i did a search but no results, so here is my question. assuming you are fishing the same river what fish do you think fights the best a 15lb Nate or a Chum,King,or Silver of the same size? My vote goes towards a Chum for an overall kick a$$ fight, I've caught numerous salmon of that size but only 1 steelhead that big an 18lb nate on the Sol Duc he was a chromer but all he did was pull hard and stay on the far side of the river, I wasn't very immpressed but thats only 1 fish to compare to. Any thoughts?

Fresh Sockeye on med wt steelhead rod...best 6-8 lb fish I've ever seen!

Not just a sockeye, goforchrome. The sockeye in Lake Washington are wussies.

Now, an Alaskan Kenai or Kasilof sockeye is a whole different ball game!

My vote goes to the Kenai Red Salmon. Hands down one of the hardest fighting fish I've caught! They are like summer run steelhead, except mean.

No doubt in my mind, 1 vote for the King! I've found the smaller 10-15 lb. kings will out-fight almost anything in a river setting. Silvers start out good but seem to burn-out too quick. Chums can be good, jumping and taking line or just slug it out down deep. Same for Steelhead although the native fish I've caught do seem to fight harder than thier hac. brothers .....c/22

chum salmon are the most dogged of the salmon spieces I personally think, cabezon are the strongest for the bottomfish kind. never caught a native steelhead so I'm missing out on that, yet I've never fished for them, go figure. tight lines, Ben

This is a little outside the zone you are looking for, but if smallmouth bass grew to 10 lbs you would never hear of steelhead.

In terms of salmon/steelhead, I think either chums (fresh ones) or fresh sockeye are the hardest and most tenacious fighters. I like kings, too, but I think that they can have a fight that is less exciting than other fish.

Has to be a tail hooked halibut (I managed to do this somehow). Everytime you pull up his head faces down and back to the bottom it goes. This can make a 50 pounder feel like 300. As for legally hooked fish my money goes with planted trout on 12 pound test.

I will have to agree with Parker the second run reds on the Kenai will flat out kick your butt. I foul hooked a big buck red and before I knew it he was all the way across the river.Can you say smokin your fingers!!

Fresh AK Sockeye gets my vote as well. All the pull and acrobatics of the others, combined with the gator death roll. Brutal on light weight equipment, yet the only fun way to fish them.

I've had 48" sturgeon jump clean out of the water twice before they spend it. Even the undersized have a ton of umph. Pound for pound, Columbia river sturgeon fresh from the salt are probably the strongest fish around.

Sockeyes are tough little fighters, no doubt. But in a lb. for lb. test, I think the ol' SRC rates pretty high up the scale.

Count another one for the fresh AK sockeyes!

Pound for pound, there is NO other salmonid that can compare!

This is just my humble opinion of course, but I see that I'm in good company.

Smallmouth are the best of the warmwater fish in this state (now I need to try a tiger muskie though...), but give me a break - don't even put a bass on the same thread as a metal head!! (:

I'm most impressed with Chum. Nothing pretty or gracefull about them, but they are tough as nails. I had several get so pi$$ed that they'd peel out my fly line heading one way, next thing I know a monster fish leaps out the water the 200 ft away in the opposite direction. Then I realize that it is the same fish - my line just hasn't caught up yet!! And they'll do this several times. I've also seen some wimpy chums and a few that think they are just big logs and you need a pry bar to bugde them.

Any of you ever hooked one of the upper Elwha bows on light gear? You'll never look at stocker trout the same... Heck, even the little cutties I find on the forks of the snoqualmie jump half a dozen times.

Really i'm not too picky - a chrome fish dancing on the end of my line is all I need!!

-Chad

I have to say a fresh Chum is the hardest fighting fish. They jump, pull line, and are strong as hell.

Honorable mention goes to Fraser River Springs. They get in the fast current and are gone...200 yards in 20 seconds.

Out of those choices, I'd have to say the chum. Those fish want to kick your ass. Overall, I'd have to say a smallmouth bass. (remember, this is pound for pound). I was catching them over at the Potholes one year using trout gear and there were times I didn't think I'd be able to land them.

