Re: Hardest fighting fish and weakest fighting fish in NJ?
 

Only ever caught 1 Stargazer, but yes, that is a LAME fish.. NO fight, and so ugly I was afraid I was going to turn into a stone statue or a pillar of salt or something when I looked upon it...
btw, Spider Crabs are worse fighters than Horseshoes...lol...bob

Re: Hardest fighting fish and weakest fighting fish in NJ?
 

Saltwater:
I think pound for pound the porgy is high on the hard fight list.
Weakest might be a cunner (bergall)

Re: Hardest fighting fish and weakest fighting fish in NJ?
 

fresh
hardest: SMB, but i haven't caught hybrids to compare
weakest: LMB, have many times reeled in a 4-5" larry that i didn't even know had hit the bait

salt
hardest: cownose ray, big ones like trying to reel in a freight train, so much wing area, they can really put the power down
weakest: blowfish

Re: Hardest fighting fish and weakest fighting fish in NJ?
 

i'm sorry but i have to defend crappie! a 15-16" crappie fights a hell of a lot harder than a 15-16" largemouth bass! plus you can't put the same pressure on a crappie due to the 'paper lips'.

Re: Hardest fighting fish and weakest fighting fish in NJ?
 

half the time you fish for porgy you need a sinker to get down to it which means you need heavier gear than what matches the fish and that's why porgies suck haha

Re: Hardest fighting fish and weakest fighting fish in NJ?
 

On Pound for Pound basis

Hardest - Small Mouth Bass

I would say hybrid stripers but could you imagine the fight a 5-8# SMB would give plus the ability to jump? lookout!

Honorable mention - American Shad

Weakest- warm water Walleye. little perch a 5th there size pull harder.

Don't do enough on the salty side to have an opinion.

Re: Hardest fighting fish and weakest fighting fish in NJ?
 

Strongest: Hybrids and River Stripers, bull Bluegills


Weakest: Rainbow Trout, Largemouth Bass

Re: Hardest fighting fish and weakest fighting fish in NJ?
 

The log of a branch I reeled in one time was pretty hefty :D

From the few fish I've caught, pickerel put up the best fight. The small ones are fiesty for their size.

Re: Hardest fighting fish and weakest fighting fish in NJ?
 

Fresh water
Hardest - pound for pound Hybrids but a 15lb+ carp competes with the biggest Jersey brid. Big river suckers that hit you when trout fishing make some good runs also.

Lamest - tough one, but I'll go with the small whities and crappies that get attached to my jigging raps when deep water wally jigging in the late fall. I'm usually convinced they are sticks until they get to the surface. They are scrappers in warmer water though.

Salt (inshore)
Hardest - Bluefish are up there but pound for pound I'm giving trigger fish an honorable mention - feisty little bastards on light tackle..I gotta get offshore...

Lamest- Skates that spiral up to the boat and pouts that just open their big mouths on the way up

Re: Hardest fighting fish and weakest fighting fish in NJ?
 

A nice porgy on light tackle puts up a nice tussle.