol.
Even casting for walleye, they're very lazy fighters. Very little runs or head shakes. I haven't had the opportunity to catch any real monsters, mainly just 15 to 22 inchers up in my neck of the woods, so I may be missing out. Even pickerel fight tougher than they do.
blckshirt98 reply :
Carp don't really fight with headshakes or running intocover or anything, they just like to swim away and you're fighting against the weight/water thrust of the fish! They're like the bat rays of freshwater.
Jeff H reply :
Seeing the walleye is well represented here, as it should be, I will only add that nobody fishes walleye for the fight. If they do, they must like the disappointment involved.
drew4779 reply :
#1 - crappie
#2 - walleye
But both taste great.
gimruis reply :
On 7/30/2016 at 2:24 AM, Jeff H said:Seeing the walleye is well represented here, as it should be, I will only add that nobody fishes walleye for the fight. If they do, they must like the disappointment involved.
90% of walleye anglers here in MN are "meat hunters." Remove the potential to keep any and anglers do not target them anymore.
bigbill reply :
Fish in the river fight harder. Younger bass fight hard.
Josh Smith reply :
I've never caught lake walleye, only river, so maybe that's the difference, but all walleye I've caught are decent fighters. Every one has given at least three runs that peel some drag. I find it interesting that a 12" specimen I recently caught was one of the harder fighters.
The more I fish the river, the less impressed I am with lake fish.
Josh
Bluebasser86 reply :
Those that think walleye don't fight have either never caught a good one, or they're catching them all out deeper. If you hook a decent walleye up shallow around here (where they normally live a lot of the year), they'll outfight a LMB no problem. They'll often fight so hard that they end up tearing themselves off the hook. Walleye in deeper water though, like fighting a wet sock.
Weakest fight, pound for pound, shovelnose sturgeon. They hit like a freight train, then you just crank them in while they kind of swing back in for in the current. It really shouldn't be any surprise though, they barely have anything to move any water to pull with.
Turkey sandwich reply :
I'm really shocked and confused by the guys talking about catfish or carp as weak. Hooking into a solid channel cat on something other than a telephone pole and winch gives a pretty hefty fight. And clearly anyone saying carp must be confused. River carp rarely take anything other than flies, live bait, or catfish-esque bread balls and are super flighty. Hooking one on a fly rod or light tackle can be a sprint down river. I've been nearly spooled by carp in current using light tackle.
In my experience, walleye tend to be pretty lethargic fighters. Largemouth can be a mixed bag. Perch tend to be pretty light fighters and pickerel tend to be pretty light fighters once you get them pointed at you.
heyitskirby reply :
On 7/28/2016 at 10:29 AM, WRB said:LMB eat bluegill 1/2 their size!
The old argument what fresh water fish fights the hardest pound for pound has gone on for decades. In the bass family Spotted bass hold that honor followed by Smallmouth bass, LMB get a lot bigger than any other fresh water bass.
So would rather fight bluegill than bass that eat bluegill, then you will have the lake to yourself.
Tom
Funny thing is - large mouth bass in are actually in the sunfish family.
MassBass reply :
eel. They just spin and twist you up.
FordsnFishin reply :
Freshwater drum. Talk about a junk fish. I've caught a 15 lb one before. Fought like a dead log. Been told they are terrible eating as well.
PondHunter reply :
Of the different species I have caught, Walleye was definitely the most disappointing. A 20" fish that didn't do anything until you got it boatside.
Onvacation reply :
Baby bass always have some fight in them but I've had three and four pounders which have probably been my biggest disappointments. Nothing like a lame strike followed by a single surge and then a fish that acts like its tail hooked to make you want to fish for bluegill with a bobber the rest of the day.
I had a catfish hit a 10" worm on Sunday and I could not get him to the boat. He was pulling line like it was an episode of Wicked Tuna even with the drag cranked down. Six minutes of fighting and he ducked under a log and cut the Carolina rig leader. He was definitely a fighter and it was cool watching the baitfish freak out and set the top of the water on fire when this fish was running and broke the surface. He was massive. Would have been my biggest freshwater catch.