I agree with the chum boys. A chrome chum if it takes off will break you off easy! I was using 20lb test and 25lb leaders this year for them and still was getting broke off by 10lb fish. My elbow is still tender from these bruts.

my vote is for smallmouth bass, last summer i was fishing in idaho, and in 1 hour or so, i managed to have 11 bites landed four and was using a 8'6 i use for stealhead and 10# ande and still had doubts that i was gonna land some of them fish, which i barely did on some and lost perty big smallies, my biggest was 15", i lost bigger that i couldnt land..next vote would be kings... **berkley boy

anybody catch cabezon on light tackle 6 or 8 lb test. reel handful. if you like smallmouth, you'll love these. you fish for these the excact same but a little deeper with the same gear, and fight better I think from my experience catching smallmouth on the columbia. and there very prolific if you can learn to fool them here in the sound, espicially around port townsend, whidbey Island.

Hands down the hardest fighter pound for pound is the bonefish on the flats. I've caught a few the biggest being 13lbs. all on the fly. A 6lber will take you 100yds into backing! But for the NW I still think springers or steelhead on the coast!

My vote is for those thumb-burning Vedder White Springs(Kings). Better wear track shoes if you want to land these beasts on anything less than 15# mono...

RIP LIPPS!

Northern Pike-Intelligent,tough as nails,graceful tail-walkers who will come after YOU! Otherwise I,d vote for saltwater Kings.

Tuna.

If you want mind boggling runs from 15lb fish, try albicore fishing this next fall. They average about 10-15, but my biggest was 30. They just fly.

its gotta be smallmouth bass, nothing even comes close

pound for pound of course

so imagine 30 lbs of native steelhead vs. 30 lbs of smallmouth, of course smallies dont get that big in reality, but pound for pound there is no equal

lb for lb humpies. even on tuna rods they burn line like hell! My first choice would have to be yellowtail in southern cali. next is smallies, then catfish you hook up with a big one and look out !
Tyler

Man,

You guys keep talking all this bass.......well, never mind.

Never saw a 6 lb. bass put a blister the size of a dime on anyone's thumb. I had a Hoh river summer-run do it to me.......

Barracuda or tarpon. nuff said.

then we'll talk. Man I miss Florida.

Well DanS, in defense of bass, how many of them have you ever had...... nevermind

So far, chrome summer chum in shallow waters put up a killer fight. Then again, chrome chum in general. I'd like to tie one on with an oversize woman....errr...sturgeon to see what all the fuss is about.

OK......that's it Redneck. I'm going to get you b1tch-slapped by a hot steelie soon enough, then you can tell me all about your bass conquests .

Do I need to remind you what "Mr. Big", the SRC, did to you last summer?

You're naming tarpon in a pound/pound matchup? I don't know.........a 120 lb. SRC might break you off, and then coming looking for you to kick your a$$ for bothering him!

I'll say this, I love catching any fish. Rating fish is like rating fishing methods........who cares as long as you're having fun?

I have to comment on Tyler's catfish mention. You are cracking me up. I spent a few years in the houston area, and caught plenty of catfish. Not once did one jump and while the big ones can pull out some line - they are really not a lb for lb coparison. I'd rate a carp above a catfish.

Now an alligator gar - that is a mean fish...

Redfish and speckled trout are more fun than any ole catfish or bass. But putting the word 'trout' on anything you find in texas is just down right insulting!! LOL

I agree with Dan. Where ever I go, you can bet I'll be trying to figure out where to go fishing and I'll probably have a good time. But I do thank God I live in a state that understands what 'chrome' is all about...

I've caught chum that I thought were pretty good, but it's mostly their size that makes them a hand full. I can't think of anything better fightin' than a nice chrome winter steelie from 15#s and up.

