Strongest Fish in the World

[waljustia]

So, I was watching a nature show on TV this weekend. On it they were showing these baby turtles coming out of their eggs and running to the ocean.. only to be gobbled up by sharks and fish. They said 1 in 100 will make it! Kind of reminded me of the DWR Releasing their prized June suckers into Utah lake[sly].

Anyway, so they showed this fish that was just going to town on these baby turtles. Eating like 5 to 1 over the sharks. I had heard of the fish, I've even caught it before. However, I didn't know this.. They said "Pound for Pound, it is the strongest fish in the world"

So.. Who is this mystery Fish they were talking about??
I am interested to hear your educated guesses..I would have gotten it wrong. Try not to google it.. Just take a stab, I am sure several of you already know this (tubedude).


Want a hint??
It's not the Smallmouth Bass [cool]
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[ChubbyChaser]

I would guess the yellowfin tuna?
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[waljustia]

Great guess.. That's what I would have guessed.. But, that's not it []
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[lunkerhunter2]

I am going to guess either a snook or jack species.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]Not a big fan of sea turtle reproduction documentaries. I usually fast forward through them or switch to something else. But, I will toss out a theory or two.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]If it is not a species of shark, then it has to be a fish that either inhabits the surf zone or at least comes in to feed during the turtle hatch. And, since turtles lay their eggs mostly on tropical beaches it has to be a fish of warm waters. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff][#000000][size 1][red][size 2]"They said "Pound for Pound, it is the strongest fish in the world"[/size][/red] [/size][/#000000]
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[#0000ff]I have a couple of questions. Who are "they", what system did they use to make that determination and how are they qualified to make that statement? That's three questions.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]The subject of "world"s strongest" is very subjective.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I am going to make an either/or guess. I would say that it is either a permit or a jack of some kind.[/#0000ff]
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[lunkerhunter2]

People can google it all they want, you get nothing for a subject of "worlds strongest fish". I did it after the reply to see if i was close but it was useless. I am very curious to the answer.
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[southernman]

barracuda ???


sm
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[PBH]

Was this in the Pacific or Atlantic? Ahh...who cares. My guess:

Croaker

did I win?
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[Br0wntrout]

Tarpon
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[RyanCreek]

What is the strongest fish in the world?

There are alot of conflicting things I've heard about statements like this. You have to take them with a grain of salt. There's lots of factors that go in to play. For example: "The Australian Brown Snake is the most deadly snake in the world." Then another show will say, "The Puff Adder is the deadliest snake in the world." These statements fail to distinguish what exactly they mean by "most deadly." The Australian Brown Snake has the most poisonous venom, but the Puff Adder kills the most people each year. Could you say both are true? Yes depending on how you're looking at it. But then someone will say, this type of sea snake is the most venomous. Its all subjective and not easily definable.

Searching the internet, I read that the Smallmouth Bass is one of the strongest fish for its size, and then that the Mekong River Catfish is the strongest fish for its size, but eventually found this about the Yellowfin Tuna:

The last type of tuna is called the yellowfin tuna. This fish is said to be one of the most brilliantly colored fish in the world's oceans. It is yellow on it's back with silver on it's underside. In Hawaii they are called ahi by local fisherman, which mean fire in the Hawaiian language. Yellowfins have been weighed in at as much as 450 pounds. And pound for pound are considered the strongest fish in the world. The yellowfins are found in most tropical water and some times even into sub-tropical waters. Hawaiians fish the yellowfin year round.

Then someone will have concluded that the tarpon is the strongest.

Then another will say its a bonefish.


We could probably find statements like this all day and never come to the conclusion on the show. Which is why I say to take it with a grain of salt.
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[Saberfish]

[black][size 3]I don't know beans about salt water fish, but just for kicks and giggles, I'm going to guess that it's some type of a salt water perch or a skate. Not one of the voracious feeders that you would normally think of.[/size][/black]
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[waljustia]

I turned it on just as the turtles were flipping down the beach I swear[blush]. So, I didn't catch the turtle reproduction scene.. []

Now, onto your question "They" is the narrator for the movie.. They didn't clarify nothing.. other than saying that it is the strongest fish Pound for Pound.
I thought the same thing.. I never could figure out how they can do pound for pound studies..
Anyway.. Here is what they said
The larger species of the
Jack Crevalle
Is the king of strength. They did make sure and mention its the Larger Jacks.