Had a three pound channel cat hit a Ned rig yesterday. He actually jumped out of the water to try to shake the hook.
I don't specifically fish for catfish, but those two incidents certainly make me disagree that catfish don't fight.
Ratherbfishing reply :
With the exception of bullheads, catfish are among the hardest freshwater fish I know of.
I can't speak for river walleye but the lake walleye I've caught were only so so fighters at best. This isn't to say I don't like catching them. Northern Pike don't keep up a sustained fight very well BUT a big one will practically rip your arm out of its socket when it hits. THAT by itself makes it worthwhile.
Gundog reply :
A friend and myself were fishing for smallmouths at a local lake. We were trolling at night about 30 feet from shore. Occasionally we would get snagged on floating branches and would reel in the line to clear it. The first walleye I caught fought less than the branches we were hooking. I actually couldn't tell the difference because there was no fight to them at all. I've caught river walleye and they put up a fight but that might be just because of the current.
Penguino reply :
On 8/10/2016 at 11:36 PM, Ratherbfishing said:With the exception of bullheads, catfish are among the hardest freshwater fish I know of.
I can't speak for river walleye but the lake walleye I've caught were only so so fighters at best. This isn't to say I don't like catching them. Northern Pike don't keep up a sustained fight very well BUT a big one will practically rip your arm out of its socket when it hits. THAT by itself makes it worthwhile.
Meh.. bullheads really aren't that weak lol. The problem is the majority catch them in still water, where all they do is try to burrow back in the mud and stay on the bottom. River bullies are a lot rarer, but put up a really good fight.
Neil McCauley reply :
I've never found yellow perch to be much of a fighter. They shake their heads a lot but never make runs, jump, or much. Pumpkinseed and bluegills or other sunfish are better fighters.
Dillo reply :
suckers, and crappie. Ive caught some pretty lame trout, too, but also some amazing fighters, I think that's more of an individual fish sorta thing. Pound for pound, Bluegill are consistently the hardest fighting fish I target.
IamNewbie reply :
Walleye, don't do a single thing. Same with Perch, I think. 80% of the Perch I catch let it happen as well. The only time I've ever had a bluegill not fight was when I must of set the hook so hard I shocked it. Never had a LMB not fight, same with Crappies.
Bankbeater reply :
For me it's a crappie on a bass rig. I always think that I'm pulling in vegetation.
kickerfish1 reply :
Worst fighting for me would be a toss up between crappie and yellow perch. It is like a hooking into a piece of paper.
Lucky Craft Man reply :
On 7/28/2016 at 11:15 PM, GORDO said:Let me tell you, Chinook salmon are definitely the hardest fighting fish pound for pound I have ever caught. I was afraid for my rod when I hooked into my first one and it was only 7 pounds lol. They are incredible!
Im not sure what your water temp is for the pike but here in Eastern Washington, if you hook one in the late spring or fall, hold on! If you get one in the winter they are lazy but still better than LMB for cold water.
LAZIEST FISH AWARD GOES TO..... walleye. you feel like you have a small stick on your line just coming straight to the boat.
This is dead on. Chinook, the best, Walleye, the worst.
timsford reply :
Walleye are probably the easiest fish I've caught to reel in. Landlocked stripes and hybrids in current put up a really good fight. I fish for both at night and you never know what's going to bite, but I can usually tell which within 5 seconds of hooking up. Catfish and carp put up a great fight, and if you are talking about fight and take size in the equation, most panfish like bluegill and red ears fight very hard
hawgenvy reply :
Weakfish, of course!
CityboyFishing reply :
On 7/28/2016 at 8:57 AM, gimruis said:For those of you that say LGM bass fight the least, you obviously haven't caught a walleye. I don't know if I've EVER had one take out drag in 15 years and we usually fish for them on medium spinning gear using 6 pound line. They sure taste good but once they're hooked its reel and retrieve.
I've caught 30 inchers in Canada off a 4lb test that was a hard fight
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