I do agree with Lip-Ripper though, those Vedder whites are absolute kick your butt fish! Last one I had on my fly rod, with 25# leader, fast sink 9wt line, took all of about 15 seconds to clean all the line and 150yds of backing off my reel, I never had a chance, nearly busted my thumb trying to slow the departure even with the drag all the way down.
Never had any other fish do that before or since!

Hell with bass, if we're talkin' ugly warmwater stuff available in WA go for tailing carp!!

One of the reason steelhead fight so hard is because of the current. I talked to a biologist one time that connected a 4 lb smallmouth bass and a 10 lb steelhead tail to tail and put them in a pool of still water and he said the bass drug the steelhead whereever it wanted to go.

You asked "lbs per lbs" and my vote is AK sockeyes.

I don't have much experience with WA sockeyes. As I said in one of my previous posts, steelhead fight IMHO is overrated.

JacobF...are you sure that wasnt a 2 lb smallmouth??

oops, you better not tell on that one, let them enjoy their trout... :p

If sockeye got as big as kings you couldn't land one. They are not agressive biters which gets old soon enough. Hot fish though and they get my respect.

King salmon are awsome fish and somtimes SIZE DOES COUNT. Sometimes hooking a king reminds me of tying my line to the bumper of a car and trying to bring it in. The power and the glory. Just the same, you can get one to lay on its side after a prolonged battle. If you find a place to fish them near tide water where they have to hole up at low tide, they can be as fierce, acrobatic, and fun as any fish that swims. Guys who fish the "ditch"(WA,not AK) know exactly what I'm talking about.

My favorite of the salmon is the chum. swinging flies at chromers on the tide is THE COOLEST method I have encountered so far. I have hoooked 40+ on one tide on the Alagnak and am sure this has biased me in some way I don't recall any of them laying on their side and concedeing defeat. Tough fish, agressive biters, what more could you ask for.

The fish that kicked my arse the hardest however, was a 30+lb Quinault river steelhead. I was fishing with Robbin Rhoades when I hooked this wet dream. A good hookset, and the fish was instantly under the boat, faster than you can snap your fingers. A credible job of speed reeling caught up with the fish. Four feet of air just behind the outboard revealed what I would be seeing in dreams for the rest of my life. The biggest steelhead either of us had ever seen(Poetic licence). An obsceneley powerful 100yard run taxed my 10lb ultra green to the limit. Another magnificent jump into some brush overhanging the bank and we were all to soon parted. Kinda funny how "the one that got away" sticks in your memory more than those brought to hand and keeps you coming back.

I don't know nuthin' about pound for pound, but I'll take steelhead.
Anyday. Allday.

peace
Rich

For a pure size factor, the hardest fight I've ever gotten was from a 10 foot Columbia River sturgeon.

Jacob, the only reason the smaller bass towed the steelhead around in a pool is because the steelies are smarter, and enjoy a nice ride. Actually, if that is a true story, I'd bet a big box of Krispy Kremes that it was a hatchery steelhead after it had swam a few hundred miles in from the ocean and then tens of miles up strong currents into a hatchery pond for the 'contest'. Besides, HBP asked for a comparo of fish that commonly reach 15 pounds. A 5 lb. smallie might be pretty tough, but I bet a 5 lb. pirana, heck - even a 5 lb. goldfish, might outfight a smallie. They just wiggle fast and pull a little bit of 4 lb. test line out. Then it's time to giggle over it. Geez. I also bet a 5 lb. mint bright fresh northern sock or 5 lb. true native skamania summer steelhead, fresh into the lower river, would kick a fresh 5 lb. smallies ass all over the place. Grrrr.

As for those S*** R. 'Critters' Dan, I'm going to be trying some of those big nates up there next month. I wonder if an overweight bass could swim up those long rapids?

As for 15 lbs., the 'dogs' are tough but I bet a mint bright steel nate right out of T-Bay salt into a lower river hole will give an all-around fight equal to any fish. But I haven't tried the albacore out there yet, and heard they are a beeyotch!

I would say the Skagit River Humpy on a trout pole, lb. fer lb.