[inline info-crevalle-jack.jpg]
In Hawaii, they call the smaller Jack Crevalle "Papio" and their big brothers ones "Ulua" Kind of cool they have a different name for the bigger fish. They are very powerful!
little info from a texas Guide site..
Jack Crevalle
The Jack Crevalle (Caranx hippos) or common jackfish of inshore waters can attain weights of over 40 pounds. It has dark red meat and is not considered to be very edible. It is most prized as a hard fighting game fish. Believe me when I tell you, when you’ve battled a beast like a Jack to the boat, you know you’ve been in a fight. Typically, fish over thirty pounds will still be pulling hard at the end of an hour. And forget about them laying over on their side and giving up. Surrender is not a word used in a big Jack's vocabulary.
Jacks are experts at cornering baitfish and then relentlessly hammering them, which produces a sight that resembles nothing else. Next time you see mullet scattering to the four winds and the water literally boiling from underneath them, chances are good that a Jack is to blame. Crevalle are voracious scavengers that will often follow shrimp boats around looking for an easy meal. Jacks are also suckers for a good chum-line. If your in a mode for keeping your rod bent, your arms tired and your reel smoking; the Jack Crevalle is just the ticket.

Now.. Here is a picture of me holding one up wearing my favorite fishing hat[cool]


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When I went to Hawaii I fished from shore for these guys.. didn't do too well. But it is cool to watch them SMASH a popper plug. It's cool to see how intense the locals are about chasing them... I went into a tackle shop and talked to the guy there about a spot I had found that I wanted to try. "you be careful there.. Don't fish there, fish might pull you in.. Go somewhere else where you catch smalla Fish" If you hook into one from shore, and you don't have the right gear.. you'll get spooled []
Anyway, thanks all for your discussion and input, makes for an interesting Monday morning .. Lunkerhunter and Tubedude were right on track mentioning "Jacks" in their posts.

When is this global warming thing going to kick in so that we can ocean fish here in Utah?[sly][sly][sly]

Now, time to move onto freshwater discussions.
I've seen a lot of posts in the past on different species in the freshwater and their fight. Some of them I haven't caught so I have no personal input, just hearsay.
I have heard that the Peacock bass can put up a mean fight..
Small mouth are a given (My favorite species in Utah to catch)
Wipers are tough ..
But, what do you think is the strongest freshwater fish? I have a book I read that the author said his would have to go to the Steel head in the 3-6 lb range the nod for best fight in freshwater. I personally have never caught a steel head, but talked to anglers that have and they agree. Guess I need to put it on my list of fish I need to catch before I die.
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[Majja]

A Mackerel of some sort.
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[PBH]

Thanks for the info. Very interesting.
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[TubeDude]

[cool][#0000ff]It doesn't surprise me that the jacks are considered AMONG the strongest fish in the world. I have caught them in Louisiana, Florida and in the Sea of Cortez, in Mexico. Are they the strongest? Can't say. Haven't caught ALL saltwater species. But, of the ones I have caught, they are some of the toughest. Down in Mexico they are called "toro"...meaning bull. Good handle.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]I think pound for pound I might have to favor the bonito of the west coast. On suitable tackle those striped demons will kick your booty. Better eating than jacks too.[/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]In fresh water there are so many variables it is foolish to say any one species over another. The type of water, food, habitat and other factors can result in the same species being dynamite in one venue and wimps in another. Cold water species...like smallmouth...turn to dishrags in warm water. And warm water species, like flathead cats, will fight to the death in warm summer waters but won't even flick a fin when hooked in colder water. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]Steelhead are tough, but a large part of their battle is in using the heavy current of the strong rivers to help them disconnect from anglers. Other fish fight like the devil...for about 10 seconds. Others just dog it out for a long time, with nothing flashy. Ideally a fish will give you a good battle over an extended period of time...with or without jumps. [/#0000ff]
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[#0000ff]My vote for toughest freshwater fish? The lowly carp.[/#0000ff]
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[Majja]

Of my very limited fishing experience here in Utah my vote goes to either the Small mouth, or the great pulling Bluegills, on the appropriate tackle of coarse.
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[Darn0]

When I was young I used to fish for Papio off the shore in Hawaii. It is by far the most sought after fish when salt water fishing off the shore. I have to admit they are best fighting fish I ever fought. Just about any salt water fish will out fight any fresh water fish, even smb.
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[Flycasting]

For Utah I would have to say the Wiper pulls better than any other. At least for a game fish. Carp pull pretty darn hard too.... especially when they have a large trebble hook in the eye. []
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[PBH]

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For Utah I would have to say the Wiper pulls better than any other. At least for a game fish.
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It makes you wonder if those who claim the Jack Crevale to be the pound-for-pound strongest fish have ever considered a Wiper?

Do they even know that wipers exist?


I have to admit, being the big trout fan that I am (alwasy felt like a good ol' rainbow trout pulled and fought as good as anything), that I've never had a fish hit as hard as the wipers that I've caught!


'course, I'm not counting the fresh 20lb chums I've caught on my fly rod either! If you're wondering what that's like, try hooking your fly to a cannonball, then shooting that cannonball out of the cannon!

hang on, and keep your knuckles out of the way of your reel handle!
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[mactuna]

I thought it would be a Crevelle, which one ?
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