Pretty Self explanitory

What is your favorite type of fish? Mine? Bass or trout

Smallmouth bass, then largemouth bass. After that it is the one hitting my lure!

carp.

I really enjoyed the fight of the two smallies that I've caught.

That said I've not enough experience with smallies to make any general statement on them.

I've have, however, had extensive experience with spotties!

I've got to say that spotties are my favorites.

There have been a couple of recent papers published in ichthyology circles that have concluded that spotties, and smallies are more closely related in terms of DNA, than Northern Largemouths, and Florida Largemouths.

Small Mouth Bass only when I relive my days fishing Lake Erie. Oops I guess now the fact that I am a recovering Yankee is out of the bag.

1. Carp
2. Big Buffalo
3. Catfish
4. Schooling Sandies
5. Everything Else

STRIPER ON THE BBQ
SALMON ------- BBQ
SHARK BBQ
SANDIES ---- FRYER
BLACK BASS --FRYER
CRAPPIE ----FRYER
HERRING RAW PICKLED

I'm going to Lake of the Woods in Canada to fish in August. I'll answer when I get back.

Kevin

Kevin - Go for the Northern/Musky, and the Smallies!

Northern/Muskies get huge, hit hard and fight like bulls!

Smallmouth Bass are pound for pound the hard fighting fish in freshwater!

And if you need extra eating fish, fresh walleye are hard to beat!

My personal favorites?

Smallmouth Bass is my all time favorite fish, followed closely by Common Carp.

Why? Cause I'm all about the fight. I think between an equal size Smallmouth and Carp, I'd probably give the edge to the smallie, but it's a tough call...Carp might strip more drag.

But of course, Smallmouth don't reach 20 pounds and much, much larger like carp do!

And a carp will outfight just about anything in freshwater.

After that, anything I can catch, the bigger and stronger the better!

But it's hard to beat schooling sandies too. What can I say, I love catching all species!

Favorite fish to eat?

...All of them!

Since this is the fresh water board focus on what's available in north Texas.

For me, I love to catch crappie. They are a finness fish and a challenge for be because of all the agressive fish I've chased over the years. I feel a real sense of satisfaction when I catch them.

For fun, you can't beat schooling sandies or better yet, schooling stripers/hybreds. Fast action and hard fighting.

I like to catch catfish too and have a great time when the action is fast.

As far as fighting fish,

The carp I've caught just havn't put on that big a show for me. Yes, they have power but are slow. I'm hoping that when the water really warms up I can get one to really show his stuff and some speed to me. I'm still using 6 lb line and trying to get one to smoke a drag for me.

I've only been spooled one time in my life and it was by a big striper. I'd have to give the fighting award to big stripers (over 20 lbs)

No1 Carp
No2 Redfish

I still like Zack's comparison of big carp, and big stripers...

Me: So will a 20lb striper fight as hard as a 20 lb carp?
Zack: "Well...the striper tasted better." Lol.

Brew, we need to get you one of those nice Town Lake style 20 pounders who strip off 50-100 yards of drag without slowing down.

For some reason, the GV carp often seem to fight more like buffalo or cats, a lot of power but most short runs near the bottom.

Cottonreel fish stripped off a lot more drag for longer periods of time.

Then again last saturday my dad had a 5lb common at the cliffs that just kept running and running and running, it was great. Just like they're supposed to do!

Have you gotten many carp on your 6lb light spinning reels yet? How big were they?

Then again...you're lucky! ...spoiled by Tuna! Lol.

I have yet to catch Stripers but I'm hoping too soon.

Yes, I caught a couple of about 5 - 8 pounds and some more tiny buffs on the crappie tackle and they fought long but no speed. Only short runs of 30 feet or so and a lot of side to side. Best runs come when I try to net them.

I think I told you the story of the time I snagged a 40 lb spawning carp on the Potomic river while bass fishing with a rattle trap on 12 pound line. That fish was tenatious and took a long time. It pulled plenty hard but once again, no long runs and no speed.

You're right about being spoiled. Nothing compares to the bullish fight of an 80 pound amberjack being pulled from the legs of an offshore rig. No fish speed compares to the speed of a wahoo hooked on live bait or a jig. No combination of speed, stamina, and long runs can compare to a yellowfin tuna caught in deep water on sporting tackle while chunking or live baiting. Troll fish don't count.

I'm trying to adjust to these rather tame freshwater fish.

The striper that spooled me was hooked on a ghost minnow fishing on a long sandy point. The fish just started stripping 20 lb. line straight away from me and never stopped. When I ran out of line, it snapped the line about 1 foot ahead of my knot around the spool. That was a strong determined striper. Lake Whitney way back in 1978. I havn't been the same since.

Another vote for Smallmouth.
Nothing like wading a small creek catching bronzebacks.

"The carp I've caught just havn't put on that big a show for me. Yes, they have power but are slow."

Brewboy,

The carp I've been catchin' in creeks have been fightin' great! Even the buff I caught a couple days ago in a creek made me think it was a carp until it surfaced and kept doing the side to side number. I definately think you're right about the warmer water...fish seem to be livelier.

-alan