We have a Chinook bubble fishery over here in Bremerton due ta small hatchery run.My way of fishing them is to go out a good hour before daylight and prowl a local drop off with the fish finder.Those kings will herd up the bait at night into the shallows.You can usually hear it,a mad house of feeding before the glory run up the creek, before the electronics tells you any thing.I string my noodle rod with spectra and cast cut plugs with little to no wieght.Ever catch a mature feeding chinook in 15 feet of water!They can't dive and sulk which is what instinct tells them to do!They go absolutely BESERK!They love to get up on top and tail walk!
Chums are a good second but it is getting reel hard to find a place where you can play one with out causing grief with the fellow snaggers around you.
I think this bass sh... is a crock. Watch the pros with a six foot rod 20 lb test and 7 to 1 ratio reel surf there TROPHY bass in and flip them into the boat.And they are out of breath the whole time!

Stealhead natives.

Last years springers seemed to die from heart failure.

Enjoy Life!

A 15lb Native summer run will smoke anything on this earth. Can a smallmouth bass jump 7-8 feet repeatedly when hooked? NOPE! Steelhead have adapted through countless years in some of the most rugged country imaginable. These "other" fish have it easy compared to the might Chrome. As for PNW stocks, the king and humpies mostly pull their weight around and stay low, Chums when bright put up a hell of a fight, and then theres the coho. Fresh run silvers can peel line with the best of them and put on a fine aeriel display.

Bass

Pound for pound
I would rate them as.......
Native Head
SRC
Chrome Satsop Chum
I caught Bass........so what....any fish you can pick up by the lips...is a Pussy......Os

bonefish baby.....i've had 8lb bones spool 250 yds of 12lb super mono....pound for pound they are THE best....ain't no 8lb bass gonna spool you....ain't no 8 lb steelie gonna do that either....

I'm sure you were being serious and all, but damn that is a funny read! Now were these "stock" smallmouth and "stock" steelhead before he tied them bumper to bumper?

Now my next question is where in the hell did he obtain these fish, and evenmoreso, where did he perform these tests again? I thought the bios. for the most part were divided into different categories: warmwater, shellfish, saltwater, etc.? Oh, I get it. He must have performed this test on his own time.

My vote goes to Native summer runs. They are one of those fish you just describe as mean . Becarefull of catchin them there bass ya can't get the stench out of your boat after they've been in it :p

Sounds like I gotta catch me some of them Kasilof Reds.I was planning to go anyway whats the best time?BTW what's a SRC?

S-ea
R-un
C-utthroat

so your the one who caught robofish???

I've caught those smallmouth in Lake Whatcom and you can have them. All they do is flop a couple of times and you reel them to the boat like an old boot. LB for LB it has got to be a native steelhead, although I haven't caught a bone fish and from the people I've talked to that have caught them they give steelhead a run for their money.

In the peramiters mentioned previously I would have to go with the AK sockeye.But,lb. for lb. over tuna,bonefish,marlin,etc. conventional tackle or flyrod ya gotta go yellowtail.

Pound for Pound I vote for big fresh chums. They are just plain potent.

Bass fight?hmmm. Must have been a sick 10 lb. I caught. Small mouth. Yes i have caught a few of those. Still prefer a 3 lb. wild trout to a 3 lb. smally.

First choice gotta be chrome steel. Next would have to be chrome chum.

Carp fight better than bass.

If it's pound for pound I'd say a native spring chinook followed closely by a native Summer run steelhead.

Fresh sealiced chinook top of tidewater on any small river such as the Humptulips. At least 30 pounds and you fishing medium weight gear 15 pd test. Enough structure to provide handicaps but aenough room to play. Fight is gonna be brutal....no quarter asked and none given. Your gear choice better be the best because big pig is at his best and pissed. A few of these and your rod arm is gonna be permanently in salute position for a couple of days...hooyah!

gooose

S.E. AkKings, these are prime condition fish that still have along way to go to get to there native rivers, most are as chrome as a new dime and very aggressive. I have, on many occasions been fooled by 20/25 lbs. fish, fighting them hard for 10-15 min. expecting to see a 40+ lb. fish come to the surface only to find a 25 pound fish had just about kicked my a*s. I have caught hundreds of kings both salt and freshwater here in Wa. and they don't compare, these fish are near the end of there journey, they may be bright, but they are also tired.
I won't give a salmon in a river near as much credit/respect, fight wise, as an ocean fish, take those so called "bright" river fish out of any current and there like bringing in a boot.

Pound for pound of the northwest sport fish I'd have to say

1.Kenai Redds (don't know what makes them different, but they are)
2.Summer run wild Steelhead
3.Winter run wild Steelhead
4.Blackmouth
5.Chums
But pound for pound the Bonito has the biggest balls in the sea. These little 3 to 5# fish have kicked my butt time after time. My downrigger rod has tamed many large salmon,but it's not enough for these little scrappers.

Pound for pound.....sockeye.
I never fished for them until a couple years ago in Canada. They are crazier than a summer-run steelhead. We were trolling flies, with no barbs. There's a thump on the bow of the boat ( the fish hit the fly and shot ahead of the boat, jumping under the bow ) the rod goes down; zig-zag running and rolling like a cat in a ziplock-baggie. Of course with no barbs we don't have a snowballs chance....
And that was just the first one. We never did land one, and the only sockeye we ate was the one swapped to a Canadian commercial seiner for a glass of good whiskey.

Second best? I think I'd say marlin, but it might be biased because the hook up and tailwalk is so impressive. But I found that the next 2 fought just like the first one, so it became predictable. First they fight on top and then they sound, and for a very long time. Anyway you look at it, if you like to fish.....make the marlin trip at least once in your life.
diana

Early summer run hatchery steelhead. Jumpin jack flash its a gas! Are the mayflowers in bloom yet?
Wild and broodstock winter steelies can put up a big fight. Haven't hooked a big nate (winter or summer) yet.
Haven't hooked a springer or a king yet.
I was very impressed with a pink I caught that was being chased by a seal.
Summer chum are very powerful.
Coho in a small river.

If we limit the discussion to anadramous (sp) fish here is my list, and remember endurance counts:

1. AK Sockeye
2. Nice bright chum
3. Coastal river salt fresh springers
4. Nate steelhead over 15 lbs

Okay, it's been 2 days since my last post on this topic and have had an opportunity to reflect on some of the other kinds of fish I have caught that at least need to be mentioned as lb. for lb. strongest fighters in the sea.Here it goes permit,bonito,jack crevalle,and hammerhead sharks! Now I have been very fortunate to have caught at least 1 trophy size fish of every fish previously mentioned on pages 1 and 2 and have come to the conclusion that I need to withdraw my last post(yellowtail) as if it was some kind of definitive answer. Hopefully, I have not offended any of you with my previous post and if I have than I do apologize. This topic is too subjective to any 1 correct answer and so with that said I will gracefully bow out. Tight lines!

Imagine if bluegills got to 15lbs!!!

good call sinker

hey sid fishious, I went to california san diego for 2 weeks, we were fishing the whole time in my dads buddys boat, we caught yellowtail, I used my med sal/steel rod with live sardines throwing them under floating debrie and those thing fight hard I thought, used cut plug sardines and nailed the barracuda, they couldnt resist it, everything fought good there mackeral, bonita, 30lb tuna, but my hardest fish was a 8 ft mako shark, caught numurous blues but those makos are wild and unpredictable. tight lines Ben

Rockfish, I couldn't agree with you more... that is another fish that should get more respect for its fighting ability. Another testimony for how subjective this topic is! Rockfish, I'm curious have you ever had the pleasure of mako on the BBQ? One word....yummmmmy!

we sure did it was excellent, those 8 lb tuna bbq up aint to shabby either. Ben

I nailed a Bluegill once that tore up the drag on my Snoopy rod

Tops...Fresh, white bellied, sea liced, 25-30# Springers...smokin!

Second...Teener Summerruns...instant pandemonium

FJ...out.